Monument record MHG44137 - Rock shelter - Duchary Rock

NC80SE 3 850 048.
Fort (NR), (NC 8511 0478) Rock Shelter (NR) OS 6"map, (1964)

The fort on Duchary Rock is defended at its N and SE ends by a stone wall and elsewhere by natural rock. There is an outer wall 7 feet thick on the NW side protecting an entrance; a second entrance occurs in SE wall.
A natural rock shelter occurs some 30 feet below the wall in the SE. RCAHMS 1911, visited 1909.

The fort, measuring about 300.0m NW-SE by about 110.0m maximum transversely, is defended by steep natural cliffs along the NE and SW sides, the latter reinforced towards the NW end by a denuded wall, most of which has tumbled over the cliff edges. The relatively easy approaches from the N and SE are defended by massive bare tone walls largely obscured by tumble, but measuring 4.0m average width and surviving up to 1.5m in height. There are two opposing entrances at the NW and SE extremities. The former is 1.8m wide, faced on the W side with two upright slabs. The SE entrance is 1.3m wide with indications of a mural chamber on the W side choked with debris. No evidence of wall faces can be seen in the "outer wall" in the NW mentioned by RCAHMS and it is probable that this is tumble from the fort which has been piled up later. The interior of the fort is overgrown with peat and no domestic structures can be seen. The "rock shelter" is a natural cave with no visible evidence of human occupation.
The covered area measures approximately 5.0m by 4.0m.
Revised at 1:10,560.
Visited by OS (E G C) 7 April 1962 and (N K B) 26 August 1975.

The cave is within the Scheduled area of the fort following re-scheduling by Historic Environment Scotland in 2016, though the cave itself is not mentioned specifically. <1> <2>

GIS spatial data amended to correct position as shown on OS MasterMap. <3>