Monument record MHG53610 - Occupied Cave, Leitir Fura, Kinloch, Isle of Skye

An ‘L’ shaped former sea cave situated behind a small birch copse, in the face of low cliffs, some 25 meters beyond the high tide line. A tall Holly tree lies outside the cave entrance and is plainly visible from the forest road overlooking the bay close to Site 21. The cave is 6.00 meters deep and 1.00 meter wide at the entrance widening to 3.00 meters wide inside. The interior of the cave varies from 2 – 3 meters high. A small revetted platform lies just outside the cave entrance. At the time of discovery the interior of the cave was littered with evidence of occupation (tools, pottery a hearth and a shell midden) from the late 18th or early 19th century. Subsequent excavation in May of 1996 showed that the cave had been occupied intermittently from at the least the 3rd century before Christ. In 2010, the cave was recorded as being in regular use again with a new hearth set against the SW wall and stacks of cut wood and kindling against the NE wall.
The excavations carried out in May 1996 have yet to be published. <1>

Archive report includes plans, recording sheet and photographs. <2>

Noted in the original survey at Leitir Fura, in 1996. <3>