Torr a'Chaisteal

Torr a'Chaisteal is situated on an isolated grassy knoll on the west coast of Arran. It was a fortified residence, or dun, of a type common across western Scotland in the later Iron Age. The turf-covered walls are 0.5 metres high and have an average width of 4 metres. The walls are formed of large sandstone boulders, enclosing an area with a diameter of around 7 metres. A short stretch of wall lies beside the dun to the east, while on the landward approach is a substantial earthwork that may have formed an outer defence. Antiquarian excavations in the 19th century uncovered human and animal bones, shells, the top stone of a quern, and pieces of haematite iron.