During June a team of hardy volunteers worked with AOC Archaeology Group at Doon Castle Broch as part of the Rhins Revealed Community Archaeology project. The building remains, perched on a rocky promontory on Ardwell Bay, north of Port Logan, were both surrounded and filled by huge quantities of rubble as a result from its collapse, and in some areas the stonework was deteriorating.
Following the detail survey of the site in 2019, which highlighted key areas that were at risk of further deterioration, consent was granted from Historic Environment Scotland to consolidate and conserve the broch. Over two weeks volunteers assisted in removing rubble to improve access and interpretation and strengthen areas of collapse.
The layout of the broch was hard to make out among the fallen stone and the hard work by the volunteers has now revealed the interior circumference of the broch and cleared the northern entranceway allowing visitors to easily enter the circular space and move through it.
Graeme Cavers, Director at AOC Archaeology said, “Although Doon Castle is referred to as a broch, it is in fact rather hard to categorise. Unusually, the building has two entrances while a standard broch has only one. The structure is perhaps best interpreted as a local translation of the broch concept, adapted to local materials and local building styles. The recent work led to the discovery of new information about the broch’s layout and the further recording by volunteers will help us produce highly accurate 3D models.”
Peter Ross, Chair of the Rhins of Galloway Coast Path Steering Group said; ‘I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who took part in work at the broch, giving their time, energy and muscle power to consolidate this fine example of Iron Age architecture, sited on the Rhins of Galloway Coast Path. Thanks are also due to Ardwell Estate for giving their permission, and to Historic Environment Scotland for granting Scheduled Monument Consent for the work to take place.’
The Rhins Revealed Community Archaeology Project is part of the community engagement programme for the Rhins of Galloway Coast Path. The project is managed by Dumfries and Galloway Council and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Coastal Communities Fund, and the Council.
For more information about the work undertaken and what was revealed check out the blog on the Rhins website at: https://dgtrails.org/doon-castle-broch
