Duntulm ( gd, Dùn Thuilm) is a township on the most northerly point of the

Trotternish Trotternish or Tròndairnis (Scottish Gaelic) is the northernmost peninsula of the Isle of Skye, in Scotland. Its most northerly point, Rubha Hùinis, is the most northerly point of Skye. One of the peninsula's better-known features is the Trot ...

peninsula of the

Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or ; sco, Isle o Skye), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated ...

made up of Shulista (north Duntulm), south Duntulm and Ghlumaig.

History

Duntulm was originally a Pictish fortress, forming one of a chain of duns or forts stretching along the north coast of the

. On the arrival of the

Norsemen The Norsemen (or Norse people) were a North Germanic ethnolinguistic group of the Early Middle Ages, during which they spoke the Old Norse language. The language belongs to the North Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages and is the pre ...

the fort became the residence of a powerful

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

leader who gave it the name David's Fort. Trotternish often changed hands. It was not until the 16th century that the Lords of the Isles finally seized the territory and Donhall Gorm (''Blue Donald'') the chief (great-grandson of

Hugh of Sleat Hugh of Sleat ( 1437 – 1498), pronounced "Slate", who is known as Ùisdean () in Gaelic, was an illegitimate son of Alexander MacDonald, 10th Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles. He was a member of the Highland and Western Isles Clan Donald. Hugh ...

), took up residence there and carried out considerable improvements to the fort. In 1730 the MacDonalds moved away from Duntulm and stayed for a time at Monkstadt before building their new castle at Armadale. Duntulm is home to a

clach-ultaich Lifting stones are heavy natural stones which people are challenged to lift, proving their strength. They are common throughout northern Europe, particularly Scotland, Wales, Iceland (where they are referred to as ''steintökin''), Scandinavia an ...

, a

lifting stone Lifting stones are heavy natural stones which people are challenged to lift, proving their strength. They are common throughout northern Europe, particularly Scotland, Wales, Iceland (where they are referred to as ''steintökin''), Scandinavia an ...

. It is said to weigh a ton.

Geography

The village is most notable for the coastal scenery coupled with the ruins of

Duntulm Castle Duntulm Castle stands ruined on the north coast of Trotternish, on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, near the hamlet of Duntulm. During the 17th century it was the seat of the chiefs of Clan MacDonald of Sleat. It is a scheduled monument. Histor ...

, from which there are views of the

Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...

. The single-track

A855 road List of A roads in zone 8 in Great Britain starting north of the A8 and west of the A9 (roads beginning with 8). Single- and double-digit roads Triple-digit roads Four-digit roads See also * B roads in Zone 8 of the Great Britain numbe ...

from Uig takes travellers around to

Staffin Staffin ( gd, Stafain) is a district with the Gaelic name ''An Taobh Sear'', which translates as "the East Side", on the northeast coast of the Trotternish peninsula of the island of Skye. It is located on the A855 road about north of Portre ...

. This north-west tip of Skye is remote but glorious and has earned praise from travellers and walkers for some time; the trek to Rubha Hunish.

Economy

Duntulm contains one hotel, directly facing the castle and the sea. There are also the Duntulm Coastguard Cottages nearby, and the dispersed settlements in the area offer alternative accommodations.

References

External links

Canmore - Skye, Cnoc A'Mhoid, Duntulm site record
{{Skye Populated places in the Isle of Skye