Ancient hillfort to be excavated in Lochaber

Archaeologists are preparing for the first ever excavation of an ancient hillfort in Lochaber.

Dun Deardail was constructed on a prominent knoll on Sgorr Chalum, a hill overlooking the River Nevis in Glen Nevis.

AOC Archaeology, which will lead volunteers in the dig, has described the site as "enigmatic".

Little is known about the origins of the fort, who built it or when it was constructed.

The first phase in a three-year project will examine the defences.

They were vitrified, meaning stone and wood in the defensive walls were burned at a high temperature for a long time to fuse the stone together.

Examples of vitrified forts can be found across Scotland, including in Aberdeenshire.

The Lochaber site has never before been excavated or dated with any accuracy.

Forestry Commission Scotland, which is supporting the project, said it may have been constructed in the first millennium BC or first millennium AD.

The commission said the fort's name may suggest a link with an ancient Irish myth called Deirdre of the Sorrows.

The legend tells of a chieftain's daughter who was said to be so beautiful that kings, lords and warriors fought and died to try to win her hand in marriage.

Martin Cook, of AOC, said: "We are really looking forward to getting started at Dun Deardail.

"This promises to be a really exciting excavation, yielding the first evidence to confirm the date and nature of this enigmatic hillfort."

The first phase of the excavation will take place from 14 to 28 August. Further digs are planned for 2016 and 2017.