Carradale Point vitrified fort
While having an 'evening photographic fly-around', I flew the drone from Carradale Caravan Park (visible in the distance), where I am about to spend a 2nd night, across Carradale Bay to Carradale Point.  The tip of Carradale Point is a small tidal island, upon which are the fairly impressive remains of an Iron Age vitrified fort.  And a fairly impressive platoon of goats!  

The cairn is obviously recent, but the large 'boulder' in the middle of the photo, is actually a massive lump of vitrified material.  The fort is about 56m by 23m within a thick wall, which was originally composed of stone and timber; several stretches of outer facing-stones remain on the west and south-east sides of the fort.   The great lumps of vitrified material are the remains of the stone core of the wall, fused together as a result of a great conflagration.  It is possible that there were a larger number of timbers on the east side of the fort, where the vitrification is heaviest, for it was the holes formed by the burning timbers that created the draughts that created the fierce heat necessary to fuse the rock together. 

At one time it was thought that this was a deliberate act on the part of the prehistoric builders, but now it is generally accepted that the burning was either accidental or the result of a hostile attack.

The battery is getting low - time to fly home, buzzing a couple of yachts that are moored in the bay in the process!
dji0828b carradalebay kintyre scotland carradalepoint ironage vitrifiedfort