Reblogged from The Hazel Tree:

Ten minutes’ walk from the hazel grove (described in my previous post) brought us alongside a field of rough grass and bracken that rises quite steeply to a natural rocky outcrop. Built into the top of this outcrop is a ruined hillfort known, according to a signpost, as ‘Caisteal nan Coin Duibh’.  I was delighted to discover that this means ‘the castle of the black dogs’. (Haha, those old people knew how to name places, that’s for sure! How can you see that and pass it by?)

The drop on the north-west facing side is pretty sheer, so we crossed into the field with the intention of going round the back and finding a more welcoming route. It was only a short climb but still not the easiest, as the ground is littered with massive boulders half-smothered by grass, bracken and thick ropes of bramble: you can easily plunge your foot into an unseen hole and twist your ankle.

Continue reading at The Hazel Tree