Despite its rich archaeological potential, the Durness area of NW Scotland remains conspicuously understudied in the existing literature. Systematic surveys and excavations in the region have been limited. While the Durness area contains remarkably well-preserved archaeological evidence dating back to prehistoric times, scholarly engagement with the region has been uneven. The literature, though not entirely absent, tends toward the descriptive rather than the analytical, and the absence of sustained fieldwork means that many sites remain poorly characterised and often in danger of disappearing due to coastal erosion.
It is striking, for example, that Durness lies about 100 km from Orkney and roughly the same distance from the Western Isles. It is well documented that Norse voyagers moored in the area as they travelled back and forth around the treacherous Cape Wrath (Hvarf), en route to the Outer and Inner Isles, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
The papers here detail some aspects of human occupation through time in the area, where field evidence of such occupation is strong.
Please note that these papers have not been peer reviewed. They are pre-prints submitted for public comment (and have not been certified by peer review). Any discrepancies regarding references or lack of such are the responsibility of the authors.