Dùn Anlaimh
These remains are not unlike those of other fortified islands found throughout the Outer Hebrides, and it is likely that Dùn Anlaimh dates from the late Middle Ages.
[note 1] Dùn Anlaimh is a small artificial island located in Loch Nan Cinneachan on Coll (grid reference NM18845684).
[6] The island upon which Dùn Anlaimh occupies is roughly oval, almost circular in plan, and was about water level when visited by the RCAHMS in 1975.
[7] The island is situated on the north end of Loch nan Cinneachan and is connected to the east shore by a 29 metres (95 ft 2 in) partly submerged causeway.
The ruins seem to resemble later fortified islands found in the Outer Hebrides, and it is likely that those of Dùn Anlaimh date to the mediaeval period.
Although the site has no recorded history, the local tradition concerning Dùn Anlaimh appears to support the view that it was occupied in the Late Middle Ages.
If the curving causeways of these crannogs were meant to lie under several feet of shallow water, these bends would have served to impede the advancement of enemies unaware of the correct route.
[8] In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several Coll traditions were published which concerned several fortifications (hillforts, duns, and crannogs) on the island—one of which was Dùn Anlaimh.
The woman of the house told MacLean was not worth sending meat to, and Dowart kindly came ashore to see why she said so.
This led to a fight at Grimsari and is perhaps the reason why Dowart encouraged Iain Garbh to make himself master of Coll.
[5][10] Beveridge also made note of traditions of another battle fought near Grishipol, in which Iain Garbh and his followers defeated a force led by his step-father Gilleonan, chief of the MacNeils of Barra.
However, he conceded that this date was calculated by the fact that when the Macleans of Coll sold their estate on the island in 1854, it was believed that they had owned their lands there for exactly 472 years.
[5] Beveridge's version of the tradition runs as follows: Concerning the first of these two island-forts,—Dun Anlaimh, in the Upper Mill Loc,—there runs a somewhat detailed tradition to the effect that in it lived the Norse chief who held Coll long after the neighbouring islands had been abandoned by his comrades.
It is said that MacLean of Duart already possessed Tiree, and that one of his sons determined to attack the Norseman (presumably an Olaf) in this islet stronghold.
