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Hakon's Bowl Rising

Borralie, Durness, Sutherland.

NGR:NC 38469 67772
WGS84:58.56787, -4.77898
Length:Not recorded
Vert. Range:Not recorded
Altitude:16 m
Geology:Sangomore Fm - dolostone
Tags:Rising, SSSI
Registry:second

Spring within the large-scale depression known locally as 'Hakon's Bowl', feeding a small stream that flows into the NW side of Loch Borralie.

Alternative Names: Haakon's Bowl

Notes: Located in this natural depression are the remains of what was a large (probable Bronze Age) hut circle, perhaps located here for access to the adjacent spring. It probably also functioned as an important water supply for the nearby Iron Age dun and now-abandoned township of Borley, both located near Loch Borralie Tartan Hole

The name of the bowl relates to a local legend in which King Hakon IV of Norway and the remains of his army used this site as a camp en route to Orkney after the Battle of Largs in 1263. Archaeological excavations have found evidence of Norse settlement nearby.

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This entry was last updated: 2025-05-27 07:46:48

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