Ancient Monuments

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Castle Spynie,broch

A Scheduled Monument in Aird and Loch Ness, Highland

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Coordinates

Latitude: 57.4453 / 57°26'43"N

Longitude: -4.4315 / 4°25'53"W

OS Eastings: 254173

OS Northings: 842053

OS Grid: NH541420

Mapcode National: GBR H9F1.GTQ

Mapcode Global: WH3FF.W4Y6

Entry Name: Castle Spynie,broch

Scheduled Date: 6 March 1989

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM4653

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Prehistoric domestic and defensive: broch

Location: Kiltarlity and Convinth

County: Highland

Electoral Ward: Aird and Loch Ness

Traditional County: Inverness-shire

Description

The monument comprises the remains of a broch, measuring overall 19.5m in diameter within a wall measuring 4.0m wide and 1.0m high with inner and outer faces occasionally visible. The entrance is in the south west. Below the broch on the north east is an outer defence consisting of a line of boulders and a rampart and ditch. To the south west of the broch another ditch provides added defence. The area to be scheduled measures 100m NE-SW by 60m transversely, to include the broch, its outworks and an area around them in which traces of activity associated with their use will survive, as marked in red on the attached map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The site is of national importance because it is a good and well preserved example of an Iron Age broch; it is of particular interest because of the survival of outer defensive works, which utilise natural rock outcrops. It has the potential to enhance considerably our understanding of Iron Age settlement and the development of brochs.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NH 54 SW 9.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

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