Description

The monument comprises the remains of a broch, an Iron Age drystone fortification. The broch is set on a narrow rocky promontory, cut off on the landward side by a natural gully, across which a causeway has been built. Inside the gully is an outwork in the form of a wall at least 2.6m thick, which appears to enclose an area some 15m by 10m between the broch and the gully. Up to 6 courses of masonry survive on the face of this outwork on the W side of the broch. The broch has been considerably disturbed by excavation and by amateur rebuilding, but seems to have measured 9m in diameter within a wall from 3.7m to 4.6m thick. The rubble of the broch stands almost 2m high, and facing stones can be seen at various points, sufficient to give the dimensions and to reveal an entrance on the S side, and a second entrance (perhaps secondary to the broch's original design) on the NNE. Chambers within the wall exist on the W and E sides. The area to be scheduled consists of the entire promontory, down to high water mark of spring tides, and is irregular on plan, to include the broch, outwork, causeway and an area around in which evidence relating to their construction and use may survive. It measures a maximum of 95m N-S by 40m WSW-ENE, as marked in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a broch which forms one of a group of three lying well away from the main concentration of such fortifications in N and W Scotland. Although partly excavated it retains the potential, through excavation and analysis, to provide important information about the unresolved question of the reason for the existence of brochs so far from their normal area of occurrence, and also for Iron Age defensive architecture and domestic economy.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

The monument is recorded in the RCAHMS as NX 04 SE 1.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland