MHG1097 - Broch, Borgue Langwell
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- BROCH (Iron Age - 550 BC to 560 AD)
Protected Status
Full Description
Borgue Langwell (NAT) Broch (NR) OS 6" map, (1964)
On S side of the Langwell Water, about half a mile due S of the gamekeeper's house, and at the upper end of a small glen, are the remains of a broch known as 'Burg Langwell'. Some recent excavation has been done on the structure, and a gallery 2ft 8ins in width has been exposed on the S, which probably contains the stair, and on the W for a short distance a portion of chamber has been opened up through a break in the outer wall at one end. The diameter of the broch over all is some 48ft, and the thickness of the wall, where exposed above the gallery, is 10ft. The wall on the exterior is reduced almost to the foundation.
RCAHMS 1911, visited 1910.
The mutilated remains of a broch, overall diameter has been 17m. SW is best preserved where outer wall face can be traced at a height of from 0.1 to 1.2m; and here, within the breadth of the wall (some 5m) are exposed the remains of a gallery, extant for 3.2m long by 0.9m wide and 1.2m deep. On N side, the greater part of the broch has been demolished, leaving a mass of stones covering the perimeter. Adjacent to broch are footings of two buildings and associated enclosures of early modern date (ND12SW 48).
Visited by OS (J L D) 14 June 1960.
No change Visited by OS (J M) 26 November 1982.
3 BURG LANGWELL ('Borgue Langwell', 'Langwell Water 2', 'Berriedale 3')
ND/1026 2181
Probable broch in Latheron, Caith-ness, standing on low ground at the upper end of a small glen. In 1910 some excavation had been done "recently" and exposed a length of mural gallery 80cm (2ft 8in) wide and 3.2m long on the south side which probably contained the stair. Part of a mural cell was visible on the west. The outer wallface survives to a height of up to 1.2m on the south-west. The external diameter is about 17m (55.7ft) and the wall was 5m (16.4ft) thick above the gallery [1]. If this gallery is an upper one the site should be re-classified as a broch. The outer wallface was ruined down to foundation level.
Sources: 1. NMRS site no. ND 12 SW 1 and plate: 2. RCAHMS 1911b, 53, no. 201: 3. C Moloney and L Baker in Dis-covery and Excavation in Scotland 1998, 56.
Sources/Archives (5)
- --- SHG2664 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1911. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Third report and inventory of monuments and constructions in the county of Caithness. . 53, No. 201.
- --- SHG3587 Image/Photograph(s)/Aerial Photograph: B/W Negative. .
- --- SHG3588 Image/Photograph(s): B/W Negative. .
- --- SHG3589 Image/Photograph(s)/Aerial Photograph: B/W Negative. .
- <1> SHG26111 Text/Publication/Monograph: Mackie, E.. 2007. The Roundhouses, Brochs and Wheelhouses of Atlantic Scotland c.700 BC - AD 500: Architecture and material culture Part 2 (I & II) The Northern and Southern Mainland and the Western Islands. BAR British Series. 444. Paperback. 3 BURG LANGWELL.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred ND 1026 2180 (70m by 70m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ND12SW |
| Civil Parish | LATHERON |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM524 (Online designation description (Historic Environment Scotland))
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/8067 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
Comments and Feedback
Do you have any more information about this record? Please feel free to comment with information and photographs, or ask any questions, using the "Disqus" tool below. Comments are moderated, and we aim to respond/publish as soon as possible.