MHG11746 - Broch; Skelbo Wood
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- BROCH (Iron Age - 550 BC to 560 AD)
Protected Status
Full Description
Broch lies beside woodland path, recently cleared of trees, but overgown at time of visit. Lies on side of slope and would have had extensive views before tree planting. Main central structure has occasional stones visible, some quite large, dip in centre perhaps 1m plus deep. Possible outer structures. Appears to be outer defensive wall all around at short distance. - HAW 8/2003
(NH 7820 9443) Broch (NR) OS 6" map, (1960)
On a low knoll in Skelbo Wood are remains of a broch, now a structureless overgrown ruin. No wall faces are visible, but overall diameter appears to be about 60ft.
A wall surrounds broch at a distance of 17ft, increasing in the NE arc where an enclosure, 37ft long by 20ft wide, has been formed by walls crossing the interspace. To the E (S) of this enclosure is a break in the rampart. The space between it and the broch has been levelled, suggesting the position of the broch entrance.
RCAHMS 1911, visited 1909.
The remains of a broch, as described by RCAHMS At one point outer wall can be seen to be of rubble construction, but is too overgrown elsewhere for further analysis.
The walls crossing the interspace in NE are curved, and the "rampart" between them is destroyed, or pushed outwards, forming a sub-circular area about 12m in diameter. Another ruined wall crosses interspace in the SSW, and, like the others, is probably later. Visited by OS (R L) 4 November 1969.
NH79 2 SKELBO WOOD NH/7820 9443 (NH/78203 94433 – GPS) Visited 21/7/03
This possible broch in Dornoch, Sutherland, stands on a low knoll in the wood overlooking Loch Fleet and is now an overgrown ruin. It appears as a huge mound of large, rounded stones with a shallow crater in the centre. No wallfaces can be seen but the overall diameter has been estimated at 18.0m (60 ft) [2]. An outer wall surrounds the broch at a distance of 5.1m (17 ft) increasing on the north-east arc, where walls cross the intervening space. There seems to be a break in the outer wall just east of this enclosure, and the space between it and the broch has been levelled; this suggests that the entrance is here [1].
Sources: 1. NMRS site no. NH 79 SE 4: 2. RCAHMS 1911a, 37-8, no. 106. <1>
Sources/Archives (3)
- --- SHG23380 Text/Report/Management Plan: Forestry Commission & Historic Scotland. 2008. Skelbo Wood, Broch 300m SW of Glen Cottage. Digital (scanned as PDF).
- --- SHG2657 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1911. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Second report and inventory of monuments and constructions in the county of Sutherland. . 37-8, No. 106.
- <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. NH79 2 SKELBO WOOD.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 7820 9444 (70m by 70m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH79SE |
| Geographical Area | SUTHERLAND |
| Civil Parish | DORNOCH |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM1885 (Online designation description (Historic Environment Scotland))
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/14849 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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