Print

MHG11970 - Broch - Sallachy

Summary

No summary available.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

(NC 5491 0922) Broch (NR). OS 6"map, (1967)

Sallachy or Sallachadh, Loch Shin, NC50NW0001

Brochs are round, tower-like houses, their monumental size intended to display wealth and status of the agricultural communities who lived in them. They were occupied in later Iron Age and occur frequently in the north and west of Scotland. (41)
Sallachy is a well-preserved broch, situated on knoll on east shore of Loch Shin. The knoll is natural, but has been artificially levelled before the broch was built. A narrow passage leads between associated buildings to the entrance of the broch itself. These buildings are enclosed within an outer earthwork. (52)
Inside the broch, two probable guard chambers flank the entrance and the substantial bar hole for the wooden door is visible. Within the thickness of the drystone wall, a staircase leading to at least one upper floor (now gone) rises from the small oval chamber at its foot. (48) (9.4m/14.2m/3.6m)
Armit, I., 1997. Celtic Scotland. Edinburgh: Batsford.
Gourlay, R., 1996. Sutherland. An Archaeological Guide. Edinburgh: Birlinn, pg. 68-9.
RCAHMS. 1911. Sutherland. Edinburgh: HMSO, 135-6, No. 392.
Information from SCRAN Project, March, 2000

The broch was scheduled in 1939.

The substantial remains of a broch standing on a knoll with walling building up the sloping site. It measures 31ft diameter within a wall 15ft thick, standing to a height of 10-12ft and well built of various sizes of stones. Only E segment of outer face is not exposed (OS {E G C}) The entrance 3ft 4ins wide, is on SE and has been distorted by comparatively recent rebuilding and the lintels have been removed but a bar-hole is still visible, guard chambers lead off from each side, that on the right being particularly well preserved. In interior of broch the entrance to the mural staircase lies to left of entrance passage. An oval chamber occurs at foot of the stair. The wall of an external enclosure springs from S side of the broch and runs to a distance of 46' to SE before swinging northwards round E & N sides to rejoin the west side. RCAHMS 1911; A Young 1964; Visited by OS (E G C) 20 June 1963.

This broch is as described by previous authorities. Attached to the south side is a fairly modern, subrectangular enclosure, now ruined, which overlays, or partially overlays an outwork which extended around S, E and NE sides. This outwork is largely obscured by tumble, but here and there, two or three courses of the outer face are exposed. No inner face can be seen, and there is no evidence of the outwork having continued around the west side of the broch.
Re-surveyed at 1:10000. Visited by OS (N K B) 3 September 1976.

The scheduling was amended by Historic Environment Scotland with effect from 30/10/2018. <1>

This site was included in Mackie's 2007 'The Roundhouses, Brochs and Wheelhouses of Atlantic Scotland c.700 BC - AD 500: Architecture and material culture'. See link below to HES Canmore record which includes the chapter on this site. <2>

As part of a research project into broch architecture, and the Knowledge Transfer Project (a collaborative research project between AOC Archaeology Group and the University of Nottingham) a laser scan survey was undertaken at the broch of Sallachy, Lairg, Sutherland. On 9–10 October 2007 16 scan stations were taken to provide coverage of the structure at an average net resolution of 10mm. <3>

The NMS catalogue includes an implement of bone, 4 3/4" long, from Sallachy Broch, Lairg, Sutherland. It was acquired 1902 from Reverend A.W. Darwin. Acc. No. GA 400. <4>

Sources/Archives (31)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 5490 0922 (70m by 70m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC50NW
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	LAIRG

Finds (1)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (2)