A few weeks back when in the North of Scotland we visited an iron age broch. A broch is a small defensive fort that would have been used by a small community. The normally consist of a small defensive structure, surrounded by the everyday dwellings used by the community.
The majority of brochs are ruined these days, as is the Nybster broch. In the pic above you can see the circular main defensive structure, which is now only around 3-4 feet tall. It would have been more like 20+ feet in its prime. In the background is an unrelated monument.
In the pic above you can see the outline of some of the remaining outer buildings. This broch is right on the edge of a headland, again probably to provide defense on its flanks.
Above you can see the passage between some of the structures. These would have been built without any mortar - they would have just selected the right stones and put them in the right place to support each other. You can see from above that the walls were quite straight - fairly skilled builders !
The above pic gives a view looking up the coast from the broch to give an idea of the location. And the sea (the North Sea) really does crash in here, so it would have been cold and noisy in winter.
The pic above shows that central defensive structure - it only has one main passageway in. The walls are thick, but they would have had a passageway within them, for the community to move and probably mount a defense from above.
Another pic of the sea showing how stormy it can be - this was on a calm day in September !
There are many brochs right across Scotland and the Scottish Isles. And Caithness, the county I'm from, has the largest concentration. This was only my second time visiting this one, and I only found out about it around 3 years ago.
The above shows the location from further up the coast - its right on the end of the headland - the two people you can see are at the broch site. These cliffs are mostly made of red sand stone, hence the colour.
The steps on the right above would have led into the central passage within the walls of the defensive structure.
Above is a rectangular 'bed' within the curved walls of the main structure. Its hard to tell what it could have been - probably not a bed (plus its small), maybe a fire pit or something.
Its a shame that it is so ruined. This broch does receive some maintenance from a group of volunteers - cutting grass, making it safe - but thats about it. But I still love visiting them, even if not much is left. Its incredible to think about who might have lived here, and their lives.
I enjoyed seeing it again, even if my wife wasnt so impressed ! I need to keep seeking out new ones to visit - there are not so many near where I live in the south of Scotland !
Anyway, I hope you all have a nice weekend when it comes - thanks for visiting !