Hill forts · Scottish Islands
Broch of Gurness
Broch of Gurness — tower in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Broch of Gurness is a hill fort in the United Kingdom. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Managed by Historic Environment Scotland. Wikidata describes it as: "tower in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 59.1240°, -3.0817°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village on the northeast coast of Mainland Orkney in Scotland overlooking Eynhallow Sound, about 15 miles north-west of Kirkwall. It once housed a substantial community. It was discovered by the Orkney poet and naturalist Robert Rendall in 1929.
From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.
From Historic Environment Scotland
Learn a little of the history of the Broch of Gurness, and find out what to see and do at the Iron Age complex, an icon of Orkney’s archaeological heritage. Contact us today for more information.
Read more on the official property page.
From the Wikipedia article
The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village on the northeast coast of Mainland Orkney in Scotland overlooking Eynhallow Sound, about 15 miles north-west of Kirkwall. It once housed a substantial community. It was discovered by the Orkney poet and naturalist Robert Rendall in 1929.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Description
Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 m high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 m thick. The roof probably was conical or mildly hyperbolic. The tower was likely inhabited by the principal family or clan of the area but also served as a last resort for the village in case of an attack. At some point after 100 AD the broch was abandoned and the ditches filled in. The broch is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 59.1240, -3.0817
- District
- Orkney Islands
- Postcode
- KW17 2NH
- Parliamentary constituency
- Orkney and Shetland
- Official site
- www.historicenvironment.scot
Sources
- wikidata: Q923355 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Broch of Gurness (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Broch of Gurness2.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Broch of Gurness?
- Broch of Gurness is in the Scottish Islands, United Kingdom (postcode KW17 2NH).
- Who runs Broch of Gurness?
- Broch of Gurness is operated by Historic Environment Scotland.
- Is Broch of Gurness a listed building?
- Broch of Gurness is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Is Broch of Gurness free to visit?
- Yes, Broch of Gurness is free to enter.
- How do I get to Broch of Gurness?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode KW17 2NH. It sits within the Orkney and Shetland parliamentary constituency.