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An Dun is a broch situated near Berriedale in Caithness, northern Scotland. This Iron Age stone tower stands on bedrock of Moine Supergroup psammite, a metamorphic sandstone formed during the Neoproterozoic. The broch's position on this ancient, hard geology would have provided a stable foundation for its substantial circular structure. The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under scheduling reference SM518.
Brochs are distinctive Scottish Iron Age fortifications, typically dating between the 1st centuries BC and AD. They are characterised by their hollow-walled circular design, which allowed the stone walls to reach considerable heights whilst remaining structurally sound. An Dun exemplifies this architectural tradition in the far north of mainland Britain, where such structures appear to have served defensive, domestic and possibly status-marking functions for their builders and inhabitants.
The Caithness landscape, with its exposed moorland and proximity to the north coast, would have shaped settlement patterns in the Iron Age. The broch's survival to the present day, despite millennia of exposure to Highland weather and ground movement, testifies to the durability of Iron Age masonry techniques employed in its construction.
An Dun, broch, Berriedale is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM518. View the official record →
An Dun is a broch situated near Berriedale in Caithness, northern Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM518.
An Dun, broch, Berriedale dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch, berriedale. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
An Dun, broch, Berriedale is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM518.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tulloch Turnal, broch 500m WNW of Turnal Rock, Langwell (2.4 km), Turnal Rock, hut circle complex 250m NW of Langwell Tulloch broch. (2.5 km), Langwell Plantation,souterrain 130m W of Kennels (2.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of An Dun, broch, Berriedale's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
An Dun, broch, Berriedale stands on Moine Supergroup, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite.