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Bail A' Chairn is a broch situated in Caithness, northern Scotland. This Iron Age stone tower represents a distinctive form of fortified residence found exclusively in Scotland, typically dating to the first centuries BC and AD. The broch stands upon bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a conglomerate and sandstone formation of Middle Devonian age that underlies much of this region, providing the stone that local builders would have quarried for its construction.
The tower's dry-stone walls, characteristic of broch architecture, would originally have risen to a considerable height, enclosing a circular courtyard. The thick concentric walls contained internal galleries and stairs, allowing access to upper levels. The central hearth served domestic and communal functions for the resident family and their dependants.
Bail A' Chairn is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM13634, recognising its archaeological importance. The monument survives as a testament to Iron Age settlement patterns in the far north of Britain, where such brochs formed focal points of local power and prestige in the landscape.
Bail A' Chairn, broch is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM13634. View the official record →
Bail A' Chairn is a broch situated in Caithness, northern Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM13634.
Bail A' Chairn, broch dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Bail A' Chairn, broch 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 SM13634.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Carn A' Chladha, broch (0.7 km), Scouthal Burn,chapel & The Clow (0.8 km), Achalipster, deserted settlement and souterrain (3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Bail A' Chairn, broch'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.
Bail A' Chairn, broch stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.