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Bridge of Rhemullen is a broch situated in Caithness, in the far north of Scotland. Built during the Iron Age, this circular stone-built tower represents one of Scotland's most distinctive prehistoric structures, erected by communities who inhabited the rugged northern landscape. The broch stands approximately 450 metres north-west of its namesake, positioned on bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a formation of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone laid down during the Middle Devonian period over 350 million years ago.
The solid geological foundation provided by the Old Red Sandstone bedrock would have offered a stable base for the broch's construction. This durable local stone, available across much of the surrounding terrain, supplied the material for the broch's characteristically thick, tapering walls. The monument's remote location in northern Caithness exemplifies the widespread distribution of brochs across the Scottish Highlands and islands, settlements that typically date to between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC.
The broch remains protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland, designated under reference SM574. Its survival in this windswept region testifies to the durability of Iron Age construction techniques and the enduring significance these structures held for their builders and subsequent generations.
Bridge of Rhemullen,broch 450m NW of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM574. View the official record →
Bridge of Rhemullen is a broch situated in Caithness, in the far north of Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM574.
Bridge of Rhemullen,broch 450m NW of 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.
Bridge of Rhemullen,broch 450m NW of 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 SM574.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rinsary,homestead 500m WNW of,Berriedale (8.4 km), Rinsary, broch and post-medieval farmstead 300m SSW of, Berriedale (8.7 km), Cnoc Fionn,hut circle 250m SW of (9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Bridge of Rhemullen,broch 450m NW of'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.
Bridge of Rhemullen,broch 450m NW of stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.