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Brockan is a burnt mound situated some 300 metres south of Brockan in Orkney. The monument comprises a substantial mound formed from burnt stone, a characteristic Iron Age or Bronze Age structure created through the repeated heating and quenching of rock in fire. These distinctive archaeological features are common across northern Scotland and the Scottish islands, where they typically functioned as cooking or bathing installations. The mound's location on Middle Old Red Sandstone bedrock—a foundation of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone laid down during the Middle Devonian period—would have provided suitable stone for heating, though precise sourcing awaits investigation.
The burnt stone accumulated at Brockan represents evidence of sustained prehistoric activity in this part of Orkney. Such mounds formed gradually as stones were heated in fires, cracked by thermal shock, and discarded in growing heaps, often associated with nearby water sources. The practice reflects sophisticated thermal technology and organised communal activity.
The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the designation SM1246, recognising its importance as a rare physical survival of prehistoric technology and domestic practice in the northern isles.
Brockan, burnt mound 300m S of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1246. View the official record →
Brockan is a burnt mound situated some 300 metres south of Brockan in Orkney. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1246.
Brockan, burnt mound 300m S 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 SM1246.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Leafea, standing stones 535m SSW of Broadshore House (0.3 km), Breckness House and site of chapel (0.6 km), Ness Battery, coast defence battery, Stromness (2.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Brockan, burnt mound 300m S 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.
Brockan, burnt mound 300m S of stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.