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Cairn Merk is a broch of Iron Age date, situated 800 metres south-south-east of the Bridge of Westerdale in Caithness, northern Scotland. This circular stone tower represents one of Scotland's most distinctive prehistoric fortified dwellings, a form unique to the Iron Age and found almost exclusively in the northern and western regions of the country. The broch stands on bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone formed during the Middle Devonian period, comprising conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone. This local geological foundation would have provided the stone necessary for construction, with builders utilising naturally fragmented material from the surrounding landscape.
Brochs typically date between the 1st century BC and 1st century AD, serving as fortified residences for high-status individuals or families. Their distinctive architectural form comprises a double-walled circular structure with a hollow-chambered wall, access via a single entrance passage, and an internal diameter usually between 8 and 12 metres. Cairn Merk exemplifies the distribution of brochs across the far north of mainland Scotland, where such towers played an important role in the settlement pattern of Iron Age communities.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under scheduling reference SM534, recognising its significance as a surviving example of Iron Age defensive architecture.
Cairn Merk,broch 800m SSE of Bridge of Westerdale is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM534. View the official record →
Cairn Merk is a broch of Iron Age date, situated 800 metres south-south-east of the Bridge of Westerdale in Caithness, northern Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM534.
Cairn Merk,broch 800m SSE of Bridge of Westerdale dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch 800m sse of bridge of westerdale. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cairn Merk,broch 800m SSE of Bridge of Westerdale 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 SM534.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tulach Lochain Bhraseil,cairn 310m WNW of Bridge of Westerdale (1.1 km), Tulach an Fhuarain,cairn 310m NW of Bridge of Westerdale (1.1 km), Dale Farm,broch 800m SE of (2.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cairn Merk,broch 800m SSE of Bridge of Westerdale'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.
Cairn Merk,broch 800m SSE of Bridge of Westerdale stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.