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Castle Linglas is a broch located on Keiss Links in Caithness, Scotland. This Iron Age stone tower forms part of the distinctive broch tradition that flourished in northern Scotland during the first centuries BC and AD. Built upon bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone of Devonian age, the monument occupies a landscape shaped by ancient geology and the coastal processes that have shaped the Keiss Links over millennia.
The broch's double-walled circular construction, typical of its class, would have provided both defensive capability and shelter for its occupants. The sandy, wind-exposed location of Keiss Links presents the characteristic environment of Caithness brochs, perched on the northern coast where these monuments cluster in notable concentration. The structure's survival on this dynamic coastal terrain represents a significant archaeological record of Iron Age settlement patterns in the far north.
Castle Linglas is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Scotland reference SM540, recognising its importance as evidence of early settlement and the sophisticated architectural knowledge of Iron Age communities in Caithness. The site contributes to our understanding of how these remarkable structures functioned within their local geography and the broader patterns of Iron Age occupation across northern Scotland.
Castle Linglas,broch,Keiss Links is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM540. View the official record →
Castle Linglas is a broch located on Keiss Links in Caithness, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM540.
Castle Linglas,broch,Keiss Links dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch,keiss links. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Castle Linglas,broch,Keiss Links 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 SM540.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Keiss Broch (3.1 km), Whitegate Broch (3.3 km), Kirk Tofts,broch,Keiss (3.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Castle Linglas,broch,Keiss Links'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.
Castle Linglas,broch,Keiss Links stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.