© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Dingy's Howe is a broch situated on Upper Sanday in Orkney, Scotland. Brochs were circular stone towers built during the Iron Age, typically between the 1st century BC and 1st century AD, and this example stands within a landscape of distinctive local geology. The bedrock beneath the site comprises Middle Old Red Sandstone from the Middle Devonian period, a formation of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone that would have provided both building stone and structural challenges for the Iron Age builders. The monument is recorded as a scheduled ancient monument under Historic Environment Scotland's protection, designated as SM1435.
The broch form represents one of Scotland's most recognisable prehistoric structures, with its characteristic hollow-walled circular design offering both defensive capabilities and impressive visual presence. On Sanday, the exposed bedrock and surrounding landscape have shaped the preservation and visibility of this Iron Age monument. The monument's survival in the Orkney context, where coastal erosion and weathering pose ongoing challenges, makes it a significant record of Iron Age settlement patterns in the Northern Isles.
Dingy's Howe,broch,Upper Sanday is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1435. View the official record →
Dingy's Howe is a broch situated on Upper Sanday in Orkney, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1435.
Dingy's Howe,broch,Upper Sanday dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch,upper sanday. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Dingy's Howe,broch,Upper Sanday 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 SM1435.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Eves Howe,broch 640m N of Braebuster (2.8 km), Lower Cornquoy, barrow 225m SSE of, Holm (4.4 km), Castle Howe, Norse Castle and prehistoric settlement (4.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dingy's Howe,broch,Upper Sanday'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.
Dingy's Howe,broch,Upper Sanday stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.