Scheduled MonumentsScotlandDun Feorlig,broch 230m NNE of Feorlig Farm
Iron Age · Broch 230m nne of feorlig farm

Dun Feorlig,broch 230m NNE of Feorlig Farm

Scotland
HES SM3494
Period
Iron Age
Site type
Broch 230m nne of feorlig farm
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Dun Feorlig is a broch situated 230 metres north-north-east of Feorlig Farm in Inverness-shire. This Iron Age stone tower represents one of Scotland's most distinctive prehistoric monuments, built by communities occupying the far north during the first centuries BC and AD. The broch stands upon bedrock of Palaeocene basalt, part of the volcanic plateau that characterises much of the region's geology and would have provided substantial building stone for its construction.

Brochs are circular, hollow-walled fortified structures unique to Iron Age Scotland, typically standing 12 to 15 metres high with walls between 3 and 6 metres thick. Their precise purpose remains debated amongst archaeologists, though they likely served as defended residences or communal strongholds for elite families or extended kin groups. The thick stone walls contained a staircase within them, allowing access to internal galleries and an upper platform.

Dun Feorlig is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3494, recognising its significance to our understanding of Iron Age settlement in the Highlands. Though now ruined, such monuments offer invaluable evidence of the architectural sophistication and organisational capability of Iron Age northern communities, demonstrating the importance of this landscape to people inhabiting it over two thousand years ago.

Dun Feorlig,broch 230m NNE of Feorlig Farm is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3494. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Dun Feorlig,broch 230m NNE of Feorlig Farm?

Dun Feorlig is a broch situated 230 metres north-north-east of Feorlig Farm in Inverness-shire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3494.

What period does Dun Feorlig,broch 230m NNE of Feorlig Farm date from?

Dun Feorlig,broch 230m NNE of Feorlig Farm dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch 230m nne of feorlig farm. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Dun Feorlig,broch 230m NNE of Feorlig Farm?

Dun Feorlig,broch 230m NNE of Feorlig Farm 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 SM3494.

What other scheduled monuments are near Dun Feorlig,broch 230m NNE of Feorlig Farm?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Abhainn Bhaile Mheadhonaich, broch and standing stone 145m SE of An Cairidh (1 km), Ardmore,chapel & burial ground 230m SW of (2.2 km), Dun Neill,dun 420m SW of Ardmore (2.4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Dun Feorlig,broch 230m NNE of Feorlig Farm

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dun Feorlig,broch 230m NNE of Feorlig Farm's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Dun Feorlig,broch 230m NNE of Feorlig Farm

Dun Feorlig,broch 230m NNE of Feorlig Farm stands on Palaeocene basalt, bedrock that formed in the Paleocene. The rock here is basalt group.