Scheduled MonumentsScotlandDun Garsin,broch,Bracadale
Iron Age · Broch,bracadale

Dun Garsin,broch,Bracadale

Scotland
HES SM912
Period
Iron Age
Site type
Broch,bracadale
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Dun Garsin is a broch located in Bracadale, Inverness-shire, in the north-west of the Isle of Skye. This Iron Age circular stone tower, protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM912, stands on bedrock formed from Palaeogene mafic lava and tuff, part of the ancient volcanic geology that characterises much of Skye. The dark, dense volcanic stone of this landscape provided the building material for the broch's distinctive double-walled construction.

Brochs were constructed during the Iron Age, primarily in Scotland's north and west, and served as fortified domestic or communal structures. Dun Garsin exemplifies this monumental tradition, with its characteristic circular plan and hollow-walled design that allowed for internal galleries and chambers within the structure's thickness. The broch form represents a distinctive architectural achievement of Iron Age Scotland.

The monument survives as substantial remains within its Bracadale setting, where numerous other Iron Age and later structures attest to continuous settlement across the Isle of Skye. The volcanic foundation upon which Dun Garsin stands reflects both the dramatic geological history of the region and the resourcefulness of Iron Age communities who built their fortifications from the stone immediately available to them in their landscape.

Dun Garsin,broch,Bracadale is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM912. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Dun Garsin,broch,Bracadale?

Dun Garsin is a broch located in Bracadale, Inverness-shire, in the north-west of the Isle of Skye. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM912.

What period does Dun Garsin,broch,Bracadale date from?

Dun Garsin,broch,Bracadale dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch,bracadale. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Dun Garsin,broch,Bracadale?

Dun Garsin,broch,Bracadale 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 SM912.

What other scheduled monuments are near Dun Garsin,broch,Bracadale?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dun Mor,fort,Struanmore (2.1 km), Dun Beag, broch and surrounding structures, Struan, Skye (2.1 km), Dun Beag, cairn 100m SSW of, Struan (2.2 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Dun Garsin,broch,Bracadale

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dun Garsin,broch,Bracadale'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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Dun Garsin,broch,Bracadale

Dun Garsin,broch,Bracadale stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.