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Dun Grianan is a broch situated on the north shore of Loch Mealt in Inverness-shire. This Iron Age fortified tower stands on bedrock of Palaeogene mafic igneous rock, part of the regional igneous intrusion that characterises this part of the Scottish Highlands. The tower's position overlooking the loch would have commanded views across the water and the surrounding landscape, a typical strategic placement for Iron Age brochs in northern Scotland.
Brochs were distinctive dry-stone towers built between roughly 200 BC and AD 100, concentrated in northern and western Scotland. They typically featured double-walled construction with internal staircases and galleries, creating structures of considerable architectural sophistication. Dun Grianan represents this building tradition, and the volcanic geology beneath the site would have provided suitable stone for construction, though the local igneous bedrock differs from the sandstones and other materials used at many comparable sites elsewhere in Scotland.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3509, recognising its importance as a surviving example of Iron Age settlement architecture. The lochside setting connects Dun Grianan to the broader pattern of Iron Age settlement in Highland Scotland, where proximity to water sources offered both practical and defensive advantages for Iron Age communities.
Dun Grianan,broch on N shore of Loch Mealt is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3509. View the official record →
Dun Grianan is a broch situated on the north shore of Loch Mealt in Inverness-shire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3509.
Dun Grianan,broch on N shore of Loch Mealt dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch on n shore of loch mealt. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Dun Grianan,broch on N shore of Loch Mealt 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 SM3509.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dun Dearg,fort 420m N of Valtos (1.3 km), Garafad School,homestead 740m NE of (2.4 km), Garafad,chambered cairn 100m W of Cadha Riach (2.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dun Grianan,broch on N shore of Loch Mealt'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.
Dun Grianan,broch on N shore of Loch Mealt stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.