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Dun Sleadale is a broch built on volcanic bedrock in Inverness-shire during the Iron Age. The monument stands on Palaeogene mafic lavas and tuffs, the remnants of ancient volcanic activity that shaped the landscape around it. These dark igneous rocks provided the raw material for construction and would have influenced the choice of this location by Iron Age builders seeking defensible sites on naturally elevated ground.
The broch belongs to a distinctive form of circular stone tower found predominantly in northern Scotland, typically dating between the 1st century BC and 1st century AD. These structures served defensive and residential purposes for local communities, with their hollow-walled construction and inward-facing galleries making them formidable fortifications. Dun Sleadale's survival as a recognisable monument reflects both the durability of its stone construction and the remote character of its Inverness-shire setting.
The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM928, ensuring its preservation for archaeological study and public access. The monument's distinctive volcanic geological setting differentiates it from other brochs built on sedimentary bedrock elsewhere in Scotland, offering evidence of how Iron Age populations adapted their building techniques to locally available stone resources and terrain.
Dun Sleadale,broch is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM928. View the official record →
Dun Sleadale is a broch built on volcanic bedrock in Inverness-shire during the Iron Age. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM928.
Dun Sleadale,broch dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Dun Sleadale,broch 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 SM928.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Loch Eynort,St Maelrubha's Church,chapel and burial ground (6.1 km), Kraiknish dun, 200m SW of Laimhrig na Moine, Isle of Skye (6.6 km), Dun Ardtreck, galleried dun, Skye (6.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dun Sleadale,broch'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 Sleadale,broch stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.