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Greenhill is a broch situated on the Caithness landscape approximately 60 metres north-east of its namesake. This Iron Age stone tower belongs to the distinctive broch tradition of northern Scotland, a form of circular drystone-built fortified dwelling that flourished in the first centuries BC and early AD. The monument stands on bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a Devonian formation comprising conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone that provided accessible building stone for its Iron Age constructors.
Brochs are characterised by their hollow-walled circular design, typically measuring between 12 and 15 metres in diameter, with the space between inner and outer walls creating galleries and chambers. This architectural innovation distributed structural weight while allowing occupation of multiple levels within a compact footprint. The towers served as defensive and domestic spaces, offering protection and prestige to their occupants during a period of increasing social complexity in Iron Age Scotland.
Greenhill is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland, recognising its importance as evidence of Iron Age settlement patterns and building technology in the far north of Britain. The broch sits within a landscape rich in prehistoric and early historic remains, contributing to our understanding of how communities in Caithness organised their settlements and negotiated the dramatic northern terrain.
Greenhill, broch 60m NE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM557. View the official record →
Greenhill is a broch situated on the Caithness landscape approximately 60 metres north-east of its namesake. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM557.
Greenhill, broch 60m NE of 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.
Greenhill, broch 60m NE of 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 SM557.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mid Clyth, cross slab 130m E of Greenhill (0.1 km), Hill o'Many Stanes,stone rows (1.1 km), Bruan, broch 85m SW of Tulloch Lea (2.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Greenhill, broch 60m NE of'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.
Greenhill, broch 60m NE of stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.