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Greenhill Broch is a Iron Age stone tower situated on South Walls in Orkney, Scotland. This broch represents the distinctive architectural tradition of northern Britain, with its characteristic hollow-walled circular form designed for defence and habitation. The monument stands upon bedrock composed of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a conglomerate of sandstone, siltstone and mudstone formed during the Middle Devonian period, which would have provided ready sources of building stone for its Iron Age constructors.
The broch exemplifies the sophisticated engineering techniques of its era, with walls that originally rose considerably higher than their present remains. The hollow-wall construction, unique to Scottish brochs, allowed for internal galleries and chambers accessed by stone staircases, creating a formidable defensive structure. Orkney's position and island resources made it a centre of broch-building activity during the Iron Age.
Today Greenhill Broch is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM10974, ensuring its preservation as an important archaeological resource. The site contributes to our understanding of Iron Age settlement patterns and construction practices in the Northern Isles, reflecting the sophisticated society that inhabited these remote islands over two thousand years ago.
Greenhill Broch, South Walls, Orkney is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM10974. View the official record →
Greenhill Broch is a Iron Age stone tower situated on South Walls in Orkney, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM10974.
Greenhill Broch, South Walls, Orkney 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 SM10974.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Quoy, anti-aircraft battery (WW2) and radar 220m WSW of (1.1 km), Stromabank Hotel, anti-aircraft battery, radar site and camp 150m NW of (1.2 km), Hackness, Battery and Martello Tower (2.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Greenhill Broch, South Walls, Orkney'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, South Walls, Orkney stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.