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Hill of Works is a broch situated 550 metres east-south-east of Barrock House in Caithness, Scotland. Built during the Iron Age, this circular stone-built tower represents one of the most distinctive architectural forms of Iron Age Scotland, characteristic of the far north and islands. The broch stands on bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a Devonian conglomerate interspersed with sandstone, siltstone and mudstone that would have provided ready stone for its construction. The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM558.
Brochs were tall, hollow-walled towers typically between 12 and 15 metres in diameter, their distinctive architecture reflecting both defensive and domestic purposes. The Hill of Works broch occupies a position typical of these monuments, situated to command views across the Caithness landscape. The local geology, exposed across the undulating terrain of this part of the far north, offered suitable material for the skilled drystone construction these towers required.
The broch represents an important phase of Iron Age settlement in Caithness, a region particularly rich in such monuments. The survival of the site as a scheduled monument allows this Iron Age structure to continue informing our understanding of Iron Age settlement patterns, social organisation and architectural ambition in the Scottish far north.
Hill of Works,broch 550m ESE of Barrock House is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM558. View the official record →
Hill of Works is a broch situated 550 metres east-south-east of Barrock House in Caithness, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM558.
Hill of Works,broch 550m ESE of Barrock House dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch 550m ese of barrock house. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Hill of Works,broch 550m ESE of Barrock House 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 SM558.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ring of Castlehill, fort 380m SW of Summer Byres (1 km), Green Hill of Clayton,settlement WSW of Hill of Clayton (4.5 km), Gearsay Cairn,broch 240m SW of West Gersa (4.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Hill of Works,broch 550m ESE of Barrock House'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.
Hill of Works,broch 550m ESE of Barrock House stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.