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Loch of Yarrows Broch is an Iron Age stone tower situated on the south-western shore of the loch near Thrumster in Caithness. The monument stands on bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a conglomerate and sandstone formation laid down during the Middle Devonian period, which provided the local building stone for its construction. Brochs of this type were fortified domestic structures characteristic of Iron Age Scotland, typically featuring a distinctive circular form with double-skin walls and internal chambers.
The broch occupies a defensive position overlooking the loch, strategically placed to control the landscape and water resources of the surrounding area. The location on relatively firm sandstone geology would have offered good drainage and stability for the substantial stone structure. The choice of this particular spot reflects the practical considerations of Iron Age settlement, balancing defensive advantage with access to fresh water and the productive land nearby.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM611, recognising its significance as a surviving example of Iron Age architecture in the north of Scotland. The broch at Loch of Yarrows contributes to the substantial concentration of such monuments found throughout Caithness, which represents one of the most important distributions of brochs in Britain.
Loch of Yarrows,broch on SW side of,Thrumster is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM611. View the official record →
Loch of Yarrows Broch is an Iron Age stone tower situated on the south-western shore of the loch near Thrumster in Caithness. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM611.
Loch of Yarrows,broch on SW side of,Thrumster dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch on sw side of,thrumster. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Loch of Yarrows,broch on SW side of,Thrumster 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 SM611.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists (2.4 km), Broughwhin, cairn and stone row 190m NW of Groat's Loch (2.6 km), Cairn Hanach,chambered cairn S side of Warehouse Hill (2.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Loch of Yarrows,broch on SW side of,Thrumster'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.
Loch of Yarrows,broch on SW side of,Thrumster stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.