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Midhowe Broch is an Iron Age fortified structure located on the island of Rousay in Orkney, Scotland, dating to approximately the first centuries BC and AD. The broch itself is a distinctive circular stone tower, characteristic of Iron Age defensive architecture found in northern Scotland, with substantial surviving walls that demonstrate sophisticated dry-stone construction techniques. The site is notable for its associated settlement remains, including outbuildings and domestic structures that cluster around the central broch tower, providing evidence of the broader community that inhabited and defended this location. The monument represents an important example of Iron Age settlement patterns in Orkney and contributes significantly to understanding the territorial organization and architectural practices of the period in northern Britain.
Midhowe Broch,broch and settlement,Rousay is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90218. View the official record →
Midhowe Broch is an Iron Age fortified structure located on the island of Rousay in Orkney, Scotland, dating to approximately the first centuries BC and AD. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90218.
Midhowe Broch,broch and settlement,Rousay dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch and settlement,rousay. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Midhowe Broch,broch and settlement,Rousay 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 SM90218.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Knowe Stenso,broch N of Dyke (3.9 km), Robie's Knowe, burnt mound 405m NNE of Howe Cottage (4.1 km), Reeky Knowes, burial mounds, Aiker Ness (4.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Midhowe Broch,broch and settlement,Rousay'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.
Midhowe Broch,broch and settlement,Rousay stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.