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Rinsary is an Iron Age broch situated in Caithness, 300 metres south-southwest of Berriedale in the far north of Scotland. The broch was constructed on bedrock comprising an unnamed felsic igneous intrusion of Early Devonian age, formed during the geological upheavals that shaped the Scottish Highlands. This substantial stone tower would have been built during the Iron Age as a high-status dwelling, its distinctive circular architecture designed with internal galleries and a hollow-walled construction typical of the broch-building tradition concentrated in northern Scotland.
The site has been occupied across two distinct periods of settlement. Following the abandonment of the broch in antiquity, the location was reoccupied during the post-medieval period when a farmstead was established nearby. This later phase of agricultural use reflects the changing economy and settlement patterns of Caithness through successive centuries.
Today, Rinsary is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM577, recognising its significance as evidence of Iron Age construction and settlement in this remote Highland landscape. The site contributes to our understanding of prehistoric fortified settlement in the far north of Scotland and its enduring attractiveness as a place of habitation across the millennia.
Rinsary, broch and post-medieval farmstead 300m SSW of, Berriedale is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM577. View the official record →
Rinsary is an Iron Age broch situated in Caithness, 300 metres south-southwest of Berriedale in the far north of Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM577.
Rinsary, broch and post-medieval farmstead 300m SSW of, Berriedale dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch and post-medieval farmstead 300m ssw of, berriedale. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Rinsary, broch and post-medieval farmstead 300m SSW of, Berriedale 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 SM577.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Langwell Castle or Achastle,230m E of Langwell House (0.6 km), Berriedale Castle (1 km), Langwell House,cairn 400m SW of,Berriedale (1.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Rinsary, broch and post-medieval farmstead 300m SSW of, Berriedale'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.
Rinsary, broch and post-medieval farmstead 300m SSW of, Berriedale stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Late Silurian To Early Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is felsic-rock.