© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
The Hillock Broch, Finstown is a substantial Iron Age roundhouse located in Orkney, Scotland. Brochs are distinctive double-walled circular stone towers that characterise the Iron Age archaeology of northern Scotland, with the Orkney Islands containing one of the highest concentrations of these monuments. The Hillock Broch sits upon bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, laid down during the Middle Devonian period, comprising interbedded conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone that would have provided suitable stone for construction. The tower's massive walls enclosed a central courtyard and likely rose to a substantial height, with internal galleries and stairs built within the wall thickness allowing access to upper levels. Today the monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the designation SM1448, ensuring preservation of this important survival of Iron Age settlement and engineering in the northern isles.
The Hillock Broch, Finstown is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1448. View the official record →
The Hillock Broch, Finstown is a substantial Iron Age roundhouse located in Orkney, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1448.
The Hillock Broch, Finstown 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 SM1448.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cuween Hill, chambered cairn (1.4 km), Rennibister, souterrain (3.9 km), Maes Howe, chambered cairn (4.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The Hillock Broch, Finstown'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.
The Hillock Broch, Finstown stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.