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The Tulloch (Usshilly) is a Iron Age broch situated in Caithness in the far north of Scotland. The monument comprises both the broch tower itself and an associated field system, located west-north-west of Forse House. The broch stands on bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a durable formation of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone laid down during the Middle Devonian period. This solid geological foundation would have provided good drainage for the settlement, important in the moorland environment of northern Caithness.
Brochs were distinctive circular stone towers built during the Iron Age across northern and western Scotland. These fortified structures typically contained internal chambers and galleries within their thick double walls, serving as both defensive strongholds and high-status residences. The field system surrounding The Tulloch (Usshilly) reflects the agricultural practices of Iron Age communities, with evidence of land division and cultivation in the surrounding landscape.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland and registered under reference SM599. The site remains a significant archaeological resource that contributes to our understanding of Iron Age settlement patterns and land use in the far north of Britain. The combination of the broch tower and its contemporary field systems provides valuable evidence of how Iron Age communities organised both their domestic and agricultural spaces in this remote region.
The Tulloch (Usshilly), broch and field system WNW of Forse House is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM599. View the official record →
The Tulloch (Usshilly) is a Iron Age broch situated in Caithness in the far north of Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM599.
The Tulloch (Usshilly), broch and field system WNW of Forse House dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch and field system wnw of forse house. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
The Tulloch (Usshilly), broch and field system WNW of Forse 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 SM599.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Latheronwheel House,promontory fort 1100m SE of (3.9 km), Latheronwheel House, long cairn 850m SE of (4.1 km), Latheronwheel House,chambered cairn 580m SE of (4.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The Tulloch (Usshilly), broch and field system WNW of Forse 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.
The Tulloch (Usshilly), broch and field system WNW of Forse House stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.