Scheduled MonumentsScotlandThomsonsfield,broch 780m SW of,Brabstermire
Iron Age · Broch 780m sw of,brabstermire

Thomsonsfield,broch 780m SW of,Brabstermire

Scotland
HES SM588
Period
Iron Age
Site type
Broch 780m sw of,brabstermire
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Thomsonsfield Broch is an Iron Age broch situated 780 metres south-west of Brabstermire in Caithness, northern Scotland. The monument stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone bedrock comprising conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone formations of Middle Devonian age. This geological foundation would have presented a moderately challenging building surface for the Iron Age construction of the broch's distinctive circular stone tower.

Brochs are characteristic of the Iron Age in northern Scotland, typically serving as fortified domestic or communal structures. These impressive dry-stone towers feature hollow-walled construction with internal galleries and staircases. The Caithness landscape, with its exposed bedrock and windswept terrain, contains numerous examples of these structures from antiquity.

The broch at Thomsonsfield is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM588, recognising its archaeological significance. The Caithness region's rich broch heritage reflects the cultural and defensive strategies of Iron Age communities inhabiting these northern territories, with scattered settlements and fortified structures distributed across the moorland and coastal landscape.

Thomsonsfield,broch 780m SW of,Brabstermire is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM588. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Thomsonsfield,broch 780m SW of,Brabstermire?

Thomsonsfield Broch is an Iron Age broch situated 780 metres south-west of Brabstermire in Caithness, northern Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM588.

What period does Thomsonsfield,broch 780m SW of,Brabstermire date from?

Thomsonsfield,broch 780m SW of,Brabstermire dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch 780m sw of,brabstermire. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Thomsonsfield,broch 780m SW of,Brabstermire?

Thomsonsfield,broch 780m SW of,Brabstermire 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 SM588.

What other scheduled monuments are near Thomsonsfield,broch 780m SW of,Brabstermire?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Warth Hill,cairn 2000m N of Freswick (4.3 km), Kirkstones,settlement 1650m SSW of Stroupster (5.2 km), Freswick Links,Viking settlement (5.4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Thomsonsfield,broch 780m SW of,Brabstermire

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Thomsonsfield,broch 780m SW of,Brabstermire's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Thomsonsfield,broch 780m SW of,Brabstermire report
Or see a real report first
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Thomsonsfield,broch 780m SW of,Brabstermire

Thomsonsfield,broch 780m SW of,Brabstermire stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.