Scheduled MonumentsScotlandThrumster House, broch 210m S of
Iron Age · Broch

Thrumster House, broch 210m S of

Scotland
HES SM13635
Period
Iron Age
Site type
Broch
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Thrumster House is a broch located 210 metres south of Thrumster in Caithness, northern Scotland. Brochs are Iron Age stone towers characteristic of the Scottish Highlands and Islands, typically dating to between the 1st century BC and 1st century AD. They were substantial defensive or prestige structures, circular in plan with hollow-walled construction and internal stairs within the wall thickness.

The broch stands on bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, comprising conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone deposits laid down during the Middle Devonian period. This local geology would have provided readily available building stone for the structure's construction, as the weathered sandstone and conglomerate could be quarried and worked into rough blocks suitable for drystone walling. The mixed sedimentary geology of the area is typical of Caithness.

The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM13635, reflecting its significance as a surviving example of Iron Age architecture in the far north of mainland Scotland. The remote Caithness location places it within a region where brochs are particularly numerous, contributing to understanding of Iron Age settlement patterns and society in the far north.

Thrumster House, broch 210m S of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM13635. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Thrumster House, broch 210m S of?

Thrumster House is a broch located 210 metres south of Thrumster in Caithness, northern Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM13635.

What period does Thrumster House, broch 210m S of date from?

Thrumster House, broch 210m S of dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a broch. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Thrumster House, broch 210m S of?

Thrumster House, broch 210m S of 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 SM13635.

What other scheduled monuments are near Thrumster House, broch 210m S of?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Watenan,fort 100m SSW of,Ulbster (4.2 km), Watenan,cairn & stone setting 400m W of,Ulbster (4.2 km), Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists (4.3 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Thrumster House, broch 210m S of

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Thrumster House, broch 210m S of'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.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Thrumster House, broch 210m S of

Thrumster House, broch 210m S of stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.