Publication Account
Date 2007
Event ID 586876
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/586876
NC75 1 ACHCOILLENABORGIE
NC/7139 5942
This probable broch in Farr, Sutherland, stands at about 15m OD on a slight knoll between the base of a hill and the river Naver, and about half a mile south of the road bridge over the Naver near Bettyhill (visited in 1963). The structure is now low and badly ruined, no doubt because of stone robbing by the builders of nearby settlements.
In 1910 the entrance was seen on the north and the walls of a possible mural chamber were exposed west of the passage and 2.44m (8ft) from it [2]. These features were no longer visible in 1960 but traces of a drystone chamber were then noted on the northern arc, partly built into the wall [1]. The side of a possible entry in to the broch wall from the interior was noted on the south sidein 1985 [3].
There are signs of outbuildings around the site [2] but Swanson doubts if these are contemporary with the broch [3]. There are also signs of an outer ditch with an outer rampart on the north-east [3, plan].
Dimensions: the interior diameter is about 8.54m (28ft) and the wall is about 4.27m (14ft) thick; the wall proportion would thus be 50%.
Sources: 1. NMRS site no. NC 75 NW 2: 2. RCAHMS 1911a, 61, no. 183: 3. Swanson (ms) 1985, 713-15 and plan.
E W MacKie 2007