Skye, Glen Heysdal
Broch (Iron Age)(Possible)
Site Name Skye, Glen Heysdal
Classification Broch (Iron Age)(Possible)
Canmore ID 10805
Site Number NG24NE 5
NGR NG 2987 4537
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/10805
- Council Highland
- Parish Duirinish
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Skye And Lochalsh
- Former County Inverness-shire
NG24NE 5 2987 4537.
Occupying the summit of a very slight rocky knoll on the W side of Glen Heysdal, some 250 yards W of and about 100' higher than the Caroy River, about a mile N of where it falls into Loch Caroy, is a fragment of a broch. It stands at an elevation of nearly 200' above sea level, and looking down the Glen commands a view of the sea. The broch has been reduced to the foundation course, and it is impossible to detect the whole of the outer ring. Sufficient, however, remains to indicate its dimensions. The internal diameter is 34'6" and the wall is 12' thick. The entrance lies to the WSW, but only the southern wall of the passage is partly indicated. The curve of the northern wall of an oval cell 4'4" wide, in the thickness of the wall, is traceable on the NW.
(RCAHMS 1928; A Graham 1949).
A broch, situated at NG 298 454 and as described by RCAHM except that the entrance and oval cell cannot now be determined accurately.
Visited by OS (C F W) 13 May 1961.
Field Visit (25 May 1915)
Broch, Glen Heysdal.
Occupying the summit of a very slight rocky knoll on the west side of Glen Heysdal, some 250 yards west of and about 100 feet higher than the Carny River, about a mile north of where it falls into Loch Carny, one of the arms of Loch Bracadale, is a fragment of a broch. It stands at an elevation of nearly 200 feet above sea level, and looking down the glen commands a view of the sea. The broch has been reduced to the foundation course, and it is impossible to detect the whole of the outer ring. Sufficient structure, however, remains to indicate the probable character of the fort and its dimensions. The internal diameter is 34 feet 6 inches and the wall is 12 feet thick. The entrance lies to the west-south-west, but only the southern wall of the passage is partly indicated. The curve of the northern wall of an oval cell 4 feet 4 inches wide, in the thickness of the wall, is traceable on the north-west.
RCAHMS 1928, visited 25 May 1915.
OS map: Skye xxii (unnoted).
Publication Account (2007)
NG24 4 GLEN HEYSDAL
NG/2987 4537
This probable broch in Duirinish, Skye, is extremely dilapidated and stands on the summit of a slight rocky knoll on the west side of Glen Heysdal; it is at a height of about 61m (200 ft) above the sea (Loch Caroy) and overlooks it. The structure is reduced to its foundations and in 1915 only parts of the south wall of the entrance were visible on the west-south-west, together with, on the north-west, the curve of the wall of an oval mural cell [2]; neither of these features can now be seen [1]. There are no signs of outer defences despite the absence of naturally defensive features round about [3].
Swanson visited the site in 1985 and noted the extensive robbery of stone [3]. Enough of the basal blocks of the outer and inner faces remain to indicate the size and dimensions of a broch [3, plan]. She was unable to see any trace of the mural cell on the north-west, nor clear traces of the alleged entrance on the west-south-west. An intra-mural gallery, presumably at ground level, is clearly traceable in the south-south-west arc.
Dimensions: the internal diameter is 11.5m (34.5 ft) and the wall 4.0m (12 ft) thick, so the external diameter must be about 17.0m (58 ft) and the wall proportion about 47%. According to Swanson an internal diameter of about 10.4m is indicated and the wall varies in width from 3.7m (in the north-west) to 3.9-4.0m (on the east). This suggests a wall proportion of about 48 %.
Sources: 1. NMRS site no. NG 24 NE 5: 2. RCAHMS 1928, 160, no. 514: 3. Swanson (ms) 1985, 870-71 and plan: 4. MacSween 1984-85, 42, no. 6 and fig. 6.
E W MacKie 2007
