Following the launch of trove.scot in February 2025 we are now planning the retiral of some of our webservices. Canmore will be switched off on 24th June 2025. Information about the closure can be found on the HES website: Retiral of HES web services | Historic Environment Scotland
Skye, Kingsburgh
Broch (Iron Age)(Possible)
Site Name Skye, Kingsburgh
Classification Broch (Iron Age)(Possible)
Canmore ID 11122
Site Number NG35NE 10
NGR NG 3891 5688
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/11122
- Council Highland
- Parish Snizort
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Skye And Lochalsh
- Former County Inverness-shire
NG35NE 10 3891 5688
Not to be confused with NG35NE 19.
See also: NG35NE 32 NG 388 569 Township; Field-system; Cultivation Remains
(NG 389 566) At the S and highest end of a gradually rising ridge, some 25ft above the surrounding ground, about 1100 yards due W of the 10 1/4 milestone from Portree to Uig, is a circular dun about 34ft in diameter internally, the wall of which is reduced to a height of about 2ft above the foundations on the inside and about 6ft at most on the outside. The outer and inner faces of the wall, which has a average thickness of 11 1/2ft, can be traced around the whole of the circumference. The entrance in the NNW measuring 3 1/2ft wide, is well-defined. In the inner walling on the S, a doorway 2ft wide gives access to a gallery with apparent continuations round the W and E arcs.
A large part of the interior is occupied by the later foundations of a circular structure, averaging 18ft in internal diameter, surrounded by a wall about 3ft thick and impinging on the S wall of the broch at the entrance to the gallery. A wall 3ft thick and 10ft long connects this construction at the NE with the main wall. A secondary wall foundation, 5ft thick and now 15ft long, justs perpendicularly outwards from the NE face of the Broch.
RCAHMS 1928.
A broch as described by RCAHMS: fair condition. Surrounding it are about 20 ruined houses and yards associated with lazy-beds.
Visited by OS (C F W) 2 May 1961.
Field Visit (1 June 1921)
Broch, Kingsburgh.
At the southern and highest end of a gradually rising rocky ridge running north and south and rising some 25 feet above the surrounding rough ground and 100 feet above sea-level, about 1100 yards due west of the 10¾ milestone from Portree on the Uig road, is a circular dun about 34 feet in diameter internally, the wall of which is reduced to a height of about 2 feet above the foundations on the inside and about 6 feet at most on the outside. The outer and inner faces of the wall, which has an average thickness of 11 ½ feet, can be traced around the whole of the circumference, and the entrance in the north-north-west, measuring 3 ½ feet wide, is well defined. The sill of the door is raised some distance above the foundation, the height, apparently about 3 feet, being obscured by fallen stones. In the inner walling on the south, a doorway 2 feet wide gives access to a gallery with apparent continuations round the western and eastern arcs.
A large part of the interior is occupied by the later foundations of a circular structure, averaging 18 feet in internal diameter, surrounded by a wall about 3 feet thick and impinging on the southern wall of the broch at the entrance to the gallery. A wall 3 feet in thickness and 10 feet in length connects this construction on the north-east with the main wall.
A secondary wall foundation, 5 feet in thickness and now 15 feet in length, juts perpendicularly outwards from the north-east face of the broch.
RCAHMS 1928, visited 1 June 1921
OS map: Skye x (unnoted) .
Publication Account (2007)
NG35 5 KINGSBURGH
NG/3891 5688
This probable ground-galleried broch in Snizort, Skye, stands on the southern and highest end of a rocky ridge about 7.5m (25 ft) above the surrounding ground (the author failed to find this site on two occasions). There is a recent settlement of longhouses close by which doubtless explains why so much stone has vanished from the site. Even so the outline of the structure is still clearly discernible [4, plan].
The entrance faces north-north-west but, though it is well defined and 1.07m (3.5 ft) wide, there were no signs of door-checks in 1921 [2]. However one on the left was seen in 1985 at 1.4m from the outer end, together with a sill stone at the front of the passage [4]. Beyond the door-frame the passage widens to about 1.4m.
The main wall is reduced to about 61cm (2 ft) in height along the inner face and to not more than 1.83m (6 ft) on the outer: both faces are traceable most of the way round. Thus the mural gallery, which is also traceable most of the way round, must be at ground level. A doorway to the gallery is apparent at about 12.30 o'clock.
Much of the interior is occupied by the foundations of a circular structure with an internal diameter of about 5.49m (18 ft) with a wall 92cm (3 ft) thick; this slightly overrides the inner face of the broch wall on the south, at the gallery door. There is also a secondary radial wall projecting outwards from the broch on the north-east.
Dimensions: external diameter about 17.4m (57 ft), internal about 10.37m (34 ft), wall proportion c. 40.4%. Swanson gives the internal diameter as c. 10.8m and the external one from 18.5 - 17.8 m, which gives about the same wall proportion.
Sources: 1. NMRS site no. NG 35 NE 10: 2. RCAHMS 1928, 196, no. 619, and fig. 282: 3. MacSween 1984-85, 43-44, no. 17 and fig. 17: 4. Swanson (ms) 1985, 825-27 and plan.
E W MacKie 2007
