Yell, The Brough
Broch (Iron Age)
Site Name Yell, The Brough
Classification Broch (Iron Age)
Alternative Name(s) West Sandwick
Canmore ID 1240
Site Number HU48NW 1
NGR HU 4403 8871
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/1240
- Council Shetland Islands
- Parish Yell
- Former Region Shetland Islands Area
- Former District Shetland
- Former County Shetland
HU48NW 1 4403 8871.
(HU 4404 8873) Brough (OE)
OS 6" map, Scotland, 2nd ed., (1900).
Only the foundations remains of this broch, which appears to have been of average size. It is situated on a small tidal islet.
RCAHMS 1946, visited 1931.
The remains of a broch buried beneath a turf-covered mound of tumbled masonry, through which the outer wall face can occasionally be seen indicating a diameter of almost 17.5m. The upper courses of a corbelled mural cell are visible in the SW arc, and the entrance, now obscured, was apparently in the E. The greatly eroded outer defences around the broch are best preserved on the N side, where to low turf-covered stony ramparts with medial rock-cut ditch, 2.5m deep, can be seen. In the cliff face at the extreme W end of the inner rampart, the wall is 2.0m thick, and formed of revetted slabs set on edge, with a rubble core.
On the remainder of the island there are unintelligible remains of low walls suggesting further ramparts and an associated settlement.
Surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (NKB) 13 May 1969.
Publication Account (2002)
HU48 2 WEST SANDWICK ('The Brough') HU/440887
Probable broch on Yell I., on a small tidal islet. The site is a turf-covered mound through which the outer wall face can be seen, indicating an overall diameter of almost 17.5m [1]. The upper courses of a corbelled mural cell can be seen in the south-west arc and the entrance, now greatly obscured, is apparently on the east side. The outer defences are much eroded but two low, turf-covered ramparts can be seen on the north side with a rock-cut ditch between them, 2.5m deep. Erosion has produced a cliff face with a cross section at the west end of the inner rampart where it can be seen to be 2.0m thick with a rubble core faced with revetted slabs set on edge.
Sources: 1. OS card HU 48 NW 1 (with sketch plan): 2. RCAHMS 1946, vol. 3, no. 1722, 163.
E W MacKie 2002
