Eves Howe
Broch (Iron Age)(Possible)
Site Name Eves Howe
Classification Broch (Iron Age)(Possible)
Alternative Name(s) Braebuster
Canmore ID 2972
Site Number HY50NW 14
NGR HY 5490 0611
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/2972
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish St Andrews And Deerness
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY50NW 14 5490 0611.
(HY 5490 0611) Eves Howe (Brough) (NR)
(Undated) annotation on OS map.
The turf covered remains of a broch at Braebuster are situated on low ground just above high water mark and between the beach and a small shallow loch, through which a causeway 5ft in width and possibly contemporary with the broch, has been constructed.
The mound which represents the broch has a circumference of approximately 56 yds. and rises to a height of about 9ft. A portion of the outer wall face is exposed to a height of not more than two of threecourses for a distance of 10 to 12ft and a slight excavation has been made in this part of the building without revealing any feature of interest. A hammer stone and a tooled stone were noticed at the site during inspection.
RCAHMS 1946, visited 6 June 1930.
Eves Howe broch appears as a grass covered mound about 24.0m in diameter by 3.0m high flanked by a 1.0m scar to the west. Virtually no trace of the causeway could be found: it was built by Mr Coulston's grandfather (Information from Mr G Coulston, South Keiger, Deerness, Orkney). No finds associated with the broch could be traced.
Resurveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (RD) 1 September 1964.
The site was excavated in 1883 and reported in The Orkney Herald, May 30th 1883.
Orkney Smr Note (April 1986)
The scarp on the W is caused by truncation by a track. The
site now lies in permanent and well drained pasture and there is
no trace of the causeway. Near the mound summit are small
exposures of outer wall-face and there is a suggestion of a larger
platform, possibly associated settlement, SW of the main mound,
which now lies 15m W of the shrunken loch.
Information from Orkney SMR (RGL) April 1986
Publication Account (2002)
HY50 1 BRAEBUSTER ('Eve's Howe', ‘Evie Howe’)
HY/54900611
The turf-covered remains of a probable broch in St. Andrew's and Deerness are on low ground just above high water mark, between the beach and a small, shallow loch; there is a modern causeway 1.5 m (5 ft.) wide through the loch [1]. The mound is about 24 m in diameter and 3 m high and there is a small exposure of outer wall face on the north side [5].
The site was apparently excavated for a day in 1884 [4, 58] and part of the outer face of a circular building is visible for a length of c. 3.5 m (10-12 ft.); only two or three course can be seen. A small stone cup (perhaps a lamp), a saddle quern, a hammerstone and socket stone were found at the site [2, 4].
Sources: 1. OS card HY 50 NW 14: 2. Cursiter 1923, 242: 3. RCAHMS 1946, 2, no. 624, 242: 4. Hedges et al. 1987, 58-9: 5. Lamb 1987, 23.
E W MacKie 2002
