All we know about brochs

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Near Glenelg, there are larger brochs than the one above Loch Alsh. Two in particular are so well preserved that you gain an instant impression of the size and layout from two thousand years ago. Tapering tower-like structures, set in a sheltered valley near a stream, they still have stone staircases and the remains of floors at upper levels. These are visible most clearly in the cavity between the two stone skins of the walls.

From the information on signs at each site, it seems that there were brochs in Northern Scotland and on the Shetland Isles. It's thought that there were specialists who travelled around the region building them, and that the size of these two indicates that they were occupied by people of high social status. The signs show domestic scenes, with families gathered round fires.

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