This evening, I am posting information on a type of settlement known as a broch which dates from about year zero AD.This type of building is unique to Scotland and mainly comprises dry-stone built towers 10 metres (33ft) or more high and up to 25 metres (82 ft) in diameter. The walls are thick at the bottom tapering inwards towards the top and are usually built with a double skin to allow stairways between the two walls. This feature may be an early form of insulation.

It is likely that brochs had several internal floor levels built with wood and were roofed over.

These were high status buildings with many examples found near the coast, possibly because at that time rivers and the sea were the chief means of communication (boat).

The example in the video is located on the Isle of Skye. Some of the most elaborate examples of brochs can be found on the Orkney and Shetland islands.

Labels: brochs

posted by Catswhiskers @ 1:54 PM  0 comments

Brochs are found in the Orkney's, Shetlands, Western Isles and the Scottish mainland. They consist of dry stone towers about 10 metres (33ft) in height and about 25 metres (82ft) in diameter. The walls are thick at the base tapering towards the top. They usually feature two concentric circles with stairways and chambers incorporated in the core of the wall. It is believed that this form of construction was very efficient from an insulation perspective.

Here are some images of the remains of a Broch on the Isle of Skye.

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Labels: brochs

posted by Catswhiskers @ 3:09 AM  0 comments