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Dun Dornaigil Broch

10 miles south of Hope, Sutherland
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Rear view of the ruined stone broch at Dun Dornaigil, standing on a grassy hillside beside a winding river. The circular stone structure is partially collapsed, with uneven upper walls. In the background are rolling hills and mountains under heavy, overcast clouds that cast a muted light across the landscape.

Dun Dornaigil was probably built between 2,000 and 2,500 years ago. It is a rare example, as its interior has never been archaeologically investigated.   

Today the broch tower stands alone, an imposing structure in an isolated valley. We cannot be sure why Dun Dornaigil was built here, but it is likely that this was a strategic location in the Iron Age, perhaps an important route-way.  

Part of the tower still stands to an impressive 7m high, and the entrance, with its distinctive triangular lintel stone, is the best surviving example in Scotland.  There’s no evidence for any external structures associated with the broch, but these may have been destroyed to make way for the modern road. 

Black‑and‑white illustration showing a reconstructed view of Dun Dornaigil broch. The broch appears as a tall, solid, circular stone tower with thick tapering walls and an open top. Small figures are shown at the entrance and inside the structure. In the foreground are several round huts and enclosures forming a small settlement. The scene is set in an open landscape with hills in the distance and a winding river flowing behind the broch.
Illustration showing a reconstructed view of Dun Dornaigil broch.
Illustration of a reconstructed Dun Dornaigil broch, showing a circular stone tower with thick walls and an open central courtyard. The inner layout includes small rooms built into the wall thickness and a central working area. Surrounding the broch are several roundhouses, pathways, and small enclosures forming a settlement. The landscape around the structures appears as open moorland with hills in the distance.
Dun Dornaigil as it may have looked around 50BC.
Cut‑away illustration showing the interior of Dun Dornaigil broch reconstructed. The thick stone walls are sliced open to reveal multiple wooden floors connected by ladders, with central posts supporting an upper gallery and a conical timber roof. The interior is shown bustling with activity: people working, storage areas filled with hanging items, living spaces with textiles, and livestock kept on the lower floor.
Cut-away illustration of the interior of Dun Dornaigil.

Statement of Significance

You can find out more about the Dun Dornaigil broch by reading our Statement of Significance.

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Uniquely Scottish

Brochs are only found in Scotland. They are drystone structures formed of two concentric walls, with a narrow entrance passage and often small cells or chambers leading off the ground floor. A stone stair corkscrews between the inner and outer walls to the top. 

There are well over 500 brochs in Scotland, most of them found in northern and western Scotland and the islands. 

Discover more on trove.scot

Explore entries relating to the Dun Dornailgil broch on trove.scot.

trove.scot
A team in orange hi-vis work on securing Mons Meg, a large cannon, onto a crane strap

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