Broch of Gurness

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch and associated village on the Mainland of Orkney, Scotland, representing one of the better-preserved broch settlements in the region. It dates to the later Iron Age period.

The site comprises a circular stone tower known as a broch, encircled by the remains of domestic stone houses laid out in a roughly concentric pattern. Visitors can walk among low stone walls that outline compounds, streets and the broch’s footprint to get a sense of the settlement plan.

Built and occupied during the Iron Age, the broch and its settlement were used for domestic and possibly defensive purposes before falling out of use in the centuries after its construction. Archaeological excavation has revealed structural layouts and household deposits that illuminate daily life at the site.

The broch sits on the northern coast of the Mainland of Orkney, overlooking coastal waters and agricultural land, and is accessible from nearby roads on Mainland Orkney.

• Period: The site dates to the Iron Age and preserves both the tower and the surrounding settlement layout.

What to See #

• Central broch and village: The central broch tower is the focal structure of the site, surrounded by a ring of domestic stone buildings and yards that form a compact village.
• Outworks and houses: Defensive and domestic features include low outer ramparts and ditches as well as the remains of stone houses that radiate from the broch.