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Broch of Gurness (HS)

Aikerness

Protected by three lines of ditches and ramparts, this circular Iron Age tower or broch was first excavated in 1929. The broch was built some time between 500 BC and 200 BC. It had a stair within its wall and may have stood 25 to 30 feet tall.Inside, the broch had stone fittings on the floor, a single hearth and a deep wall. It would have been covered by a conical roof. Around the tower was a settlement of small houses, each with its own yard and storage shed. Some time after 100 AD the broch and surrounding settlement, were abandoned. A farmstead of Pictish or late Iron Age date was built on the site. This too was later abandoned. The final archaeological evidence is a Viking grave of 900 AD. Exhibition and shop.