Coill'ach a'chuil Broch (Loch Naver broch, The Broch, Ach a Chuil broch)

Built on a spur of land jutting out into Loch Naver, it's a beautiful place for a home. It must have been quite something living around Loch Naver during the Iron Age. A life with no need for money. There isn't much left of the broch, but the site is there and I'm sure there is much still under the ground waiting to be excavated.

It appears as if there are a couple of small crannogs near where the loch flows out into the River Naver, and while I was there it occurred to me that the Picts probably penned the salmon into the tail end of the loch so there was always fresh fish on their doorstep. Simple enough to allow them through into the loch later in the season to spawn. Access is fairly simple, park somewhere off the road, walk down the track, and then walk along the shores of Loch Naver to the broch.

Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of HMSO. © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved.

Coill'ach a'chuil broch photographs

Loch Naver broch 01

Loch Naver broch 02

Loch Naver broch 03

Loch Naver broch 04

Loch Naver broch 05

Loch Naver broch 06

Loch Naver broch 07

Loch Naver broch 08

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Loch Naver broch 10

Loch Naver broch 11

Loch Naver broch 12

Loch Naver broch 13

Loch Naver broch 14

Loch Naver broch 15

Loch Naver broch 16

Loch Naver broch 17

Loch Naver broch 18

Disclaimer: Some brochs were built with military defensive purpose, and as such can be situated in extremely dangerous areas, such as on the edge of cliffs and ravines. Additionally, these are Iron Age structures, most of them in ruins, and they are extremely hazardous, with crumbling stone walls and hidden chambers. Existing walls, lintels, and passages could collapse at any time. The information here is provided free but it is your responsibility to ensure its accuracy, ensure your own safety, and acquire permissions for access where necessary. Accessing brochs is done entirely at your own risk.