A drystone broch (an Iron Age drystone round tower) wall survives to a maximum height of 4.9 metres on a rocky height above the east coast of Lismore, roughly 4 kilometres north of Achnacroish. Its almost circular plan encloses an interior about 12.2 metres across, walled to a thickness of 4.5 metres.
The Iron Age tower has yielded evidence of long occupation: an enamel brooch from the foundation layer points to use during the Roman era, while a decorative pin of the 8th century and Norse pins and rivets of the 11th or 12th century show it remained in use into the Middle Ages. A rectangular building in the Norse style stands among the remains nearby.
Known variously as Tirefour Castle, Tirefour Broch, Tirfuir and Tirrefour, the site commands wide views, with Ben Nevis to the north, Ben Cruachan to the east and the Paps of Jura to the south in clear weather.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
Probably built in the late Iron Age, the broch was inhabited during the Roman era, as indicated by an enamel brooch recovered from its foundation layer.
Occupation continued into the Middle Ages: an 8th-century decorative pin and Norse pins and rivets of the 11th or 12th century were among the finds, and a rectangular building in the Norse style stands near the broch.
In 2010, beneath the earth filling the interior on the north side, a 1-metre-wide opening was found that probably gave access to an intramural room or staircase.
Connections
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Lismore
The broch stands on a rocky height on the east coast of the island of Lismore, in Argyll.
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Norse-style rectangular building
The remains of a rectangular building in the Norse style lie near the broch, consistent with the Norse-period finds.
What to look for
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The surviving wall
The solid drystone wall stands on average 3 metres high and reaches a maximum of 4.9 metres in the southeast, with a thickness of 4.5 metres around an interior about 12.2 metres in diameter.
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Scarcement ledge
A supporting (scarcement) ledge runs 2.5 metres above the original ground level. About 60 centimetres wide, it is intact for roughly three quarters of the inner circumference.
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Intramural galleries
On the northwestern and eastern sides, at 2.5 metres above the original floor, galleries within the wall can be seen; the west gallery is 7 metres long, 61 centimetres wide and 107 centimetres high, roofed by large flat stones.
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The entrance
The entrance is on the southwest side and is 1.4 metres wide. There are no indications of an intramural guard cell at the entrance.
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Outer defensive walls
Traces of two walls surround the broch, offering additional protection to the northeast and southwest; the southern wall has an opening aligned with the broch entrance.
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The outlook
In clear weather the height gives long views: Ben Nevis to the north, Ben Cruachan to the east and the Paps of Jura to the south.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 56.5296°N · 5.4690°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Moderate walking
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Questions people ask
- What is Tirefour Castle?
- It is an Iron Age broch, a drystone roundhouse tower, standing on the east coast of the island of Lismore in Argyll, about 4 kilometres north of Achnacroish. Despite the name, it is not a medieval castle.
- How much of the broch survives?
- The wall stands on average 3 metres high and up to 4.9 metres in the southeast. It is 4.5 metres thick and encloses an interior about 12.2 metres across, with a scarcement ledge and intramural galleries still visible.
- How old is it and how long was it used?
- It was probably built in the late Iron Age and occupied over a long span: an enamel brooch shows use in the Roman era, and an 8th-century pin plus Norse pins and rivets of the 11th or 12th century show it remained in use into the Middle Ages.
- Where is Tirefour Castle and how is it reached?
- It sits on a rocky height on the east coast of Lismore (grid reference NM86754290). The broch can be approached from the northeast and the southwest; there is a steep slope on the northwest and southeast sides.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Tirefour Castle (accessed 2026-07-18)
- Wikidata: Tirefour Castle (Q923383) (accessed 2026-07-18)
- Historic Environment Scotland: Tirefour Castle, broch (SM246) (accessed 2026-07-18)
Explore more: Fortified places · Iron Age · Argyll and Bute
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