Dun Troddan still rises from a level rock platform in Gleann Beag. Dun Troddan is an Iron Age broch (an Iron Age drystone round tower), a circular drystone tower, and forms a close pair with Dun Telve near Glenelg.
The southwest entrance is roofless today, but the broch still preserves a guard cell, postholes, a hearth with a broken quern-stone and stairs climbing to a first-floor landing. It was once taller, before stone-robbing and early clearance changed the ruin.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
Dun Troddan was built in the Iron Age in Gleann Beag.
It was sketched around 1720, when it was still described as a very complete tower.
Stone was robbed from the broch in 1722 during the building of Bernera Barracks.
Thomas Pennant visited in 1772, after the upper gallery had already been lost.
The Office of Works cleared and consolidated the broch between 1914 and 1920.
Historic Environment Scotland now cares for the site.
Connections
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Photo: John Allan / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 Dun Telve
Neighbouring broch west of Dun Troddan.
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Photo: Tom Richardson / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 Bernera Barracks
Building project linked to 18th-century stone-robbing.
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Photo: Thomas Gainsborough / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain Thomas Pennant
Visited the broch in 1772.
What to look for
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Southwest entrance
Roofless passage with a side chamber.
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Central court
Nearly circular interior with postholes and a hearth.
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Stair landing
Nine stairs survive to a first-floor landing.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 57.1947°N · 5.5867°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Moderate walking
Opening & admission
- Historic Environment Scotland cares for the broch; source notes access by a steep path.
Nearby places
Fortified place · Medieval
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Highland
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Questions people ask
- What is Dun Troddan?
- It is an Iron Age broch near Glenelg.
- Can visitors reach it easily?
- The source pack says it is reached by a steep path.
- How is it related to Dun Telve?
- The two are neighbouring Glenelg brochs.
- What changed it in the 18th century?
- The tower was probably robbed for stone in 1722.
Sources
Explore more: Fortified places · Iron Age · Highland
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