Tree cover and river ravines now soften the defensible mound of Inshlampie Broch (an Iron Age drystone round tower). Inshlampie Broch is a possible Iron Age broch, a circular drystone tower, overlooking the River Naver in Sutherland.
Little structural detail remains visible today, but early records describe higher walls than survive now. The broch sits in a rich landscape of cairns, hut circles, settlement traces and neighbouring Langdale Broch across the wider Naver area.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
Inshlampie Broch was built in a defensible position overlooking the River Naver.
Ravines flank the site to the north and south.
Early 20th-century records described walls surviving higher than they did by the mid-1980s.
No chambers are visible in the surviving remains.
Terraced land and enclosure traces around the mound suggest a broader archaeological setting.
Nearby features include Skaill chambered cairn, hut circles and settlement ruins.
Connections
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Photo: RH Dengate / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 River Naver
River overlooked by the broch mound.
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Skaill chambered cairn
Nearby prehistoric monument across the river.
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Langdale Broch
Neighbouring broch landscape to the south-west.
What to look for
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Defensible mound
Ravines protect the north and south sides.
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Faint broch remains
Very little masonry remains visible now.
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Landscape traces
Terraces and enclosures broaden the story beyond the broch.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 58.3887°N · 4.1981°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Rough ground — reasonable boots advised
Opening & admission
- Possible broch in tree-covered ravine landscape; access status is not stated.
Nearby places
Questions people ask
- What is Inshlampie Broch?
- It is a possible Iron Age broch in Sutherland.
- What is a broch?
- A broch is a circular drystone tower from Iron Age Scotland.
- Are chambers visible?
- No chambers are visible in the remains described by the source pack.
- What else is nearby?
- The surrounding landscape includes a chambered cairn, hut circles, burial ground and settlement ruins.
Sources
Explore more: Fortified places · Iron Age · Highland
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