Monument record MHG5355 - Dun Telve Broch - Glenelg, Lochalsh

Summary

A solid-based broch, one of two well preserved examples in Glenelg, consisting of five or possibly six levels which possibly stood up to an approximate 40-46 foot in height of which approximately one quarter remains substantially intact. It had an intra-mural staircase and passageway, an entrance passage with guard cell and a central court with lintels and scarcements.

Location

Grid reference Centred NG 8291 1725 (16m by 17m) (Buffered by site type)
Map sheet NG81NW
Geographical Area SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Old County INVERNESS-SHIRE
Unitary Authority HIGHLAND
Country SCOTLAND
Civil Parish GLENELG

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

NG81NW 7 8290 1725.

(NG 8290 1725) Dun (OE) (In Ruins supposed Pictish Tower)
OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1902)

'Dun Telve' A well-preserved broch excavated 1914 for the Office of Works. The usual appartenances of a broch are seen here to advantage, including galleries and two scarcements. (A O Curle 1916; R W Feachem 1963) <1> <2>

Mackie, on the 1914 excavations: 'The broch was cleared out in 1914 by H.M. Office of Works and it does not appear that the work was supervised by anyone with archaeological knowledge. Alexander Curle simply notes that "It remains to acknowledge my indebtedness to H.M. Office of Works for enabling me to describe the broch by rendering me every assistance in the shape of plans and photographs." It seems that, as part of the process of stabilising the broch and preparing it for display, the structure was simply cleared of debris that filled it by the Office's workmen who kept aside any interesting relics that they noticed while digging. No accounts of anything uncovered inside the broch were published.' Finds from these excavations include: two fragments of iron slag; a small bronze ring measuring 3.2cm (1.25 in) in diameter; stone artifacts including a steatite whorl, four plain whorls, a perforated disc, three handled cups, three fragments of two round dishes, a broken whetstone, a rectangular flat sharpening stone, two hammerstones, seven complete and two fragmentary rotary querns; nine sherds of pottery including five body parts, two rim sherds and a base sherd and a coarse, dark grey wheel-made jar subequently diagnosed as Roman and probably 2nd century date. <46>

Finds (in the NMAS included rotary querns, handled stone cups, spindle whorls etc. (A O Curle 1916; A Young 1964)
A O Curle 1916; R W Feachem 1963; A Young 1964. <1> <2> <3>

As described and planned by Curle. Under guardianship.
Surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (R L) 4 October 1966.

Finds from this site include a hitherto unpublished fragment of a coarse, dark-grey, Roman jar (possibly second century) now in NMAS.
A S Robertson 1970. <4>

The site was visited and photographed by a member of the Highland Council in 1976. <5> <6>

The site was visited and photographed by a member of the Highland Council in 1980-1990. <7>

The site was mentioned by Close-Brooks in 1986. <8>

The broch was visited and photographed by P R Campbell and R B Gourlay on the 1st of July 1987. <9> <10> <11> <12> <13> <14> <15> <16> <17> <18> <19>

The site was visited and photographed by J Wood on the 19th of September 1995. <20> <21> <22> <23> <24> <25> <26> <27> <28>

The site was revisited and photographed again by a member of the Highland Council in 2000. <29> <30> <31> <32> <33> <34> <35> <36> <37> <38> <39> <40> <41> <42>

The site was photographed at other times, although the date was unknown. <43>

The site was photograped at another time, however the slides of both these occasions were missing. <44> <45>

Described by Mackie as: 'Five distinct levels with a part of a sixth are preserved in this building. At present the broch stands to a height of 10.22m (33.5 ft) but for only about a quarter of its circumference running clockwise from the entrance (from 6-10 o'clock). Inside this high wall, on top of the solid base some 1.83m (6 ft) high, are four complete mural galleries with part of a fifth on top, and an inner face of this part of an upper scarcement is preserved 9.00m (29.5 ft) above the floor.' <46>

Sources/Archives (46)

  • <1> Text/Publication/Article: Curle, A O. 1916. 'An account of the ruins of the Broch of Dun Telve, near Glenelg, excavated by H M Office of Works in 1914', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 50 1915-16, p.241-54. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 241-54. 241-54; figs. 1-10.
  • <2> Text/Publication/Volume: Feachem, R W. 1963. A Guide to Prehistoric Scotland. 1st. 164-5.
  • <3> Text/Publication/Article: Young, A. 1964. 'Brochs and duns', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 95 1961-2, p.171-98. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 171-98. 186-7.
  • <4> Text/Publication/Article: Robertson, A S. 1970. 'Roman finds from non-Roman sites in Scotland', Britannia Vol. 1 1970, p.198-226. Britannia. 198-226. table 2.
  • <5> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 1976. Broch, Dun Telve, interior. Unknown. .
  • <6> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 1976. Dun Telve broch: entrance from outside. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <7> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 1980-1990. Broch: Dun Telve. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <8> Text/Publication/Volume: Close-Brooks, J. 1986. Exploring Scotland's Heritage: The Highlands. 145, No. 76.
  • <9> Image/Photograph(s): Campbell, P R. 1987. Dun Telve: Part of Dun Telve Broch. B/W Negative. . Original & digital.
  • <10> Image/Photograph(s): Campbell, P R. 1987. Dun Telve: stairs - intramural steps leading to second gallery: northwest arch of broch. B/W Negative. . Original & digital.
  • <11> Image/Photograph(s): Campbell, P R. 1987. Dun Telve: Broch entrance and lintel - entrance passage to broch, taken immediately above from second gallery. B/W Negative. . Original & digital.
  • <12> Image/Photograph(s): Campbell, P R. 1987. Dun Telve: Passage - intramural passageway on second gallery. B/W Negative. . Original & digital.
  • <13> Image/Photograph(s): Campbell, P R. 1987. Dun Telve Broch, Gleann Beag. B/W Negative. . Original & digital.
  • <14> Image/Photograph(s): Campbell, P R. 1987. Dun Telve: Passage - intramural passageway on second gallery. B/W Negative. . Original & digital.
  • <15> Image/Photograph(s): Campbell, P R. 1987. Dun Telve Broch, Gleann Beag. B/W Negative. . Original & digital.
  • <16> Image/Photograph(s): Gourlay, R B. 1987. Dun Telve: exterior of broch - entrance to broch. B/W Negative. . Original & digital.
  • <17> Image/Photograph(s): Gourlay, R B. 1987. Dun Telve: Broch exterior from northwest. B/W Negative. . Original & digital.
  • <18> Image/Photograph(s): Gourlay, R B. 1987. Dun Telve: Broch exterior from the northwest. B/W Negative. . Original & digital.
  • <19> Image/Photograph(s): Gourlay, R B. 1987. Dun Telve - Exterior of Broch. B/W Negative. . Original & digital.
  • <20> Image/Photograph(s): Wood, J. 1995. Dun Telve - internal staircase. Unknown. . Original & digital.
  • <21> Image/Photograph(s): Wood, J. 1995. Dun Telve, interior wall. Unknown. . Original & digital.
  • <22> Image/Photograph(s): Wood, J. 1995. Dun Telve - view of staircase from above. Colour digital. . Original & digital.
  • <23> Image/Photograph(s): Wood, J. 1995. Broch, Dun Telve, Glenelg, intramural stair. Colour digital. . Original & digital.
  • <24> Image/Photograph(s): Wood, J. 1995. Dun Telve Broch - general view facing west. Colour digital. . Original & digital.
  • <25> Image/Photograph(s): Wood, J. 1995. Dun Telve, entrance passage. Colour digital. . Original & digital.
  • <26> Image/Photograph(s): Wood, J. 1995. Information board, Dun Telve Broch. Unknown. . Original & digital.
  • <27> Image/Photograph(s): Wood, J. 1995. Dun Telve: detailed view of central court stonework. Colour digital. . Original & digital.
  • <28> Image/Photograph(s): Wood, J. 1995. Dun Telve: internal staircase. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <29> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 2000. Dun Telve - internal wall. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <30> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 2000. Dun Telve - internal and external walls, section view. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <31> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 2000. Dun Telve - view of stairs from above. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <32> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 2000. Dun Telve - general view. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <33> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 2000. Dun Telve - dark photo of wall. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <34> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 2000. Dun Telve, internal doorway. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <35> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 2000. Dun Telve - interpretive panel. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <36> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 2000. Dun Telve, passageway and stairs from below. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <37> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 2000. Dun Telve, entrance stones. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <38> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 2000. Dun Telve - passage wall. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <39> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 2000. Dun Telve - internal passageway view from above. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <40> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 2000. Dun Telve - from a distance. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <41> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 2000. Dun Telve - view of entrance stones from inside. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <42> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. 2000. Dun Telve - view of main wall to full height. Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital.
  • <43> Image/Photograph(s): Highand Council. ?. Glenelg, Dun Telve, broch. Colour Slide. . Original & digital.
  • <44> Image/Photograph(s): Unknown. ?. Glenelg, Dun Telve, broch (Missing). Unknown. . Original & digital.
  • <45> Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council. ?. Dun Telve Broch (Missing). Colour Slide; Digital Image. . Original & digital. Missing.
  • <46> Text/Publication/Monograph: Mackie, E.. 2007. The Roundhouses, Brochs and Wheelhouses of Atlantic Scotland c.700 BC - AD 500: Architecture and material culture Part 2 (I & II) The Northern and Southern Mainland and the Western Islands. BAR British Series. 444. Paperback. p.851-856.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (1)

Record last edited

Oct 10 2017 10:58AM

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