Publication Account
Date 2002
Event ID 575396
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/575396
HU43 3 LOCH OF BRINDISTER
HU/432370
The most recent description from personal observation of this probable broch, situated on an islet in the loch of that name near Lerwick, is that of Goudie in 1888, who undertook some excavation there [3]. There is no sign now of a causeway to the land. Goudie exposed the outer wall face, the entrance passage and part of the inner face and according to him the walls were found to be standing only 5 ft. high; the overall diameter was 50 ft. from north - south and 51 ft. from east - west. The average wall thickness was 8 ft. and the width of the entrance from 3 ft. 9 ins. to 4 ft.. If these measurements are correct the walls are exceptionally thin for a broch -- the wall proportion being about 31.7% -- but, as Goudie notes, it may be that the special situation of the structure made high walls unnecessary. No evidence for intra-mural features was observed.
Sources: 1. OS card HU 43 NW 9: 2. RCAHMS 1946, vol. 3, no. 1248, 72: 3. Goudie 1889, 246-9.
E W MacKie 2002