Broch of Mousa (or Mousa Broch) is a preserved Iron Age broch or round tower. It is on the island of Mousa in Shetland, Scotland. It is the tallest broch still standing and amongst the best-preserved prehistoric buildings in Europe. It is thought to have been constructed , and is one of more than 500 brochs built in Scotland. The site is managed by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument.

Location and landscape

The Broch of Mousa stands on the western shore of the island of Mousa in the Shetland Islands, overlooking Mousa Sound, the narrow stretch of water separating the island from the South Mainland of Shetland. It is accessible by boat from Sandwick, Shetland, south of Lerwick.

Mousa Sound forms part of a network of sheltered waterways that historically connected communities across the Shetland Islands, where travel between settlements was often easier by sea than over land.

The broch is built on a flat rock surface at the end of a low coastal promontory close to the shoreline. Mousa is a small, treeless island of open grassland and heath typical of the Shetland landscape. Its rocky coastline includes small natural inlets that provide landing places for boats.

From its position near the shore, the broch commands wide views across Mousa Sound toward the South Mainland. The open terrain offers little obstruction to visibility, allowing activity on the surrounding waters to be seen from a considerable distance. From the upper levels of the tower, much of the sound and nearby coastline would have been visible, allowing those within the broch to observe boats approaching the island or travelling along nearby sea routes.

The location may have been chosen for both practical and strategic reasons. The nearby lagoon provided sheltered landing places and access to marine resources, while the position overlooking the sound offered clear views of maritime traffic between the islands. The surrounding land would also have provided pasture for livestock and space for associated settlement and field systems.

Description

thumb|left|Shoreside location of Mousa Broch

thumb|left|Mousa Broch

Mousa Broch has one of the smallest overall diameters of any broch, as well as one of the thickest wall bases and smallest interiors; this massive construction (as well as its remote location) is likely to be the main explanation for its excellent state of preservation. It stands high and is accessible via a single entrance at ground level. The entrance is on the west side but has been altered at various times from its original appearance. and amongst the best-preserved prehistoric buildings in Europe.

Later history

thumb|Incomplete topmost gallery of Mousa Broch

Mousa Broch continued to be used over the centuries and is mentioned in two Norse Sagas. Egil's Saga tells of a couple eloping from Norway to Iceland who were shipwrecked and used the broch as a temporary refuge. The Orkneyinga Saga gives an account of a siege of the broch by Earl Harald Maddadsson in 1153 following the abduction of his mother, who was held inside the broch. The geologist and antiquarian Samuel Hibbert visited it in 1818 and provided a detailed account of the site. Some of these birds nest in burrows within the broch itself.

See also

  • Oldest buildings in Scotland

References

Further reading

  • Armit, I. (2003) Towers in the North: The Brochs of Scotland. Stroud. Tempus.
  • E W MacKie 2002 The roundhouses, brochs and wheelhouses of Atlantic Scotland c. 700 BC - 500: architecture and material culture. Part 1: the Orkney and Shetland Isles. BAR British series 342: Oxford. Section 2 and site HU46 6, pp. 82–87 & illustrations.
  • RCAHMS 1946, vol. 3, no. 1206, pp. 48–55 & illustrations. (Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland) Edinburgh.
  • D. Thomas 2011 'An Investigation of Aural Space inside Mousa Broch by Observation and Analysis of Sound and Light', Internet Archaeology 30.
  • Mousa Broch at Historic Scotland.
  • Mousa Broch, Shetland structure at Sketchfab by Historic Environment Scotland