Kilphedir

Nearest town:
Dornoch (36km SW)
OS reference:
NC994189
OS sheet:
17
Latitude:
58° 8' 51.63 N
Longitude:
3° 42' 33.32 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Kilphedir (Broch) by LesHamilton

This pile of rubble is the first view of Kilphedir broch you see on crossing towards it from the path.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Jul 5, 2018
Image of Kilphedir (Broch) by LesHamilton

This view of the entrance passage, with its huge lintel, is the only feature of note visible on the exterior of Kilphedir broch.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Jul 5, 2018
Image of Kilphedir (Broch) by LesHamilton

A panorama of the interior of the broch, taken from close beside the entrance passage.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Jul 5, 2018
Image of Kilphedir (Broch) by LesHamilton

The doorway into the entrance passage, viewed from the interior of the broch.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Jul 5, 2018
Image of Kilphedir (Broch) by LesHamilton

Looking along the intra-mural gallery. The River Helmsdale can be seen beyond.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Jul 5, 2018
Image of Kilphedir (Broch) by LesHamilton

Impresssive courses of the internal wall face at Kilphedir broch.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Jul 5, 2018
Image of Kilphedir (Broch) by GLADMAN

Perhaps one of the finest sited of all mainland brochs? Don’t forget to visit the chambered cairns below to the south-east at Kilphedir

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Mar 19, 2016

Articles

Kilphedir

LesHamilton
LesHamilton Jul 5, 2018

Visited: June 25, 2018

No journey up the Strath of Kildonan would be complete without inspecting the impressive remains of Kilphedir broch. Invisible from the roadside, the broch sits 90 metres up the hillside just east of the Allt Cille Pheadair (Kilphedir burn), and about four kilometres from Helmsdale. There is ample parking at the bridge over the burn, from where a rough land rover track leads uphill, soon revealing the broch as a huge pile of tumbled masonry perched on a knoll some 400 metres to the east. The broch is surrounded by outworks consisting of a deep ditch, an outer rampart wall over 3 metres wide, and an outer ditch, well illustrated by Greywether’s photograph.

The external wall face is completely hidden beneath tumbled masonry, the only feature remaining being the entrance passage on the northwest—almost five metres long—where three lintels remain in place. The interior on the other hand displays much of interest with walls four metres thick rising to eight courses around most of the structure’s circumference.

There is a doorway leading into an intra-mural passage where a stairway (no longer evident) was reported early in the 20th century.

You can learn much more about this broch by following this link to the Canmore website.

Kilphedir

GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 21, 2009

This vies with Dun Mhaigh as my favourite broch on the Mainland.

Superbly sited, with excellent views up and down Strath of Kildonan, it’s a bit of a climb to reach, but well worth the effort. Although collapsed in on itself to a degree, internal details can still be discerned and there’s also a substantial circular ditch surrounding the site.

Although I received a fearful hammering from progressive showers sweeping up the valley, I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.

Access is not an issue since as I parked the car the farmer came by on his quad bike (complete with collie clearly enjoying the ride as only a dog can do) and waved cheerfully. Right on!

Check out the beautiful hue of the stones, too!

Sites within 20km of Kilphedir

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