Minera broch bound, with a few residual foundation level stones visible.
Images
Articles
Images and fieldnotes for this broch, which is actually called ‘Minera’, can be viewed on TMA’s dedicated Minera page.
Another story about the Broch.
“In Houstry, Dunbeath, Caithness, about the year 1809 or 1810, David Gunn, a crofter, in the course of making a kail-yaird, interfered with one of those prehistoric ruins known as Brochs which are so numerous in that northern region. Now it was well known that this Broch was a fairy habitation, and, in any case, it was well known that to tamper with a Broch or to carry away any of its materials was extremely uncanny.”
But Mr Gunn didn’t take any notice, and unfortunately a plague broke out that decimated the cattle of the whole district. Thanks a lot.
The was a meeting of local important types, and they decided on a Teine-Eigin as the best step forward. So they got a branch and stripped off its bark, and purified it by popping it on a little island in the Houstry Burn, so it was separated from everydayness by the flowing water. Everyone put out any fires that were burning. Then someone made a fire with the purified wood, and all the other fires were kindled from it anew.
The contributor of this story actually sent in a photo of one of these special bits of wood. It’s got round dips in it as though it’s been used (maybe) for making fire by a bow/drill method. But it hasn’t got little v-shaped notches like wot Ray Mears would recommend.
See
Sacred Fire
R. C. Maclagan
Folklore, Vol. 9, No. 3. (Sep., 1898), pp. 280-281.
Sites within 20km of Houstry Broch (South)
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Minera
photo 5 description 1 -
Tiantulloch
photo 6 description 1 -
Buoldhu
photo 2 description 1 -
Cuag
photo 3 description 1 -
Burn of Houstry
photo 4 description 1 -
Guidebest
photo 11 description 3 link 1 -
Cnoc Na Maranaich
photo 6 -
Cnoc Na Maranaich
photo 14 description 1 -
Cnoc Na Maranaich
photo 6 -
Loedebest
photo 2 -
Carn Liath
photo 12 description 1 -
Loedebest West
photo 8 -
Loedebest Wood
photo 4 description 1 -
Dunbrae
photo 1 description 1 -
Upper Latheron
photo 5 description 1 -
Balantrath
photo 3 description 1 -
Knockinnon
photo 3 description 1 -
Dunbeath Broch
photo 13 description 2 -
Buldoo
photo 14 forum 1 description 3 link 2 -
Wag of Forse
photo 8 description 1 -
Forse House
description 2 -
Forse House
description 1 -
Forse, Latheron
photo 5 description 1 -
Golsary
photo 4 description 1 -
Rumster
photo 2 description 1 -
Loch Rangag
photo 11 description 2 -
The Great U of Stemster
photo 28 forum 1 description 8 link 1 -
Achkinloch
photo 9 description 2 -
Upper Borgue
photo 4 -
Upper Borgue
photo 4 description 1 -
Rangag West
photo 6 description 2 link 3 -
Backlass
photo 4 description 1 -
Borgue Langwell
photo 8 description 1 -
Langwell
photo 6 description 1 -
Camster Stone Row
photo 2 description 1 link 1 -
Grey Cairns of Camster
photo 73 description 6 link 2 -
Dirlot
photo 4 description 1 -
Hill O’Many Stanes
photo 20 description 6 link 3 -
Tulach Mor
photo 11 description 1 -
Tormsdale Stone Rows
link 1 -
Tulach Beag
photo 4 description 1 -
Lower Camster
photo 6 description 2 link 1 -
Allt Preas Bhealaich
photo 2 description 1 -
Bruan
photo 2 description 3 link 1 -
Carn na Mairg (Carn Merk)
photo 10 description 1 -
Kenny’s Cairn
photo 13 description 1 -
Warehouse S
photo 12 description 2 -
Warehouse N
photo 6 description 2 -
Garrywhin
photo 25 forum 1 description 4 -
Garrywhin Cists
photo 8 description 2 -
Garrywhin Stone Rows
photo 5 -
Garrywhin
photo 9 -
South Yarrows S
photo 14 description 1 link 1 -
Warehouse E
photo 8 description 2 -
South Yarrows N
photo 4 description 1 link 1 -
Watenan South
photo 6 description 1 -
Tulach Buaile a’Chroic
photo 5 description 1 -
Loch of Yarrows Archaeological Trail
description 1 -
South Yarrows Broch
photo 13 description 1 link 1 -
Tulach Lochain Bhraseil
photo 3 description 1 -
Tulach an Fhuarain
photo 1 description 1 -
Ousdale Burn
photo 18 description 4 -
Ballone, Mybster
photo 4 description 1 -
Borrowston
photo 4 description 1 -
Green Table
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Burn Of Swartigill
description 3