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Broch of Burland

Shetland Islands, Scotland ยท Atlas SC4185

Broch of Burland is a promontory fort in Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland.

It is recorded as extant, with a partial multivallate rampart form, surface evidence of stone wall, and an enclosed area of 0.34 hectares.

Banks or ramparts are the remains most likely to be visible.

The topographic record places it on a coastal promontory and at 30 m.

The aspect is recorded as level.

Recorded land use includes pasture and heather moorland.

A scheduled monument number is recorded (2053).

Location

Atlas number
SC4185 (4185)
Country
Scotland
Current county or unitary authority
Shetland Islands
Historic county
Shetland
Parish, community, or townland
Lerwick
National Grid reference
HU 4455 3607
Latitude
60.10694
Longitude
-1.20046
Altitude
30 m

Form and condition

Type
promontory fort
Condition
Extant
Morphology
partial multivallate
Complete rampart circuit
No
Number of ramparts
3
Ramparts by quadrant
NE 0, SE 0, SW 0, NW 3
Number of ditches
3
Possible original entrances
1
Breaks through the ramparts
1
Enclosed area
0.34 ha
Footprint
0.49 ha
Enclosing works, as visible
stone wall
Enclosing works, excavated
stone wall
Also recorded
ditches
Entrance forms
Simple Gap (North west)

Landscape

Topographic position
coastal promontory
Aspect
level
Land use
pasture and heather moorland

Dating

Dating
undated
Dating reliability
D - None

Interior and investigation

Finds
pottery
Investigations
Earthwork Survey (1875); 1st Identified Map Depiction (1878); Other (1900); Earthwork Survey (1930); Other (1934); Other (1963); Other (1968); Other (1970); Other (1980); Excavation (1983); Other (1987); Other (2012); Other (2015)

Identifiers

Scheduled monument number
2053
HER
Shetland Amenity Trust 888
National record
record HU 43 NW 5; monument 998
Wikidata
Q31118461

Sources

References

  1. Carter, S P, McCullagh, R P J and MacSween, A (1995) 'The Iron Age in Shetland: excavations at five sites threatened by coastal erosion'. Proc Soc Antiq Scot 125 (1995), 429-82
  2. Fojut, N (1980) 'Pottery'. Disc Exc Scot (1980), 28
  3. Lamb, R G (1980) Iron Age promontory forts in the Northern Isles. Brit Archaeol Rep, British Ser 79. BAR: Oxford
  4. MacKie, E W (2002) The roundhouses, brochs and wheelhouses of Atlantic Scotland c. 700BC - AD500: architecture and material culture Part 1 - The Orkney and Shetland Isles. BAR British Series 342: Oxford
  5. RCAHMS (1946) The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Twelfth report with an inventory of the ancient monuments of Orkney and Shetland, 3v. HMSO: Edinburgh