Carn Liath - Broch

Carn Liath (Grey Cairn) is an Iron Age broch on the eastern shore of the Scottish Highlands near Golspie, Sutherland, dating to the golden age of broch building (c. 300 BC - 200 AD). The drystone tower has an external diameter of 19 metres and stands 3 metres tall today, though it may originally have been three times that height, with a narrow entrance passage, guard cell, and internal stairway between double walls. Excavations revealed a Bronze Age cist burial predating the broch, plus Roman-era finds including a copper-alloy ingot and silver brooch from the 300s-400s AD, indicating long-distance trade contacts. The surrounding enclosure preserves a rare associated village of stone houses contemporary with the broch.