Caithness Broch Project celebrates funding coup
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Caithness Broch Project has acquired £180,000 of funding towards the conservation of Ousdale Broch – a drystone tower which may have been home to an Iron Age chieftain.
The charity, which promotes the archaeological landscape of Caithness as a heritage tourism destination, was awarded the funds after the broch was found to be in a poor state of preservation in 2015, with a wall near the entrance having collapsed and a tree growing in the structure.
Funding towards conservation work, parking and access improvements, as well as the installation of interpretation panels, was acquired from SSE's Caithness Beatrice Community Fund, Historic Environment Scotland’s repair grant scheme and the Highland Leader programme.
Broch project chairman Robin Herrick said: "The recent start in site work marks the end of years of preparation by the project and the beginning of a new lease of life for the broch, which has fallen into a sorry state of repair due to excavations and repairs by Victorian archaeologists.
"I think it will become a big attraction not just for tourists but for regular users of the A9 from Inverness to Caithness who will have passed by many times without realising what a special place it is.”
Mr Herrick expressed his thanks, on behalf of the project, to all the funding bodies.
Caithness Broch Project has been promoting the brochs of Caithness since 2013 and been involved in a number of archaeological events and activities, including community-led excavations in 2018 and the unveiling of a Lego broch in 2017.
Its flagship project is the construction of a replica broch which will serve as a visitor attraction and "support the diversification of the Caithness economy" in which tourism is already playing an increasing and important role. This is being progressed with the help of Hoskins Architects and heritage specialist Jura Consultants.
Despite the large number of broch sites in Caithness, there are relatively few examples in good condition but the Ousdale one is considered to be the best. Caithness was subject to a flurry of archaeological activity during the mid 19th and early 20th centuries, and Ousdale Broch was excavated by James Mackay in 1891.
A number of finds were made, including fragments of pottery, polished lignite, quern stones and whetstones – but most intriguingly, a human skeleton was discovered buried face-down by the entrance to the stairs.
