Coill'ach a' Chuil

Nearest town:
Dornoch (51km SE)
OS reference:
NC6576438106
OS sheet:
16
Latitude:
58° 18' 40.36 N
Longitude:
4° 17' 29.02 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Coill'ach a' Chuil (Broch) by LesHamilton

The small headland bearing the remains of Coill’ach a’ Chuil.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Aug 10, 2020
Image of Coill'ach a' Chuil (Broch) by LesHamilton

These large stones are typical of this broch, though little walling structure remains.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Aug 10, 2020
Image of Coill'ach a' Chuil (Broch) by LesHamilton

Large boulders immediately above the waterline mark out the periphery of the broch.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Aug 10, 2020
Image of Coill'ach a' Chuil (Broch) by LesHamilton

Any fine structural details of the broch are concealed under rank bracken.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Aug 10, 2020
Image of Coill'ach a' Chuil (Broch) by LesHamilton

Yet more large boulders marking out the base of the structure.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Aug 10, 2020
Image of Coill'ach a' Chuil (Broch) by LesHamilton

The upper level of the broch peeks out from a mass of bracken.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Aug 10, 2020
Image of Coill'ach a' Chuil (Broch) by LesHamilton

An overview of the top of the broch where many large stones remain in view.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Aug 10, 2020

Articles

Coill'ach a' Chuil

LesHamilton
LesHamilton Aug 10, 2020

Visited: August 7, 2020

Coill’ach a’ Chuil is an almost totally ruined broch that sits on the south shore of Loch Naver, some 600 metres west of the point at which the River Naver exits the eastern end of the loch.

At the time of this visit Coill’ach a’ Chuil supported a rank growth of bracken which obscured the finer details of what structure remains of the broch. I could find no trace of the stretch of outer wallface, entrance and guard cell cited by Canmore. What was clear, however, is that around and immediately above the waterline, a substantial barrier of very large boulders marks the boundary of the broch, suggesting perhaps that the enture structure had been built atop an artificial platform.

Access to the broch starts at a track leading south from the Strathnaver road at NC 669 385, and which leads to a bridge across the River Naver. Immediately across the bridge, a path heads right towards the adjacent woodland where there are two gates. Take the rightmost gate and follow a walkers’ path that roughly follows the loch shore to the broch. The walking is easy, over grass and short heather, and it takes around half an hour to gain the broch from the road.

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