Dun Troddan (Upper Broch, Glen Elg)

All pictures copyright © 1999 Martin McCarthy

Looking up the glen Large image (86k 725x464) The blank external wall. The entrance is round to the right Large image (68k 638x407) The yardstick is 5'9" tall Large image (52k 622x366) A close view of the external wall. It rises to about 25 feet Large image (99k 450x682) Detail of the dry stone walling. Built to last! Large image (82k 589x369) The inner wall and the entrance to the wall-space Large image (115k 438x653) View from the courtyard Large image (117k 458x674) The inner wall and courtyard. The entrance to the broch is at the bottom of the steps in the lower-left corner Large image (60k 604x422) View from first gallery level. The scarcements can be clearly seen from this angle Large image (67k 613x397) View from the courtyard through the entrance and down the glen on a hazy day. If you know what you are looking for, Dun Telve can be seen through the entrance. Large image (49k 726x484) View from outside the broch looking towards the more damaged wall Large image (65k 624x381) Looking up through the wall space - outer wall on the left, inner on the right Large image (61k 398x648) Inside the wall space; the broch courtyard through the entrance on the right and steps leading up ahead Large image (52k 406x624) The ground floor in the wall space with the steps following the curve of the wall up to the first gallery Large image (76k 432x682) Looking back through the wall space from the first gallery - the ground floor below, first gallery straight ahead, and large slabs forming the floor of the second above Large image (41k 343x600)

Glen Elg is a few miles south of the bridge to Skye. Some way up the glen are the magnificent remains of two brochs. Dun Troddan, the Upper Broch, still stands up to 25 feet tall for about a third of its circumference. The walls are a double shell with a three foot gap between them. This makes them both lighter and stronger than a single thick wall. Large slabs form the floors of galleries within the wall cavity, with steps spiralling up from one gallery to the next. There is a large void above the entrance to the wall cavity - this was probably to reduce the weight above a weak point rather than to allow light into the galleries. The wall cavity could only be reached from the inside of the broch. The entrance to the broch itself is some ninty degrees round from the gap into the wall cavity. Looking from within the broch down the glen, it is possible to see the neighbouring Dun Telve. On the left as you enter is a short space into the wall cavity that would have served as a guard room. A similar guard room can be seen at Dun Telve, but on the opposite side of the entrance. Around the internal wall of the broch are narrow shelves at two levels. These would probably have supported wooden floors within the inner space of the broch. A circle of post holes were found in the floor of the courtyard and these are supposed to have held the wooden floors or even supported a roof.