<< Our Photo Pages >> Riggan of Kami - Broch or Nuraghe in Scotland in Orkney
Submitted by howar on Friday, 27 July 2018 Page Views: 1054
Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Riggan of KamiCountry: Scotland County: Orkney Type: Broch or Nuraghe
Nearest Town: Kirkwall Nearest Village: Deerness
Map Ref: HY59170743
Latitude: 58.952123N Longitude: 2.711412W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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Broch or Nuraghe in Orkney
RCAHMS record number HY50NE 20 (see Canmore ID 2934. An excavation, cut short by the death of the director in 1982 , revealed on the N side a regularly curving segment of ground-galleried broch-type wall 13'6" thick which he thought could be a structure of the hypothesised 'semibroch' type adduced along the west coast of the Scottish mainland and in the Western Isles. Others suggesrted it might be a 'forework' or 'blockhouse' fort. In 2002 Euan Mackie suggested from plans of 1984 and and 1987 observations that inserted into a ground-galleried broch had been "a proper wheelhouse of Shetland type (with built radial piers)" otherwise only found in Shetland at that time.
As well as the wall and traces of domestic structures on the promontory itself there are almost a hectare of dark midden deposits on the W side. Though the promontory isn't connected to the steep-sided Stack of Mustack/Moustag (HY50NE 28 HY59260743) it is likely it once was, with the suggestion that this was part of the Iron Age complex - two or three orthostats protrude from a low ~19mD mound at the far end.
The first time I went I came south from the Gloup via a group of minor earthworks only to be stopped by a field fence. Next time I walked the Sandside road and a track runs across the field to the promontory. Owing to its hazardous nature this is blocked by a fence. As I stepped over I saw my foot going below the level of the other, and having short legs and being alone I might get stuck for many hours. But a high-zoom camera worked wonders.
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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
1.2km SSW 197° Deerness Broch or Nuraghe (HY588063)
1.4km NNE 16° Brough of Deerness* Promontory Fort / Cliff Castle (HY59550873)
2.0km S 189° The Howie* Ancient Village or Settlement (HY58850550)
2.3km WSW 258° Koffer Howe* Artificial Mound (HY56920699)
2.5km SW 235° Howan Blo* Cist (HY571060)
2.5km WSW 255° Millfield* Artificial Mound (HY56700682)
3.6km SSW 198° Howe o' Backland* Broch or Nuraghe (HY58040402)
3.7km SSW 207° Newark (Orkney)* Souterrain (Fogou, Earth House) (HY57460413)
4.5km WSW 252° Eves Howe* Broch or Nuraghe (HY54900611)
4.5km SW 214° Mussaquoy* Artificial Mound (HY56590369)
4.8km WSW 256° Hurnip's Point* Chambered Cairn (HY54480634)
5.4km WNW 299° The Brough* Ancient Village or Settlement (HY545101)
5.5km WNW 300° Castle of Hangie Bay* Stone Fort or Dun (HY54461022)
5.5km SW 223° Sandaiken* Ancient Village or Settlement (HY55380346)
6.0km SW 226° Dingieshowe* Ancient Village or Settlement (HY54760330)
6.1km SW 226° Peerie Howe* Ancient Village or Settlement (HY54750324)
6.1km SW 236° Comely* Cairn (HY54040403)
6.2km WNW 285° Taing of Beeman* Ancient Village or Settlement (HY53210914)
6.2km WSW 241° St. Peter's Bay Mound* Broch or Nuraghe (HY537045)
6.3km WSW 239° Campston Cairn* Cairn (HY537042)
6.4km WSW 239° St. Peter's Kirk* Ancient Village or Settlement (HY536042)
7.1km SW 224° Stembister farm stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (HY54130239)
7.1km WNW 282° Grieves Cottage* Standing Stone (Menhir) (HY522090)
7.2km WSW 242° Campston (Toab)* Broch or Nuraghe (HY528041)
7.2km WNW 284° Loch of Tankerness* Ancient Village or Settlement (HY522093)
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