Picts or it didn't happen...

After a pretty intense few months, I was lucky enough to pop o'er the water to Scotland for a wee break with the family. I was doubly lucky that my family are most happy scrambling over monuments in the middle of nowhere. 

We went a little Pict/Iron Age/early Medieval crazy over the course of the break, visiting brochs, standing stones and hill forts the length of the highlands. Here are a couple of pictures that may inspire some miniature broch-builders out there...

Dun Troddan

Dun Toddan, near Glenelg, was the first broch we visited and probably the best preserved, standing 7.6m tall for almost a half of the circumference. 

Dun Telve

Dun Telve is only 500 metres down the glen from Dun Troddan. It's less well preserved overall, but stands taller at more than 10m.

Cairn Liath

On the opposite side of the highlands, Cairn Liath sits on the coast between Golspie and Brora. It's a lovely little broch with a well preserved outer wall and visible elements of other structures in the immediate area.

Clachtoll Broch

Back on the west coast between Clachtoll and Stoer beaches, Clachtoll Broch sits on a rock ledge hovering just above the high water line. It is well preserved all around, but only to about 3m. The chambers inside the walls are particularly well preserved.

Dun da Lamh 

Near Badanoch in the centre of the country is Dun da Lamh, a Pictish hill fort with pretty impressive walls and more impressive views; well worth the climb to get there.

Dunadd

And the last of the early Medieval sites was Dunadd, the capital of the Scotti-Irish kingdom of Dalriada established in what is now Argyll. Having put my foot into the inauguration footprint, I'm pretty sure that makes me the new king of Scots. Surely no one would have done it since...

Of course there were loads of other sites too - mostly Neolithic through to 17th century, but maybe those are for another time.