Mousa Broch

From Shetland History Online
Revision as of 09:14, 22 October 2016 by James (talk | contribs)

(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to: navigation, search
Mousa Broch from the air. Photo: Peter II

Mousa broch, which is about 2000 years old, is the finest surviving example of an Iron Age broch, or tower. Over 100 brochs were built all over Shetland but later generations dismantled them for their good building stones. Mousa broch survived because of its remote location, and perhaps because it was always a remarkable sight.

Every summer the hundreds of tourists who visit the island of Mousa to see the broch, are ferried across from the Mainland on the Solan IV, the ferry operated by Tom Jamieson and his family,(see link below).

File:Shetlopedia.com - Mousa - From Top of Moussa Broch.jpg
Picture taken from the top of Mousa Broch. Photo by Jaydee67
File:PicMousa.jpg
The Broch in 1987, the man in front measures 1,87m
File:Shetlopedia.com Shetland 100 0612.JPG
Iron Age Scaffolding?? Mousa Broch from the sea
"Then Erland gathered men together and took up his residence in the Broch of Mousa and made great preparations for defence....when Earl Harald came to Hjaltland, he besieged the Broch and cut off all communication but it was difficult to take it by assault" - Quote from Orkneyinga saga

External Links