Broch of Ayre
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58°53′47″N 2°55′16″W / 58.896336°N 2.921019°W
 | |
  Broch of Ayre Location in Orkney, Scotland | |
| Location | Orkney |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 58°53′47″N 2°55′16″W / 58.896336°N 2.921019°W |
| Type | Broch |
| History | |
| Periods | Iron Age, Roman |
| Official name | Loch of Ayre, broch at N end of, St Mary's |
| Designated | 22 March 1938 |
| Reference no. | SM1462 |
Broch of Ayre, also known as St. Mary's Broch, is an Iron Age broch in Orkney, Scotland.
Broch of Ayre is found on the northern shore of Loch Ayre, in the parish of Holm on Orkney Mainland.
History
Broch of Ayre was first excavated in December 1901 and then again in the summer of 1909.[1] Little now survives, though part of the broch wall is still extant. The excavations revealed traces of internal architecture and external, probably later, structures.
Description
The 1901 excavations revealed that the broch wall survived to over a metre in height in parts, with an entrance passage facing to the south-east. The passage contained a broken lintel and architectural features including a guard cell. The interior of the broch contained radial partitions using vertical slabs of stone, and a lintelled well. The broch itself was almost eighteen metres in external diameter, with walls almost five metres thick in places. The 1909 excavation revealed external buildings, likely built later, and the interior of the broch may also have been re-used and partially remodelled in a subsequent phase.[2]