Tirefour Castle facts for kids
Tirefour Broch
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 Location in Argyll and Bute
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| Alternative name | Tirefour Broch |
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| Location | Lismore, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 56°31′47″N 5°28′09″W / 56.52965°N 5.469044°W |
| Type | Broch |
| History | |
| Periods | Iron Age |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | Yes |
Tirefour Castle is an ancient stone tower found on the island of Lismore, Scotland. People also call it Tirefour Broch. It is about 4 kilometres north of a place called Achnacroish. This amazing building was made during the Iron Age.
Where to Find Tirefour Castle
Tirefour Castle sits on a rocky hill. This hill is on the east coast of Lismore island. On a clear day, you can see some really tall mountains from here.
- To the north, you might spot Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland.
- To the east, you can see Ben Cruachan.
- Looking south, you might see the Paps of Jura.
The castle hill has steep sides to the northwest and southeast. The southeast side leads to a flat area that ends in a high cliff. It's easiest to get to the broch from the northeast and southwest sides.
When Was Tirefour Castle Built?
Tirefour Castle was likely built a very long time ago. This was during the late Iron Age. People lived here even when the Romans were in Britain. We know this because an old enamel brooch was found there. It was found deep in the ground where the castle was built.
People continued to live in the broch for many years. They stayed there until the Middle Ages. Archaeologists found a fancy pin from the 8th century. They also found a Norse pin and rivets. These items are from the 11th or 12th century. Near the broch, you can still see the remains of a rectangular building. This building was built in the Norse style.
How Tirefour Castle Was Built
Tirefour Castle has a round shape. The bottom part of its walls is made of solid, dry stones. This means no mortar was used to hold them together. These walls are very thick, about 4.5 metres wide. The inside of the castle is about 12.2 metres across.
The walls are about 3 metres high on average. In some spots, like the southeast corner, they are almost 5 metres high. The main door to the castle is on the southwest side. It is about 1.4 metres wide. There is no sign of a small guard room inside the wall near the entrance.
Inside the castle, there is a stone ledge. It is about 2.5 metres above the original ground. This ledge is 60 centimetres wide. It goes almost all the way around the inside of the castle.
On the northwest and east sides, there are hidden passages. These passages are inside the thick walls. They are about 2.5 metres above the ground. Each passage is 61 centimetres wide and 107 centimetres high. The passage on the west side is 7 metres long. Big, flat stones form the ceiling of these passages.
The inside of the castle is partly filled with earth. This earth is at least 1 metre deep. In 2010, an opening was found under the earth on the north side. This opening was 1 metre wide. It probably led to another room or a staircase inside the wall.
Around the main castle, you can see signs of two more walls. These walls gave extra protection. They protected the northeast and southwest sides of the castle. In the southern outer wall, there is an opening. This opening lines up with the main entrance of the castle.
