Tappoch Broch

Tappoch Broch stands in dense woodland near Falkirk, Scotland. It is an Iron Age roundhouse built of dry stone with walls six metres thick. The oval chamber measures nearly eleven metres across and is paved with a central fire spot. A short passage leads from the south-east, where fallen stones still lie in place. Halfway along the passage a door would have barred entry, secured by a beam latch. The broch’s most striking feature is the well-preserved staircase spiralling up inside the wall. In 1864 eleven steps were recorded, though some have since collapsed. The staircase’s sloping side walls show it was designed as a cantilever vault. A small modern chamber sits in the north-east corner of the wall. Unlike nearby brochs, Tappoch has yielded few artefacts—only querns, a possible stone lamp and coarse pottery sherds. Visitors follow a woodland path to the broch, where the thick walls still rise two or three metres. The interior floor and central hearth were only rediscovered in 2026. Clearance work by Dr Murray Cook and the Falkirk Council Ranger Service keeps the site accessible. The broch is surrounded by bracken and self-seeded trees, giving it a quiet, remote feel. Scheduled as a monument, it offers a glimpse of Iron Age building skills in a peaceful setting.