Tirefour Castle

Tirefour Castle stands on a rocky height on the east coast of Lismore in Argyll and Bute. It is an Iron Age broch, a type of drystone roundhouse built in the late Iron Age. The broch overlooks the sea with steep slopes on the northwest and southeast sides. In clear weather, three of Scotland’s most famous mountains—Ben Nevis, Ben Cruachan and the Paps of Jura—can be seen from the site. The broch sits near the remains of a rectangular Norse-style building, showing later use of the site. Two protective walls once stood to the northeast and southwest of the broch. The broch is worth visiting for its well-preserved drystone walls and internal features. The walls are up to 4.5 metres thick and survive to a maximum height of nearly five metres. Inside, a scarcement ledge runs three-quarters of the way around at 2.5 metres above the original floor. Intramural galleries on the northwest and east sides are over a metre high and up to seven metres long. Finds such as an 8th-century decorative pin and Norse rivets from the 11th or 12th century show the site was occupied for centuries. Visitors find a partly filled interior with earth up to a metre deep. A hidden opening found in 2010 may lead to an intramural room or staircase beneath the north side. The entrance on the southwest side is 1.4 metres wide and leads into the circular interior. Traces of the protective outer walls remain, and a southern opening aligns with the main entrance. The setting offers wide views across the sea and distant mountains on clear days.