Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Order a flight of infused ya dong shots.
Tep Bar
Thai-Chinese makes up Bangkok’s largest diaspora.
Nai Ek Roll Noodle
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
7 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
8 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
9 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
10 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom Scotland Shetland Islands Broch of Mousa

Broch of Mousa

A remarkably well preserved tower dating all the way back to the Iron Age.

Shetland Islands, Scotland

Added By
Aaron Netsky
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
A misty day at Mousa Broch   Colin Park/CC BY SA 2.0
A misty day at Mousa Broch   Colin Park/CC BY SA 2.0
Entrance   Otter/CC BY SA 3.0
Entrance   lost penguin/CC BY SA 2.0
Circular interior   Otter/CC BY SA 3.0
View from the top   lost penguin/CC BY SA 2.0
Galleries and chambers on the inside   Nicholas Mutton/CC BY SA 2.0
Interior   lost penguin/CC BY SA 2.0
Spiral stairs   lost penguin/CC BY SA 2.0
Information plaque   Nicholas Mutton/CC BY SA 2.0
May 2023   alittlebrowndog / Atlas Obscura User
May 2023   alittlebrowndog / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

A mysterious round stone tower on the island of Mousa in northern Scotland is one of the best-preserved prehistoric structures in Europe. Dating back to the Iron Age, it is some 2,000 years old, and is the tallest of all the remaining brochs in the country.

Believed to have been built between 300 and 100 BC, the broch of Mousa’s exact purpose is not known, though it is thought to have had two primary epochs of use. During the first, there was probably a wooden structure within the stone walls, which was later replaced by a wheelhouse. It may have been used as a lookout tower—indeed, the winding stairs can still be used to reach the top of the tower and take in the broch’s commanding view of land and sea.

The tower's dimensions, 40 feet tall and 50 feet wide, are small for a broch, which is one explanation for how well it has survived. The walls at the base are 16 feet thick and solid, but as they get higher they get thinner and there is a space between two layers of wall that narrows toward the top. Another explanation for its preservation has to do with the otherwise sparsely populated island of Mousa. Had there been more settlements over the centuries, stone from the broch might have been used to build them.

The Mousa broch features prominently in two Norse Sagas, one about a man who finds it hard to retrieve his captive mother from the fortress, and one about a young couple, shipwrecked while eloping, who seek shelter in it. Later in its existence, the broch was used by smugglers. Today, it is part of a bird sanctuary, particularly storm petrels. Otter bones found in the tower in 1861 suggest it was home to otters for a while, too. 

Related Tags

Towers Rocks Ancient Forts Fortresses Prehistoric Geology
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Scotland: Beyond the Haggis

Smoked seafood, single malt whisky, and warm hospitality.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

AaronNetsky

Edited By

alittlebrowndog

  • alittlebrowndog

Published

July 12, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broch_of_Mousa
  • https://www.shetland-heritage.co.uk/mousa
  • https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/mousa-broch/
  • http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/mousa/mousabroch/index.html
  • http://www.britainexpress.com/attractions.htm?attraction=1028
  • https://www.mousa.co.uk/about-mousa
  • http://www.dictionary.com/browse/stormy-petrel
Broch of Mousa
Broch of Mousa
Sandwick
Shetland Islands, Scotland
United Kingdom
59.995271, -1.182071
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

St Ninian's Chapel

Bigton, Scotland

miles away

Jarlshof

Sumburgh, Scotland

miles away

The Shetland Bus Memorial

Scalloway, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Shetland Islands

Shetland Islands

Scotland

Places 18
Stories 1

Nearby Places

St Ninian's Chapel

Bigton, Scotland

miles away

Jarlshof

Sumburgh, Scotland

miles away

The Shetland Bus Memorial

Scalloway, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Shetland Islands

Shetland Islands

Scotland

Places 18
Stories 1

Related Places

  • Dumbarton Rock.

    Dumbarton, Scotland

    Dumbarton Rock

    This volcanic plug boasts the longest recorded history of any Scottish stronghold.

  • Smaller giraffe and other animal petroglyphs at Dabous.

    Niger

    Dabous Giraffes

    These ancient giraffes are the largest known animal petroglyphs in the world.

  • Rocks of Rovigliano

    Torre Annunziata, Italy

    Rock of Rovigliano

    This tiny islet has somehow housed an ancient temple, two monasteries, a church, a fortress, and a restaurant.

  • Bradford House II

    Littleton, Colorado

    Bradford House II

    A prehistoric rock shelter that's literally in someone's backyard.

  • A view of the rock outcroppings.

    Kasama, Zambia

    Mwela Rock Art Paintings

    One of the largest concentrations of rock paintings in Southern Africa.

  • The circular structure of houses.

    Alaior, Spain

    Torre d'en Galmes

    This remarkable prehistoric town is full of watchtowers and houses that have withstood thousands of years.

  • The Merry Maidens stone circle in Cornwall

    Cornwall, England

    The Merry Maidens

    Perhaps the only prehistoric monument with its very own public bus stop.

  • Within the flat enclose of the D-shaped fort

    Monreith, Scotland

    Barsalloch Fort

    A 2,000-year-old Iron Age fort offers stunning ocean views.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.