Police appeal after 2,000 year old broch damaged

IT has been standing for nearly 2,000 years, withstanding all that nature can throw at it at its remote island location.

But vandals have damaged an Iron Age fort in Orkney after a stone slab which is part of the Broch of Gurness, was toppled and a metal grille over a well in the floor of the building was left bent out of shape.

Police are appealing for information for the incident which is believed to have happened sometime between just before Christmas and January 7.

The broch is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland overlooking Eynhallow Sound, about 15 miles north-west of Kirkwall.

It is estimated that at least 700 brochs once existed across Scotland. Most are now in a poor state of repair.

It is only to the north and west of Scotland, and predominant on Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, where stone was a more readily available building material than timber, that brochs are to be found.

The latest incident follows an appeal to the public to anonymously report damage to historic buildings and monuments as a dedicated new team is launched to crack down on heritage crime. Such crimes include metal theft, vandalism and intentional damage to both historic buildings and monuments.

The Scottish Heritage Crime Group (SHCG) aims to raise awareness of the damage caused by mindless acts of vandalism, following a steady rise in recent incidents.

Officials said it is the first of its kind in the UK, and allows for vital information to be shared between organisations.

Scotland is famous around the world for its history and heritage, and is home to six Unesco World Heritage sites: Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns, the Antonine Wall, the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, New Lanark, St Kilda and the 2.5km-long Forth Bridge.