Bught O' Camm

The turf-covered mounds rising from the moorland near Thurso don't look like much at first glance, but Bught O' Camm is genuinely compelling if you're interested in Iron Age settlement. This is a Pictish broch - a prehistoric stone tower that once stood here - now reduced to earthwork remains that take a bit of imagination to reconstruct. Walking around the site, you can make out the circular ditch and the low grassy banks that mark where the walls once stood. It's the sort of place where archaeology enthusiasts will spend a proper hour poking about and reading the landscape, while casual visitors might give it ten minutes before moving on.

The real appeal here is the silence and the sense of standing where people lived two thousand years ago. There's no visitor centre or interpretation boards - just you, the Highlands, and a Bronze Age puzzle. That's either brilliant or a bit disappointing depending on your tolerance for rougher archaeology. Families with young kids will probably get restless unless they're already keen on Iron Age history.

It's free to visit and accessible year-round, though winter here means mud and wind, so go with proper boots. Allow 30 minutes unless you're really diving into the archaeology. If you're based at Little Croft Highlands nearby, it's an easy detour on a morning walk before heading elsewhere around Thurso. Don't expect Instagram moments - expect atmosphere and genuine historical intrigue.