Bowermadden: Stone Age Traces and Signal History

Bowermadden sparks curiosity with its very different historical stories: these include the Neolithic chambered tomb of Earney Hillock, finds from the broch at Ha' of Bowermadden, and the history of Bowermadden No.2 signal station. Stone slabs, a well and aerial photographs from different periods give these stories concrete detail.

A Cairn and a Hut Circle

Earney Hillock is a Neolithic chambered tomb in Bowermadden designated as a Scheduled Monument. The cairn is an irregular, oval, grass-covered mound, with four stone slabs protruding from its surface. The gentle outline of the mound and the clearly defined stone slabs sit side by side: two distinct features of the same tomb that bring its recorded form to life.

Five metres west of the cairn is a separate archaeological feature: a hut circle with an interior lined with stone slabs. Its precise direction and distance clearly distinguish it from the tomb. Anyone interested in early forms of construction will find two different archaeological topics here, not simply another name for the same structure.

Broch Finds and Signal History

The broch at Ha' of Bowermadden also offers specific archaeological details. A well lay in the central area of the broch, with about a dozen steps leading down to it. No visible remains of the broch survive. The finds included a bronze pin dating from the 4th to 5th century AD, with an open, projecting head. The well and the pin provide two different clues about the broch: an architectural feature inside it and a dated find with a distinctive shape.

Bowermadden No.2 represents a more recent historical layer. The site was an RDF outstation of the former Admiralty Radio Station and the C.S.O.S.-GCHQ signal monitoring station. In 1967, GCHQ (Cheltenham) took over operation of the station; it closed in 1978. The two dates mark a clear sequence: first the takeover of operations, then the station's closure eleven years later.

The mast area is visible in vertical RAF aerial photographs dated 9 May 1946. Modern aerial photographs show the outline of a building and an antenna in a field opposite the road, southwest of Hunster Farm. The known mast site had been ploughed over by 2021. The aerial photographs thus offer different historical insights: one shows the mast area in 1946, while the others show the identifiable outlines of the building and antenna in more recent images.

Routes near Bower

The B876 from Wick (Reiss) to Castletown runs through Bower in the Bowermadden settlement area. In its 2014 Core Path review, the Highland Council listed the footpath alongside the road at Bower as the only Core Path in the settlement area. Check current path conditions locally before planning to use this route.

In the surrounding area near Bower, walks on paved roads are considered accessible and free of steep gradients. This description applies to walks of this kind near Bower. It offers a different planning consideration from the archaeological topics: the focus here is on walking along roads in the area.

Planning Your Holiday in Bowermadden

If you are looking for a holiday cottage in Bowermadden, you can choose where to stay based on the interests you want to shape your visit: archaeological structures and finds, the history of the signal station, or walks on roads near Bower. These different focuses give you a practical starting point for planning. Consider which topic matters most to you on your holiday, and take the relevant local information into account as you plan.

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