A prehistoric British building is being recreated and turned into a tourist attraction

The ruins of prehistoric roundhouses can still be seen in the area around the village of Gairloch in the northwest Highlands – nearly 200 have been found within 20 miles of the village. Atlantic roundhouses are considered unique to Scotland and were common throughout the country in late Bronze Age and Iron Age. Archaeologists still can’t really agree on whether they were primarily built for defensive, domestic or ceremonial purposes. 

Thousands of years later, all that remains of the buildings are low circles of collapsed stones. But now Gairloch Museum is working on a project to bring the past back to life. It’s planning to build a full-scale reconstructed Iron Age roundhouse. 

Highland Council granted planning permission for the project back in January and voted to provide £45,000 in funding at the end of April. Overall, the development needs £279,725 in order to go ahead. 

The museum is taking on a skilled team of heather thatchers, turf builders, traditional joiners and dry stone dykers to bring the roundhouse to life using traditional techniques. Its design has been based on archaeological evidence gathered from excavations of a roundhouse site at nearby Achtercairn and it’ll be built with local natural materials. 

The building won’t just be there to look at, the museum says that it will serve as a new space for education, heritage and community use. It’s hoped that the the construction phase of the project will get underway in June 2027 and be completed by the October. 

Did you see that one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever has been uncovered in England?

Plus: 10 unmissable National Trust properties across the UK, chosen by the National Trust itself.

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