Ousdale Broch is an Iron Age drystone tower tucked into a steep-sided burn valley between Helmsdale and Berriedale. Conservation work in the 2010s stabilised the structure and improved the path, so the broch now feels like a real archaeological visit rather than a scramble to an obscure ruin.
The walk from the old A9 parking area is about two kilometres return, downhill on the way out and uphill on the way back. The broch's position, with the burn below and the coast nearby, gives a good sense of why these northern towers were both homes and statements of control.