Publication Account
Date 1997
Event ID 1017141
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1017141
This is a very impressive square cairn, 10m across and edged with large boulders. Taller pillar stones stand at the corners, and a large recumbent stone lies across the entrance to the tomb. The cairn has been excavated, and the amount of stones cleared off the cairn gives some idea of its original height. A short passage leads into a cruciform chamber, the east side of which is still visible. In both the passage and the chamber, a layer of small stones had been laid down as a base for a paved floor at almost the height of the recumbent stone across the entrance. Before the excavation the passage and chamber were filled with earth and stones, possibly the original filling placed there when the tomb went out of use. Two tiny sherds of pottery, two small stone discs and a quartz tool were found amongst the filling, but there was no trace of any burials.
The less well-preserved remains of another square cairn, known as Muckla Water, can be seen a short distance to the north-east. The square kerb is clearly visible, as is the chamber, but all trace of the entrance passage has gone. Both cairns command a wide view to the south.
Information from ‘Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: Shetland’, (1997).
