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Publication Account
Date 2009
Event ID 1019602
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1019602
The position of the cairn, its sheer size and the large stones found within the body of the cairn are part of the reason why it has not been entirely removed by agricultural agencies. The location of the cairn is depicted on the May map of 1784, showing an area of ‘grass’, amongst ploughed fields.
The Ordnance Survey Name Book (1895) for the parish of Rothesay contains an entry for this cairn which states:
Relative to the tumulus so far
as I am informed by Mr Muir
of Mecknock, it had been a
large cairn of stones, and was
removed by his father in law
about 50 years ago for the
sake of cultivating it, but a
stone cist being found in it
when almost demolished it
was let alone and has never
yet been ploughed, the
evidence on the ground is
quite distinct.
The size of the cairn and the large boulders concentrated towards the north east side may suggest that this was a chambered cairn. Some judicious clearing of stones, or a small excavation, which could be undertaken as part of the DBLPS community archaeology project, would probably be required to resolve the question. Record enhancement might include adding images such as the kite photograph of the site taken by John and Rosie Wells, from Armadale Historical Society.
The RCAHMS database description is as follows:
NS05NE 9
This was a large stone cairn. It was removed about 50 years ago, to cultivate the land, but when almost demolished, a cist was found, so work was stopped. Name Book 1895.
The position of this cairn in a pasture field can now only be established by an area of rough uncultivated ground covered with modern field clearance.There are no identifiable features in this approximately 22.0m diameter 'stoney path’ except for a large slab near the centre; this is 2.0m long by 0.8m wide and 0.2m thick and rests on small stones but it does not appear to be a cist cover.
Surveyed at 1:10 000.
Visited by OS (B S) 29 October 1976.
Information from ‘The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, Commissioners’ Field Meeting 2009'.
