Field Visit
Date May 1960
Event ID 1111512
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1111512
Chambered Cairn, Gort na h-Ulaidhe, GlenLussa (ARG 30).
This cairn, the largest and most elaborate in Kintyre (Pl. 8B), is situated a little over 1.2 km NW. of Kilkeddan farmhouse on a fairly level shelf on the S. slopes of Maol a' Chuir, overlooking the N. side of Glen Lussa from a height of 15O m O.D. Trapezoidal on plan (Fig. 14) and measuring about 35 m in length, the cairn is orientated E. and W. with the broader and higher end to the E. Here it is 1.8 m high and 10.7 m broad, but the height dwindles to 0·6 m at the rounded W. end which is about 9 m broad. Near the W. end of the S. side the debris and turf have been cleared away to reveal a 4.3 m stretch of the lowest course of a revetment wall which presumably continues right round the perimeter of the cairn. At the E. end a well-defined concave forecourt, measuring 9.1 m across and at least 3.4 m in depth, gives access to the main burial chamber which is aligned E. and W. The forecourt is bounded by a façade of uprights, the largest of which stands 1.3 m in height. At the present time there are six orthostats visible in situ, including the N. portal stone of the chamber, and others are lying displaced within the forecourt area. In spite of the disturbance caused, it is quite probable that at least the lowest level of the original forecourt-blocking still remains intact.
The main chamber (A) measures at least 3.8 m in length by 1.4 m in greatest breadth internally, and is divided into two roughly equal compartments by a transverse slab. Only the S. portal-stone and the roofing slabs are missing, but some of the surviving stones have been dislodged by the removal of the roof, and the interior of the chamber is choked with debris.
In addition to the main chamber there are four roofless side-chambers visible in the body of the cairn, all of them orientated N. and S. The first of these (B)lies about midway along the S. side; it measures 2.9 m by 0.8 m internally with the entrance facing S. It still retains its two portal-stones, the terminal slab and four of the side slabs; the entrance must originally have been flush with the edge of the cairn as the portal stones are in the same alignment as the stretch of revetment walling already mentioned.
Two further side-chambers (C and D) lie 6 m to the W. They have been very badly damaged, but the seven stones that are visible suggest that the chambers were set back to back and were entered from opposite sides of the cairn. Neither of the terminal slabs can be seen, but chamber C probably measures at least 3 m in length and 0·8 m in width internally, while chamber D is slightly longer.
Situated 5 m further to the W., there is a fourth side chamber (E), opening to the N. The four surviving slabs establish that it is at least 2.4 m long and 0.5 m wide internally.
It is recorded (OS Name Book No. 75, p.15) that a large quantity of human bones was found in this cairn; mention is also made of "a large wadge of gold" which was recovered either from it or from the adjacent cairn (RCAHMS 1971 No. 32). None of these relics now survives.
RCAHMS 1971, visited May 1960
745268 cclii
