Field Visit

Date 1997 - 1999

Event ID 1148189

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1148189

The site has been heavily damaged by the construction of an enclosure and associated pens for dipping sheep (Figure 5.10). Fortunately, the main features of the monument appear to have survived in the area to the south and west of this livestock enclosure. The monument appears to be a long-horned cairn with a chamber entered from the centre of the concave façade at the south end.

The southwest corner of the monument is relatively undamaged and a kerb of nine orthostats runs from the tip of the southwestern horn for about 22m along the west side of the cairn. This is then disrupted by the sheep enclosure but a scarp appears to indicate that the cairn continues to the north of the enclosure for approximately 4.50m before stopping at a couple of large orthostats. If these stones mark the original north end of the monument, they indicate a cairn approximately 65m long. There is no indication that the east side of the cairn survives at all and no evidence for the horn on the southeast side of the entrance forecourt. The chamber is defined by six stones. Two flat slabs may indicate the position of the entrance to a passage 1m wide. Two other slabs continue the line of the west side of the passage to the north and two orthostats possibly indicate the line of the east side of the passage. The chamber is marked by a surface hollow that probably indicates recent disturbance. Immediately to the east of the putative entrance is a very large orthostat, 3m high and 1.30m wide. This stone superficially appears to be part of the façade but it is leaning against the cairn at an acute angle and its base does not appear to be ground-fast. It might have been placed in this position relatively recently.

The forecourt area has been severely disturbed by the construction of at least five small structures now visible as grassed-over hollows. Similar hollows are visible at the north end of the cairn and to the east and these presumably represent small shelters constructed in relatively recent years.

Cummings, Henley and Sharples 2012, visited 1997-1999