Archaeology Notes

Event ID 647219

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/647219

HY74SE 4 7831 4351.

(HY 7831 4351) Mount Misery (NR)

OS 6" map, Orkney, 2nd ed.,(1900).

Classified by Henshall as an uncertain chambered cairn, this large mound stands on a low tidal island easily accessible at low water. It is approximately 73' in diameter at base, and just over 14' in maximum height. It has been dug into here and there but the excavations have been inconsiderable.

It is said to contain a large carefully built chamber, which many years before 1928 was used by a former light-house keeper as a potato house. An opening into this chamber, now closed up, is discernible near the top, but this may not have been the original entrance.

RCAHMS 1946, visited 1928; A S Henshall 1963.

Mount Misery, a definite chambered cairn with dimensions as stated by RCAHMS. Traces of what appears to be the top of a dry-stone wall,c9.0m in diameter surround the summit, similar to the inner retaining wall at Quoyness chambered cairn (HY63NE 1 ). The S arc has been superficially excavated, and according to Mr A Skea of Garbo, Sanday it is from this point that a lintelled passage, now blocked, leads into a central chamber, which was once used as a potato store.

A Mr Baikie, a light-house keeper, who has since left Sanday, and Mr Skea explored the interior of the cairn several years ago. According to Skea the passage was about 3 1/2ft high and led into a circular dry-stone "beehive" chamber about 8 feet in diameter, roofed with slabs and about 5ft high. There was no trace of cells but the original floor level was probably not exposed.

The cairn stands on a platform now squared off by cultivation. To the S of the cairn, a probably recent rectangular dry stone lined pit, 2.0m by 1.3m by 0.9m deep has been sunk into the platform.

Surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (NKB) 12 July 1970.