Archaeology Notes

Event ID 651608

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/651608

NC76SW 5 73113 62603.

('A':NC 7310 6263) Cairn (NR) ('B':NC 7311 6260) Chambered Cairn (NR)

OS 6"map, (1964)

The descriptions of these two cairns have been transposed on the OS 6"map. 'A' (the N cairn) is chambered and 'B', as far as is known, is unchambered.

'A' is an Orkney-Cromarty type, round cairn with a Camster type tripartite chamber (Henshall 1963), and was excavated by Kerr in 1891. It is free of vegetation and measures 16.0m in diameter and 1.5m high. The centre is mutilated but it is still possible to identify the tops of eight upright slabs of the chamber, which was entered from the WSW. the entrance passage has collapsed.

'B' appears to be intact 20.0m in diameter and 2.7m high. A 'platform' of stones, 8m broad and 25m long, now mainly turf-covered, stretches from thebase of this cairn tow- ards 'A'. It appears to be an original feature but its purpose is uncertain. (cf NH79SE 1 and NH79SE 2 ).

Surveyed at 1:2500.

C Kerr 1892; RCAHMS 1911, visited 1909; A S Henshall 1963; Visited by OS (J L D) 27 April 1960 and (R L) 8 July 1971.

These cairns are as described by the previous authorities The 'platform of stones' joining the cairns is well consolidated and of the usual 'cairn-like' rubble stones. This complex may be a 'waisted' long cairn of two distinct periods (A S Henshall 1972).

Revised at 1/10,000.

Visited by OS (N K B) 2 August 1977.

The N end of 'A' has traces of three faced steps within the cairn material and parallel with the outer edge of the cairn. 'B' is of the same loose boulder construction as 'A' and has a small portion of corbelling visible. Both cairns would appear to have been enclosed within a large trapezoidal cairn.

R J Mercer 1981.