Archaeology Notes

Event ID 656717

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/656717

NF86SW 14 8367 6031.

(NF 8367 6031) Barpa (NR)

OS 6" map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1904)

The western half of Carvat Barp, a chambered cairn, has been little disturbed, but the eastern half much so, with buildings and enclosures built up against it. The length of the cairn (excluding the spread at the NE corner) is about 165ft: the width at the E end is c. 85ft with the sides narrowing to a point at the west end. A peristalith of split stones, set on their sides or ends, is traceable in places along the sides of the cairn.

At the east end there seems to have been a wide shallow forecourt, for a horn can be traced at the SE corner running to the SE.

The chamber, which has been entered from the east end, is indicated by six slabs and several large flat stones, which might be displaced corbel or roofing slabs.

A S Henshall 1972.

This chambered cairn is as described and planned by Henshall. A large circular stock enclosure abuts the east end of the cairn and several shielings and at least one rectangular building lie amongst the cairn material.

The shielings are generally hollows in the stones with no pretensions of walling. The cairn has an approximate height of 2.0m.

Surveyed at 1/10,560.

Visited by OS (W D J) 8 June 1965.

Scheduled as Bharpa, Carinish Inn, long cairn.

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 28 February 2000.

This chambered long cairn is largely as described though the present growth of vegetation and the disturbance to the E end make it difficult to determine the shape and form of the horns and forecourt. At least two subrectangular buildings have been built into the NE end of the cairn, an oval hut has been built overlying the SW, and the walls of an enclosure embrace the E end of the cairn so that this forms one side of the enclosure’s perimeter. The chamber is located centrally towards the E end, defined by six slabs, but there is no indication of a passage leading to it from the forecourt.

Visited by RCAHMS (ARG, SPH) 31 August 2009