Archaeology Notes

Event ID 661752

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/661752

NH63SE 3 6801 3350.

(NH 6801 3350) Stone Circle {NR}

OS 6" map, Inverness, 2nd ed., (1905)

Tordarroch: A ring cairn now crossed by a drainage ditch on the E and a wall on the SW. Though greatly ruined it can be seen that the monument has been particularly impressive, covering a larger area and employing more massive stones than usual. Few of the stones remain standing, but many of them have fallen inwards or outwards and have not been disturbed, and the only considerable gap in the circle is on the north side. A large prone slab measuring 5 ft. by 6 ft. on the S.W. side opposite the tallest monolith is marked with thirty-three or thirty-four cup-marks. The slab appears to have fallen outwards from the kerb. If this is so the cupmarks must have faced inwards and been hidden by cairn material. The stone was already in its present position in 1881 before the wall which now crosses it had been built. The interior of the cairn has been removed and the ground is greatly disturbed. In 1879 five stones were visible in the centre.

There have been nine monoliths encircling the cairn; seven of the stones remain upright. One fallen stone remains over its original position to the NE and another stone was recorded by Fraser (J Fraser 1884) on the SW side, but it has since been removed. Many large stones lie about the site.

A S Henshall 1963, visited 8 April 1957; J Fraser 1884; W Jolly 1882.

The remains of this ring cairn are as described above.

Resurveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (W D J) 10 September 1963.

Scheduled as 'Tordarroch, ring cairn 250m E of'.

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 29 August 2007.