Archaeology Notes

Event ID 721050

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/721050

NT65SW 4 62403 54778

(A: NT 62403 54778; B: NT 62459 54809) Twinlaw Cairns (NR)

OS 6"map, (1957).

These are two round cairns of rough whinstones; 'A' is about 60ft in diameter while 'B' is some 70ft in diameter. Both are 5ft to 6ft high. Both have been excavated and reconstructed and each is surmounted by a modern conical beacon. It is stated (G S Thomson 1872; J Walker 1868) that each contained a cist, but an eye-witness, Mr J Edington, who assisted at the excavations, stated that the only relics found were "some rusty button-like metal objects" found beneath the stones of cairn 'B'. Lady John Scott however, who conducted the excavations, records that she "opened the Twinlaw Cairns and found a cist (which had been ransacked before) in each" (J H Craw 1923).

RCAHMS 1915; HBNC 1947; New Statistical Account (NSA) 1845.

After having been badly damaged during the war years by the military, these cairns have been rebuilt and are in good condition.

OS Revisor (WJS) 12 August 1952.

Cairn 'A' is 20m in diameter and 1.5m high; 'B' is 24m in diameter and 1.5m high.

Visited by OS (JD) 5 May 1955.

The cairns are as described. They both have narrow passage stairs built into them for access to the conical beacons which are 3.0m high, 3.5m diameter pillars of drystone construction.

Surveyed at 1/10,000.

Visited by OS (MJF) 1 May 1979.

Two reconstructed cairns, as described.

RCAHMS 1980, visited 1979.

Damaged by Polish troops during the Second World War.

Information from RCAHMS (LMF) 15 April 1996.