Field Visit

Date September 1942

Event ID 932828

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/932828

This chamber, all that remains of St Margaret’s Mound, opened in 1772, stands on the [broad] of the 25’ beach at the foot of Hailzie Brae, just behind Douglas Park, and consists of the capstone, headstone, three side-stones and a septal stone orientated E and W. The complete inner compartment is 6’6” long and 3’6” wide and is covered by a capstone 8’2” long x 6’6” wide by 1’2” thick which projects 1’6” E of the septal slab. The chamber is partly full of earth and rubbish so that the full height of the supporters cannot be determined. But the lateral slab on the S is 7’ long 1’10” thick and rises 3’8” above the present bottom of the chamber. The N slab is 6’10” long x 1’2” thick. Beyond its E end but not quite touching it a second stone, 4’10” long, continues the same line, but this stone s not higher than the septal slab and only just projects above the turf. The septal slab is 10” think, its upper edge is 1’8” below the capstone and it is set about 1’10” back from the E end of the N upright, but the corresponding end of the S upright has been trimmed to accommodate the septal stone. The E compartment is full of earth and stones up to the top of the septal stone’ the S side-stone as well as the portal or passage, if any, is missing.

The headstone at its base fits closely between the side-slabs, but as it is not strictly rectangular there is a gap of 9” between its top and the N side-stone but it helps to sustain the capstone.

No sign of the covering of the cairn survives.

Visited by RCAHMS (VGC), September 1942.