Benbecula, Stiaraval

Chambered Cairn, Stiaraval.

About 2 5/8 miles north by east of Creagorry, at an elevation of 75 feet above sea-level, on the southern slope of Stiaraval, or Steinieval as it is usually called, about ½ mile east of the main road through the island, and some 150 yards north of Loch nan Clachan, is a ruined chambered cairn noted on the O.S. map as a stone circle. It is situated on the level summit of a slight ridge, which falls away sharply at the southern end from the edge of the cairn. The bulk of the stones of the mound have been removed, and there are several ruined shielings built partly on the cairn and in the immediate vicinity. The cairn seems to have been circular with a diameter of about 60 feet, and three slabs on its eastern edge point to it having been surrounded by a number of small standing stones around or within its margin. In the central part a heap of stones, probably about 4 feet deep at most, has been left, among which most of the slabs of the wall of the burial chamber remain practically in their original positions, as also two slabs set on edge in a line running east-south-east from the chamber towards the edge of the cairn, the remains of the northern wall of the entrance passage. Within the chamber, and on either side of it, are about twenty displaced slabs of large size, while a pillar stone 7 feet 1 inch in length lies on the western margin of the cairn. The chamber has been nearly circular with a diameter of about 12 feet, and has been formed of large, flat stones set on end, their sides nearly touching, the gaps between them and the cover stones of the roof having doubtless been of drystone building. Five of these upright stones, forming about two-thirds of the circle, remain in position, but the tops have been pressed outwards. Another stone on the southern arc would fill up the gap. The largest of these slabs on the east and west sides measure 5 feet 5 inches in length by 10 inches in breadth, and 4 feet 8 inches in length by 1 foot 3 inches in breadth, respectively, and they stand 3 feet 3 inches and 4 feet in height above the debris in the chamber. The two stones in line on the northern side of the entrance passage are 8 inches apart, and the largest, which lies nearest the edge of the cairn, is 10 feet in length, 12 inches in thickness, and 2 feet 1 inch in height; the other is 3 feet 3 inches long, 3 feet 1 inch high, and 10 inches thick. To judge from their present position there has been a considerable rise in the floor of the passage between the portal and the chamber. (Fig. 165)

RCAHMS 1928, visited 10 July 1915.

OS map: South Uist xlvi.

This heavily robbed chambered cairn is situated on a steep slope in heather moorland and is largely as described by Henshall. The cairn, which measures about 18.5m in diameter overall, makes use of a natural rocky knoll and its outer edge merges into the natural slope. The rather pointed angle on NE shown on Henshall’s plan is probably a misinterpretation and instead the edge of the cairn cuts across the slope to create a more rounded plan. Two slabs on the SE form the NE side of the passage, the outer measuring 2.9m in length. They extend up the face of the knoll and in its original form the floor of the passage climbed the slope into the central, circular chamber. The chamber is about 4m in diameter and is defined by five upright slabs, with one missing from the SE arc. Most of the large slabs lying immediately adjacent are probably displaced from the roof. Much of the cairn material has been robbed, some of it to build a building and four shieling huts that can be seen round about. Two of the shieling huts lie on the NNE and NW edges of the cairn respectively, the third 20m downslope to the WNW, and the fourth a further 15m to the SSW. The building stands to the ESE and has two compartments.

Visited by RCAHMS (ARG,SPH) 2 March 2010