Barnhill

NG81NW 12 822 198

In 1867 Mr Fraser, schoolmaster at Glenelg, found a large urn 3ft below the surface when levelling a small hillock of sand and gravel about 30 yards from his house (which was near the Kirkton).

The urn was 24" deep, 15" diam at the broadest part and 7" at the narrowest; it was of very rough workmanship almost without ornament and imperfectly fired. It fell to pieces when removed but the pieces were preserved. When found it contained fragments of bone, human and sheep, and its mouth was covered by a flat stone.

There are similar urns in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland [NMAS] one from Alloa appears to be identical.

It is noted that the sheep is of late introduction into the NW of Scotland.

Some time later a large iron pin of good workmanship, 10" long and 1/4" thick, was found at the same site "almost beside the urn" but its true stratigraphical position was not recorded.

A Mitchell 1870.

The house formerly occupied by Mr Fraser was located at NG 8221 1986. The find spot of the urn could not definitely be ascertained,but at NG 8212 1987 there is a natural hillock which may have contained the burial.

Visited by OS (R L) 10 October 1966.