Mains Of Kilcoy

NH55SE 9 5776 5186.

(NH 5776 5186) Cairn (NR)

OS 6"map, Ross-shire, 2nd ed., (1907)

In the centre of this cairn was a short cist which contained a food vessel, charred wood and some fragments of bone. (O H North 1909)

A much ruined round cairn 80' in diameter and 5' high. A cavity in the centre exposes one slab standing on edge, possibly part of a chamber. The cairn was ruined before 1882.(A A Woodham 1956)

A J Beaton 1882.

On re-examination of the cairn, the central area excavated but no trace of a chamber was found. The cist found by North is situated considerably off-centre, and there is the possibility that other cists may exist, as the cairn seems very large to have been constructed to receive one cist. There is no evidence for it having been chambered.

Information from A A Woodham to OS (27 May 1965)

The original dimensions of this cairn cannot be ascertained. It survives as an off-square stony mound c. 33.0m NNW-SSE by 29.0m, with a maximum height of 1.5m, much of it being modern field clearance. Several boulders around the periphery would seem to be either removed from the surrounding fields or the possible remains of an old plantation dyke and are probably not part of a kerb. There is no trace of a chamber. The cist excavated by North measures internally 1.1m NE-SW by about 0.6m. It consists of three upright slabs with the NW slab missing. Three slabs laid close by may represent the missing NW slab and cover slabs. Resurveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (I S S) 29 March 1973.

The food vessel from this cairn is in the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle. Accessioned 1971 1118.7

Information from J Close-Brooks (NMAS) to OS (1 August 1975)

Excavated by Capt O H North 1908, re-examined 1965 by Woodham, but not reported in DES. Fragmentary bone found.

RCAHMS 1979.

No change.

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS) 3 March 1989.