Delnies, Carnach House

NH85NE 29 8535 5554.

A short cist was found at the end of February 1931 by Mr James Ritchie, gardener, while cutting a trench through the centre of a natural knoll 25 yards E of Carnach House (2 miles W of Nairn and 3 1/2 miles from Kingsteps Quarry - NH 90 57).

The capstone of the cist was found at a depth of 2ft 6ins. 'Over the cover-stone, and extending for a distance of 4 or 5ft on all sides of the cist' were found a number of pebbles, forming a small cairn, the depth of pebbles immediately over the cover-stone being about 2ft 4ins. The unpaved cist contained only a crouched male skeleton, which was presented to the Anatomical Museum at Aberdeen University by the Hon D H Cairns of Carnach House.

A J H Edwards 1931.

The find spot, at NH 8535 5554, at the centre of the drive to Carnach House was indicated by the present owner. The four cist slabs, of weathered sandstone, have been re-erected at NH 8531 5545.

The skeleton is at Marischal College Museum, Aberdeen.

Surveyed at 1/2500

Visited by OS (R L) 9 December 1970.