Sower
Cairn (Prehistoric)(Possible)
Site Name Sower
Classification Cairn (Prehistoric)(Possible)
Alternative Name(s) Hillock Of Hoose-ha
Canmore ID 1525
Site Number HY20NE 5
NGR HY 2940 0620
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/1525
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Orphir
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY20NE 5 2940 0620.
(HY 2940 0620) Castle {NR} (Site of)
O.S.6"map, Shetland, 2nd ed.,(1903).
The name is given to a large mound of earth and stones which has not been opened: it looks like a boch or Pict's house but the people call it an old castle.
Name Book 1880.
When visited in August 1928 there were traces of a large indeterminate structure occupying an area about 30 yds square. It is known locally as the "Hillock of Hoose-ha"
RCAHMS 1946.
An extensive, grass-covered mound measuring c.24.0m E to W by c.19.0m transversely, with a maximum height of c.2.0m, is located in a pasture field close to the shore of Clestrain Sound.
No wall-faces or traces of walling are visible, but a large quantity of typical cairn material can be seen in two mutilations at the centre.
It is no longer known as the "Hillock of Hoorse-ha". Local tradition has it is an old castle, but from its size, location, and nature of stone content, it is most probably a cairn.
Resurveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS(RL) 15 May 1966.
Field Visit (1998)
Locally known as a 'castle', this site was formely known as 'Hillock of Hoose-ha'. Previous surveyors have recorded traces of a large indeterminate structure and have identified the site variously as a settlement mound and as a cairn. The former interpretation is the most probable. The remains now comprise a large grassy mound, located in a pasture field almost 100m from the coast edge. The mound measures 24m by 19m, stands up to 2m high and is aligned east-west. Some stonework is visible in small exposures around the periphery of the mound. The site does not appear to have been disturbed to any great extent in the past and is not currently threatened.
Moore and Wilson, 1998
Orkney Coastal Zone Assessment
