Unst, Muckle Heog East
Chambered Cairn (Neolithic), Human Remains (Period Unknown)
Site Name Unst, Muckle Heog East
Classification Chambered Cairn (Neolithic), Human Remains (Period Unknown)
Canmore ID 160
Site Number HP61SW 12
NGR HP 6315 1081
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/160
- Council Shetland Islands
- Parish Unst
- Former Region Shetland Islands Area
- Former District Shetland
- Former County Shetland
HP61SW 12 6315 1081.
(HP 6315 1084) Cairn (NR) Human remains found AD 1865
Reference to [undated] OS map, in NMRS.
A cairn situated on the rocky knoll that forms the summit of the Muckle Heog.
Two major disturbances of the site are recorded, the first in 1864 when the top was excavated to make a fishing signal, the other the following year when an official investigation involved removing the enormous accumulation of stones that encumbered .... the top of the hill (Tate 1866). This revealed walling and two large cist chambers.
All the cairn material is on the lower slopes of the knoll on the east and south sides, where its large angular blocks lie to a depth of 4' spread over an area of about 70' diameter. The original size of the monument is not recorded.
At present it is possible to trace near the centre of the mass of cairn material, a wall face of 40' from a large upright stone set transversely to its ESE end. The WNW end is built almost into the steep side of the rocky knoll. The line of the wall face is almost straight for 22' from the ESE end, then it turns to the NW for 5'6", after which it continues to the WNW almost parallel to the first section. No other structural can be made out.
It has been suggested that this wall may be the facade of a heel shaped cairn (RCAHMS 1946). While this is possible its form does not altogether fit in with this suggestion, and the site is probably too greatly ruined for its plan ever to be established. Finds included steatite vessels of various shapes.
A S Henshall 1963; RCAHMS 1946.
As described by Henshall; no intelligible remains.
Visited by OS (RL) 29th March 1969.
Publication Account (1997)
The cairn on the very summit is modern, and the prehistoric cairn is just to the south. It is sadly ruinous after much robbing and disturbance in the mid 19th century, but it is still a very large pile of huge boulders and conveys the awesome task of its builders. Two chambers or cists were found but neither is now visible, and the human and animal bones that were discovered are now lost. To judge by the debris on the north-west side of the hill, much of the cairn material was cast down to help build the modern field wall. From this vantage point, there is a good view of the second cairn on the lower ground.
Muckle Heog West cairn was a large heel-shaped cairn but is now much spread beyond the facade. Again very large boulders were used, and there are two large cists visible within the cairn (two more were seen in the 19th century). The back of the cairn has been destroyed by the modern wall, and it was originally about 15m across.
Information from ‘Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: Shetland’, (1997).
