Ness Of Brodgar
Cairn(S) (Prehistoric)(Possible)
Site Name Ness Of Brodgar
Classification Cairn(S) (Prehistoric)(Possible)
Canmore ID 1703
Site Number HY21SE 16
NGR HY 2954 1323
NGR Description Centred HY 2954 1323
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/1703
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Stenness
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY21SE 16 centred 2954 1323.
(Group of six centred: HY 2954 1323) Tumuli (NR)
OS 6" map, Orkney, 2nd ed., (1903).
A group of eight tumuli to the SE of the Ring of Brodgar (HY21SE 1) was visited by the Commission in August 1928. (Seven were published in 1881 on the OS 25"map 1881 1st ed. and six in 1903 on the OS 6"map 1903 2nd ed.)
They varied from 17 ft to 36 ft in diameter and from mere inches up to 3 or 4 ft in height. Three showed signs of excavations.
F W L Thomas 1852; RCAHMS 1946.
These possible cairns or barrows are as described by the Commission except that weathering and cultivation have affected their outlines. Where sufficient remains, they are grass-covered mounds of stone or earth and stone, some of them flat-topped, and they vary from 4.5m. to 12.8m.in diameter and up to 1.1m. in height. No finds have been reported from any of the group.
Resurveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (RB) 24 April 1966.
Field Visit (1 May 1994)
Eight bowl-shaped mounds were recorded during the Orkney Barrows Project.
Ness of Brodgar 1: Measures 10.0m by 10.0m. Height 1.05m.
Ness of Brodgar 2: Measures 7.3m by 7.0m. Height 0.7m.
Ness of Brodgar 3: Measures 7.1m by 7.5m. Height 0.55m.
Ness of Brodgar 4: Measures 8.7m by 9.1m. Height 0.6m.
Ness of Brodgar 5: Measures 7.9m by 7.3m. Height 0.5m.
Ness of Brodgar 6: Measures 11.8m by 11.0m. Height 1.35m. This mound is the most affected by rabbit burrows.
Ness of Brodgar 7: Measures 7.6m by 7.8m. Height 0.3m.
Ness of Brodgar 8: Measures 12.7m in diameter. Height 0.55.
Most are not prominent, but are situated on a slight ridge. Numbers 6, 7 and 8 are very prominent on the skyline to the NE and SW for 500m - 1km.
Information from the Orkney Barrows Project (JD), 1994
