Stirling Cairn

NJ66SE 1 6729 6015.

(NJ 6729 6015) Stirling Cairn (NR) (Remains of).

OS 6" map, Banffshire, 2nd ed., (1904)

On the eastern brow of the hill of Alvah there is a large tumulus or cairn, of small stones and earth. It is of an elliptical form, covering an area of about 20 falls, and about 7 or 8 feet high in the centre.

'It has never been suffiociently opened to disclose any remains of antiquity',

New Statistical Account (NSA) 1845.

All that remains of this cairn is a mutilated hollowed-out mound about 19.0m in diameter and about 1.2m in height. The mound consists of earth and stones, now covered with turf and gorse. Some large stones can be seen protruding from the side of the mound and two earthfast stones on the SW side may be part of a kerb. There is no sign of a cist.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 3 October 1961.

Stirling Cairn, apparently a long cairn, c.64.0m long, and orientated N-S. The most well-preserved part of the cairn is as described by Johnston, and gives the appearance of a round cairn. However, attached to, and extending N from this is a much reduced ridge which tapers to a minimum width of c.7.0m and a height of 0.3m at its N extremity. The plough has revealed a sandier soil and a slightly heavier stone content than in the surrounding area. No finds are known; the name is still known locally.

Revised at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (NKB) 31 January 1968.

This monument is situated on the eastern brow of a hill at an altitude of 145m OD.

[Air photograph: AAS/86/04/S6/10, flown 20 August 1986].

NMRS, MS/712/36.