Acharn

NM65SE 4 6980 5080

Not to be confused with cairns at NM 697 505, for which see NM65SE 5.

NM 697 507. Cairn, Acharn: This cairn is situated on a small terrace above the flood-plain at the E end of Loch Arienas. It has been very considerably reduced by stone-robbing and now measures about 10.5m in diameter and 0.5m in greatest height. Two cists have been exposed, one to the S of the centre of the cairn and the other in the NE quadrant. The first, measuring 1.4m by 0.8m internally and 0.8m in depth, was found to contain a small amount of cremated bone (PSAS 1977); the capstone has been displaced and lies a short distance to the S. The second cist measures 0.9m by 0.7m internally and 0.6m in depth. The SE end-slab stands to a height of 1.04m and thus rises above the uniformly level tops of the other three slabs; this is an unusual feature and suggests either that the capstone merely butted against this end-slab or that the cist was covered by two inclined slabs meeting at the apex and using the SE end-slab as a gable. An unworked flint flake and small fragments of charcoal were discovered inside the cist. It may have been from one of these two cists than an 'urn with ashes' was recovered during the removal of stones from one of the cairns at Acharn in the early 19th century (Gregory 1857).

D Gregory 1857; I Thornber 1974; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1974; RCAHMS 1980, visited 1974.