Ardnamurchan, Salen

NM66SE 2 6893 6491.

(NM 6893 6491) Cairn (NAT) (Stone Cist found AD. 1897) In 1897, a cist, 3 1/2ft by 2ft by 2 1/2ft, was exposed in a cairn of loose stones by Mr J Fraser of the Ordnance Survey. Its cover consisted of a large flat stone, on top of which a much smaller slab had been laid. Imperfect remains of a bent skeleton were seen in the cists, but no weapons or relics were found.

W Turner 1917.

A mutilated cairn measuring 7.0m in diameter and about 1.2m in height, on a level shelf. Exposed in its centre is a cist, oriented N-S, measuring about 1.4m by 0.5m and consisting of two side slabs, two slabs at the S end, one behind the other, but no slab at the N. A prostrate slab, measuring 1.6m by 0.8m, beside the SE end of the cist, is probably the capstone. Another, lying beside it, (0.8m by 0.6m) may be the upper slab.

Surveyed at 1:10,000.

About 9.0m NW of the cairn is a prostrate slab measuring about 2.0m by 0.7m with one end gabled, typical of standing stones.

Visited by OS (R L) 29 May 1970.

Cairn, Salen: This moss-covered cairn is situated in trees 130m N of Salen Bridge. It is 8.4m in diameter and about 1m in height. In the centre are three slabs of a cist which has measured internally about 1.1m by 0.5m and about 0.75m in depth. Two loose slabs to the SE of the cist were presumably capstones. The cist was excavated in 1897 and a crouched inhumation was discovered (Turner 1917), but there were apparently no associated grave-goods. (No mention is made of the possible fallen standing stone noted by OS.)

RCAHMS 1980, visited 1972.

Scheduled as Salen, cairn 180m N of head of Salen Bay.

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 13 December 2000.