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Culcharron
Cairn (Bronze Age), Cup Marked Stone (Later Prehistoric)
Site Name Culcharron
Classification Cairn (Bronze Age), Cup Marked Stone (Later Prehistoric)
Canmore ID 23248
Site Number NM93NW 32
NGR NM 9129 3971
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/23248
- Council Argyll And Bute
- Parish Ardchattan And Muckairn (Argyll And Bute)
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Argyll And Bute
- Former County Argyll
NM93NW 32 9129 3971.
(NM 9129 3971) Cairn (NR) (remains of)
(Undated) OS annotation.
Half of this cairn was completely destroyed during the construction of the branch railway line to Ballachulish, but the remainder was undisturbed.
Excavated in 1970 by Dr Peltenburg, it was found that a kerb of granite boulders, virtually intact round that part of the perimeter still extant, would originally have formed a circle about 8 metres in diameter. Within the kerb was a filling of large boulders, covered by smaller stones, which stood to a height of 1 metre, whilst outside an irregular band of stones increased the overall diameter of the cairn to about 15 metres. White quartz chips were wedged round the kerbstones and there was an apron of quartz outside the line of the kerb measuring
0.5 metres in width and 0.15 metres in depth. In addition, the whole cairn had been strewn with similar quartz chips. On the south, two granite boulders flanking a schist slab formed a 'false portal' to the cairn. In front of this, was a further schist slab decorated with thirteen cup-marks on one face, five of which are very small, and a single cup on the other face.
The remains of this cairn are as described.
Visited by OS (DWR) 1 November 1971.
Surveyed at 1:2500.
Field Visit (May 1972)
NM 913 397. The remains of this cairn are situated 400m NNW of Culcharron farmhouse to the W of the public road between Connel and Ballachulish. Half of the cairn was completely destroyed during the construction of the branch-railway to Ballachulish, but excavation revealed that the rest remained undisturbed. The most impressive feature was a substantial kerb of granite boulders covered by smaller stones which would have formed a circle about 8m in diameter. Within this kerb there was a filling of large boulders covered by smaller stones which stood to a height of 1m; outside it an irregular band of stones increased the overall diameter of the cairn to about 15m. White quartz chips were wedged round the kerb-stones and there was a distinct apron of quartz outside the line of the kerb measuring 0.5m in width and 0.15m in depth; the whole cairn had also been strewn with quartz chips. On the S quadrant an arrangement of stones consisting of two granite erratics set at right angles to the kerb and flanking a schist slab formed a 'false portal' to the cairn; lying in front of this setting was a further schist slab decorated with thirteen cup-marks on one face, five of which are very small, and a single cup on the other face. About 2m S of the kerb there was a small upright stone associated with a small pit dug into the natural gravel. The 'false portal' may be compared to that suggested at Clachadow.
RCAHMS 1975, visited May 1972.
