Ballachulish House
Burial Cairn (Bronze Age), Cist (Bronze Age), Food Vessel (Bronze Age)
Site Name Ballachulish House
Classification Burial Cairn (Bronze Age), Cist (Bronze Age), Food Vessel (Bronze Age)
Alternative Name(s) Ballachulish Home Farm; Ballachulish Hotel
Canmore ID 23557
Site Number NN05NW 4
NGR NN 04897 59513
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/23557
- Council Highland
- Parish Lismore And Appin (Lochaber)
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Lochaber
- Former County Argyll
NN05NW 4 0488 5951.
NN 0488 5951. On the north end of a low gravel ridge, 300 metres north of Ballachulish House, are the remains of a cairn. The north part has been destroyed, while the south part, irregularly shaped and now measuring 11.4 by 8 metres, has been much damaged by ploughing and clearance dumping. The cairn now stands to a maximum height of 0.75 metres, and on the SE perimeter, five original kerbstones remain in position At the north edge, there is a cist which has been partly dug into the natural gravel. It measures 1.3 by 0.7 metres and has a depth of 0.6 metres. It is covered by a massive capstone. When excavated (RCAHMS 1972), no skeletal remains were found, though there was evidence of previous disturbance. Fragments of a food vessel found on the cist floor are now in National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS).
RCAHMS 1972; RCAHMS 1975, visited August 1972.
As described
Surveyed at 1:2500 scale.
Visited by OS (J P) 22 November 1971.
Scheduled as Ballachulish Home Farm, burial mound SW of Ballachulish Hotel.
Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 11 March 2002.
Field Visit (August 1972)
The remains of this cairn (Fig. 16) are situated 300 m N of Ballachulish House (RCAHMS 1975 No. 311), on the N end of a low gravel ridge The N half has been destroyed, and the irregular shape of the S half, which measures 11·4 m by 8 m, is due largely to recent damage by ploughing and to the dumping of stones cleared from the adjacent field. Five of the original kerb-stones, however, remain in position on the SE perimeter, and at the present time the cairn stands to a maximum height of 075 m. At the N edge there is a cist which has been partly dug into the natural gravel; it measures 1.3 m by 0.7 m and 0.6 m in depth, and is covered by a massive capstone (1.6 m by 1m and 0·35 m in maximum thickness). Excavation by the Commission's officers revealed that the contents had been previously disturbed, but, although no skeletal remains were recovered, several fragments of a Food Vessel were found on the floor of the cist.* The Food Vessel is now in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland.
The 'cairn' recorded by Christison 120 m to the W appears to be an isolated natural gravel mound (130).
RCAHMS 1975, visited August 1972
*The Commissioners are indebted to Commander I T Clark, OBE, Mr H J Haldane, WS and te Ballachulish Estate Company Limited for assistance during his work.
Excavation (1972)
NN 048595. Excavation of a cist visible on the N edge of the denuded cairn situated 300m N of Ballachulish House was undertaken in order to complete the planning of the site. Covered by a massive capstone, the cist measures 1.3m x 0.7m and 0.6m, in depth. Several fragments of an Irish Bowl Food Vessel were recovered.
Publication will be in the Inventory of Argyll, vol. II (Lorn).
RCAHMS (DES 1972, 59)
Measured Survey (1972)
Surveyed at 4mm:1ft. Redrawn in ink and published at 1:250, with detail of cist at 1:125 (RCAHMS 1975, fig. 16).
