Gigha, Carn Ban

Cairn, Carn Ban, Gigha.

This cairn (Fig. 21, plan) is situated at the N. end of Gigha, 1.2 km NE. of Kinererach farmhouse and a little over 800 m SE. of the cairn No. 20. It lies near the E. end of a low promontory (10 m O.D.) within 90 m of the shore and, like the surrounding area, is heavily overgrown with heather, bracken and scrub. The cairn was reduced to its present denuded condition at the end of the 18th century, when a large quantity of stones was removed for building purposes (1); at that time four short cists and several other smaller ones were uncovered, and the cairn itself was found to be about 15.2 m in diameter.

At the present time the remains consist of a spread of stones covering a roughly circular area between 17 m and 18 m in diameter, and standing to a maximum height of one metre. Situated close together near the centre there is a group of four cists (1-4), while a fifth (5) lies near the edge of the cairn to the S. Built on ground level and largely supported by the surrounding cairn material, the cists forming the central group are all aligned roughly NNW. and SSE. They are composed of slabs measuring between 0.08 m and 0.20 m in thickness, and a considerable quantity of quartz pebbles can still be seen in the packing in their immediate vicinity (2).

Cist 1, which measures 1.2 m by 0.69 m internally, still retains its cap-stone and side slabs in position, but the S. end-slab is now leaning inwards and the N. end slab is lying on the floor of the cist. In 1960 some human bones, consisting of two tibiae, two humeri and a fibula, were removed from this cist and identified as belonging to an adult female (3). Cist 2 measures about 1.2 m by 0.6 m internally and some 0.6 m in depth; the S. end-slab is tilted inwards and the N. end-slab has been removed. The cap-stone is broken into two pieces, and now only partially covers the cist. Cist 3 measures 1.45 m by a maximum of 0.84 m internally and 0.6 min depth. The side slabs are in position, but both end slabs have been dislodged. The N. end-slab has fallen inwards, the stone shown on the plan being a boulder by which it was supported. A loose slab (A), measuring 0.76 m by 0.81 m and 0.13 m in thickness, which now stands propped up by boulders beside the SE. corner of the cist, was probably the original S. end-slab. The cap-stone (B) has been dragged off and is resting on the cairn material at the SW. end of the cist. A number of grooves can be seen running across what is now its upper surface, S and while it has been suggested that they were deliberately and carefully made (5), it seems more likely that they are merely scars caused when the stone was removed from the cist. Cist 4 is rather smaller, measuring 1.02 m by 0.51 m internally and 0.38 m in depth. Both end-slabs lean inwards, but the side slabs are undisturbed, and the floor is formed by a single large paving-slab. The cap-stone has been moved and lies partly embedded in debris at the S. end of the cist.

It is recorded (6) that when the cists were first discovered an unspecified number of "urns" were found in cists 3 and 4; none of these now survives, but at least one of them, described as measuring 5 ¼ in. (0.13 m)in diameter at the top, 2 in. (0.05 m) at the bottom and 5 ¼ in. (0.13 m) in height, was most probably a Food Vessel.

Some 1.2 m W. of this central group of cists there is a large slab (C) lying almost flat, but not apparently forming part of a cist. Near the perimeter of the cairn on the S. there is an irregularly-shaped depression (5), lined with boulders and measuring about 1.2 m by 1.0 m and 0.3 m in depth. This is the only example that still remains visible of the three small cists indicated on the plan in the Statistical Account. Their position suggests that they all contained secondary burials.

RCAHMS 1971, visited May 1963

668538 CCXXiii

(1) Stat. Acct., viii (1793), 56, n. I, and fig. vi opp. p. 53.

(2) For a similar feature, see No. 13.

(3) DES (1960), 13, and further information from Mr. R. E. MacCallum.

(4) Sketch in Muir, Eccles. Notes, 264.

(5) Anderson, Gigha, 24 f.

(6) Stat. Acct., loc. cit.