Arran, North Sannox
Burial Cairn (Bronze Age)
Site Name Arran, North Sannox
Classification Burial Cairn (Bronze Age)
Canmore ID 40206
Site Number NS04NW 1
NGR NS 0142 4659
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/40206
- Council North Ayrshire
- Parish Kilbride
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Cunninghame
- Former County Buteshire
NS04NW 1 0142 4659
(NS 0142 4659) Cairn (NR).
OS 6" map, (1924)
This circular cairn is about 50ft in diameter; the S and W sides run out to the level of the bank on which it is placed, but the N and E edges form a steep slope of about 7 - 10ft. Bryce (1909) describes 3 or 4 sandstone flags lying horizontally on this slope. On its E edge is a single upright stone, 3ft x 2ft x 9ft. 11ft E of this was the capstone of a short cist, 2ft 5 1/2ins x 1 ft 8 ins x 1 ft, filled with earth and stones, but which had been rifled before Bryce's excavation. He also excavated 8 - 10ft E-W and N-S of the standing stone, also S of the short cist in what may have been the original centre of the cairn. In both cases, nothing was found. The cairn has been much quarried, so its original outline is difficult to ascertain.
The ONB (1864) refers to the remains of cists, which when discovered contained human bones, being visible in 1864.
Name Book 1864; T H Bryce 1909.
NS 0142 4660 The cairn, as described above, is now covered by bracken and scrub and is in a poor state of preservation. The upright stone is still visible on the east edge but there is no trace of the capstone to its east. There is, however, a flat slab 2.2m by 1.3m on the lower south side of the cairn, but this is rather large to have covered a short cist. The centre of the cairn is generally mutilated and there is no trace of a chamber or cist.
Surveyed at 1:10 000.
Visited by OS (B S) 2 December 1977.
Field Visit (1998)
This cairn [NS04NW 25] is situated above the riverside cairn examined by Prof. T Bryce in 1906. The lower cairn is 17m in diameter and is badly overgrown, but appears to have a denuded trench also to the SE. Now only low cross stones can be seen, although massive conglomerate stones lie on the surface.
Management (20 June 2002)
Scheduled as North Sannox, cairn.
Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 20 June 2002.
Field Visit (2003)
NS 0142 4659 - Round Cairn. This sub circular cairn is 20m from north to south and 22m from east to west. Quarrying has taken place on the east side, almost certainly by machine and two large slabs have been thrown up, 1.80m by 1.50m and 2.10m by 1.40m respectively.
The top of the cairn is much mutilated with a pit near the centre 3.50m in diameter and up to 0.60m deep. Near by and running from northwest to southeast is the outline of a 6.50m long slot trench with a spoil heap to its north side. At the north of the cairn is a small projecting vertical stone with a prone stone some 2.0m long by 0.70m wide close by. A small excavation scoop exists beside this and a slab 1.50m by 1.20m occurs to the southeast it.
No evidence was found of the large 2.70m high upright stone reported by Bryce on the east side and still reported as visible in 1977.
Site identifed during an archaeological survey on Arran and Jura by the ACFA.
Anne Wood and Scott Wood, 2003.
Note (5 July 2018)
The location, classification and period of this site have been reviewed.
HES Survey and Recording 5 July 2018
