Lewis, Carn A' Mharc
Chambered Cairn (Neolithic), Shieling Hut(S) (Post Medieval)(Possible)
Site Name Lewis, Carn A' Mharc
Classification Chambered Cairn (Neolithic), Shieling Hut(S) (Post Medieval)(Possible)
Alternative Name(s) Gress; Carn A' Bhare
Canmore ID 4336
Site Number NB44SE 2
NGR NB 47225 43846
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/4336
- Council Western Isles
- Parish Stornoway
- Former Region Western Isles Islands Area
- Former District Western Isles
- Former County Ross And Cromarty
NB44SE 2 4723 4386
(NB 472 438) Carn a' Mharc (NR)
OS 6-inch map, 2nd ed., Island of Lewis, Ross-shire, (1898)
This chambered cairn is an irregular oval in plan, almost 100ft NE-SW by about 80ft NW-SE, and up to about 10ft in height. In many places, and especially towards the E and SW sides, there are large split blocks of stone which look as though they were structural, but only one of them, on the SW, appears to be earthfast. The remains of a peristalith exist on the W and SW edges of the cairn, with stones spaced from 4 to 6ft apart.
The chamber lies SE of the centre of the cairn, with only a small portion of its upper part identifiable, and is probably undisturbed. A short length of massive walling, three courses high, facing SE, is probably the back of the chamber. Part of this wall rests on an upright stone, at least 2ft high, presumably part of the W side of the chamber. In front of this walling is a large displaced capstone tipped almost vertically. About 12ft SE of the chamber walling a massive stone stands 4ft high, while 6ft SE is another large slab, nearly 7ft long, which may well be a displaced lintel stone from the passage. (Information from MS of A S Henshall's 'Chambered Tombs of Scotland', 19, No. 15)
There are two small circular or oval settings of stones near the cairn, probably shielings (RCAHMS 1928).
RCAHMS 1928.
Thomas (F W L Thomas 1890) states that Carn a Mharc should be named Carn a Bhairce, and that it is known (erroneously) in Lewis as Carn Bharce Mhic Righ Lochlinn. This latter name derives from the local people no longer realising that 'Barp' (gen.: Bhairp) means 'barrow'. (Martin knew this cairn as Carn-warp, i.e. Carn-varp) (M Martin 1934)
The Name Book (1849) has Carn a Bhare as an alternative name.
F W L Thomas 1890; M Martin 1934; Name Book 1849.
Carn a' Mharc is a large chambered cairn generally as described by Henshall. Few positive details of its plan can be ascertained due to its being masked by tumble and modern mutilation. The alleged peristalith could be fortuitous.
Visited by OS (A A) 14 June 1969.
What may be two unroofed shieling-huts are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Island of Lewis, Ross-shire 1852, sheet 15) just to the north of the chambered cairn. They are not shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1991).
Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 30 June 1997.
Field Visit (24 June 1914)
Chambered Cairn, Cam a' Mharc, Gress.
About 1 7/8 miles north-west of Gress Lodge at an elevation of 275 feet above sea-level, on the southern hillside slope of Druim a Chairn, about 500 yards north-east of the Gress River, is a large cairn of stones, Cam a' Mharc, measuring 92 feet from north-east to south-west and some 77 feet from north-west to south-east and 10 feet in height. Occupying a small plateau which seems to have been excavated on the higher side and banked up slightly on the lower side, it commands a wide vista of peaty muirland, and of the mountains on the mainland beyond the Minch. The cairn has been much despoiled, and on the south-east side, extending over a length of 33 feet from the edge towards the centre, there is a large number of big slabs dislodged and tumbled about, which probably formed the burial chamber and the entrance passage leading into it. Round the southwestern edge of the cairn is a number of large, pointed stones placed on end, apparently the remains of a marginal ring of such standing stones.
There are two small circular or oval settings of stone in the immediate vicinity of the cairn, doubtless the remains of shielings.
RCAHMS 1928, visited 24 June 1914.
OS map: Lewis xv.
Field Visit (26 September 2010)
This chambered cairn is set well back into the hinterland of the coast, on one of the low hills forming the NE side of the catchment of the Abhainn Ghriais. Largely hidden by rising ground to the N, its most open outlook is to the SW and S. Overall the cairn measures about 28m from NE to SW by 23m transversely and at least 2m in height, and is defined in part by a peristalith of intermittent boulders, a row of at least three surviving on the WSW and another two still visible on the SSW. The entrance to the passage has probably been on the SE, where a long slab leaning on its side is identified by Henshall as possibly a displaced lintel of the passage. A small section of coursed corbels can be seen towards the centre of the cairn where a large slab thrusts up at an angle, though whether this is a collapsed corbel or a cap stone is not clear. Slabs, boulders and blocks of stone are strewn all over the cairn, but the largest seem to be in the southern quarter between the SE and the SSW. The surface of the cairn is extremely pitted, probably to create small shelters, but also to rob stones to build the two shieling huts depicted on the N edge of the cairn on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map.
Visited by RCAHMS (SPH) 26 September 2010
Field Visit (15 May 2021 - 13 July 2021)
NB 4507 4176 Canmore records “what may be four unroofed shielings” at Barashader (Canmore ID: 136458). There is another place name very close by (NB 45047 41720) “Clachan Glas” or grey stones. In this vicinity is a 14m diameter, c4m high mound of stones, which the surrounding blanket bog has not covered. One large orthostatic stone projects from the mound just east of its centre, and a linear depression runs from the centre out to the SW.
These attributes would suggest that this is in fact the remains of a chambered tomb. Having now visited all of the known tombs in the area (Carn a Mharc, Canmore ID: 4336; Dunan, Canmore ID: 4295; and Allt An-t-sniomh, Canmore ID: 4298), we can confirm the Clachan Glas bears many similarities, not least in the unusual way that the blanket bog surrounds these sites without covering them, but also in their locations at the edge of the higher ground with commanding views across the fertile lands below.
There are two other green mounds to the N of the main one described above. These may be the remains of the shielings recorded on Canmore.
Archive: NRHE and CNES SMR (intended)
Funder: Commun Eachdraidh Sgire a’ Bhac – Back Historical Society
Ian Mchardy – Back Historical Society – Commun Eachdraidh Sgire a’ Bhac (CEBAC)
(Source: DES Vol 22)
