Caves Of Kilhern

NX16SE 12 1984 6441.

(NX 1984 6441) Caves of Kilhern (NAT) Chambered Cairn (NR)

OS 6" map (1957)

A much-robbed and disturbed long cairn of the Bargrennan group, now overgrown with heather. It lies ENE-WSW and measures 110' by 40' across the west end and 68' across the east. Along the well defined north edge the cairn rises steeply to a height of 5' but the centre is only some 2' or 3' high, hollowed out in places. The SE edge also rised steeply but to only about 3' high. The NE end appears to be almost straight in plan. There are the remains of four chambers in the cairn and indications of the existence of a fifth.

A S Henshall 1972, visited 1962

A heather-covered chambered cairn 34.0m long by 20.0m wide at the north eastern end and 11.0m wide on the SW. It has a maximum height of 1.7m and is generally as described by Henshall.

Surveyed at 1:10 000.

Visited by OS (BS) 6 May 1976

This chambered long cairn stands on the SE side of a wall 550m NNW of Kilhern. Measuring 33.5m in length by up to 1.5m in height, it ranges from 20.7m in breadth at the ENE end to 12.2m at the WNW. There are four chambers, two axial and two lateral, each opening on to different sides of the cairn; only one (on the E) retains a capstone. The only other visible feature is an upright slab 3.5m E of the W axial chamber (WIG 6).

RCAHMS 1987, visited (SH) March 1986.