Torrish
Cairn (Period Unassigned), Cist (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Torrish
Classification Cairn (Period Unassigned), Cist (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Coulan Burn
Canmore ID 6996
Site Number NC91NE 23
NGR NC 9761 1890
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/6996
- Council Highland
- Parish Kildonan
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Sutherland
- Former County Sutherland
NC91NE 23 9761 1890
See also NC91NE 58.
(NC 9760 1893) Cairn (NR)
(NC 9764 1909) Short Cist found AD 1868 (NAT)
OS 6" map, 1964.
On the slope of the hill immediately above Torrish, and to the E of the Coulan Burn, is a large group of mounds. Some have been excavated, without result, but in one in 1868 was found a short cist containing a leaf-shaped flint arrowhead, with the point broken off, and a shale necklace.
These finds are in Dunrobin Museum.
J M Joass 1871; RCAHMS 1911.
A cairn with cist was found during field investigation.
Visited by OS (W D J) 18 May 1960.
The cairn with cist, at correct plan position NC 9761 1890 is in an area of hut circle associated stone clearance heaps (see NC91NE 58) some of which have been opened. The cairn, partially heather-overgrown, is some 5.5m in diameter and 1.0m high; the periphery is well delineated in the S by an arc of contiguous slabs on edge. The cist is exposed in the body of the cairn, slightly towards the S quarter; it is orientated NNW-SSE and is 1.0m by 0.5m by 0.45m deep, and has the cover stone lying displaced across it. The cist appears to be at natural ground level. The cairn, in its general appearance, is no more remarkable than a dozen or so stone clearance heaps nearby.
The siting symbol for a short cist found 1868 at NC 9764 1909, has been continued from an earlier OS publication; at this point and its vicinity are some mounds of stone clearance but none showing signs of disturbance. There is little reason to doubt a cartographic error and that the mound with short cist is the one with the cairn with cist at NC 9761 1890.
Re-surveyed at 1:10,560.
Visited by OS (J M) 18 May 1976.
The finds in Dunrobin Museum comprise the jet necklace, consisting of five spacers, one triangular plate, fifty-five fusi-form beads and part of another plate (Accession no: 1870.7); a triangular point of brown-grey chert (Acc No: 1870.8); and a broken flake of buff flint (Accession no: 1870.9)
(Undated) information from TS of Catalogue of Dunrobin Museum, by A S Henshall.
