Carn Liath
Cairn (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Carn Liath
Classification Cairn (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Forse Water; Tigh A' Bheannaich; Shurrery; Forss Water
Canmore ID 7737
Site Number ND05NW 7
NGR ND 0389 5822
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/7737
- Council Highland
- Parish Reay
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Caithness
- Former County Caithness
ND05NW 7 0389 5822.
(ND 0389 5822) Carn Liath (NR)
OS 6" map, Caithness, 2nd ed., (1907)
About 1/4 mile down the Forse Water from Tigh a' Bheannaich, on the same side of the river, are the indefinite remains of a large circular construction. A number of large slabs set upright protrude irregularly over the surface, but there are no indications of either the character or plan of construction. It appears to have belonged to the same class as some of the other remains in the district.
RCAHMS 1911, visited 1910.
A large, circular, stony mound, 30.0m in diameter and about 1.8m high. It is considerably mutilated and there would appear to be later rectangular structures built on to it, but these are too indefinite for survey. As stated by the RCAHMS, there are several upright slabs on the site, but no plan can be formed from them. The remains suggest a cairn.
Visited by OS (E G C) 10 April 1961.
Carn Liath is in such poor condition that classification is not possible. It survives as an amorphous, turf-covered mound of stones, about 24.0m E-W by 22.5m transversely and up to 1.2m high. There are about fourteen slabs on edge protruding from 0.3m to 0.9m through the turf, the majority around the perimeter, but they do not conform to the remains of a kerb or any other recognisable feature. The mound has been quarried, and stones have been dumped on it. As suggested by the RCAHM, it is possibly related to the other unclassified mounds in the area (cf NC05NW 9, NC05NW 11, NC05NW 12 ).
Revised at 1:10560.
Visited by OS (J B) 24 August 1981.
Scheduled as Carn Laith, cairn, Shurrery.
Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 26 July 2001.