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Upper Dounreay

Chambered Cairn (Neolithic), Cist (Bronze Age)

Site Name Upper Dounreay

Classification Chambered Cairn (Neolithic), Cist (Bronze Age)

Canmore ID 7874

Site Number ND06NW 5

NGR ND 0079 6604

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/7874

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Highland
  • Parish Reay
  • Former Region Highland
  • Former District Caithness
  • Former County Caithness

Archaeology Notes

ND06NW 5 0079 6604.

(ND 0079 6604). Brough (NR)

OS 6" map, Caithness, 2nd ed., (1907)

The short, horned, chambered cairn of the Orkney-Cromarty group at Upper Dounreay measures about 55ft across and has horns projecting towards the cardinal points, giving a dia- meter from tip to tip across the cairn of about 90ft. The top of the cairn has been removed, leaving a present height of 4 to 5ft, and four stones of the chamber are visible. Two sides of a short cist can be seen on the S horn.

RCAHMS 1911; A S Henshall 1963.

(ND 0079 6604) Chambered Cairn (NR)

OS 6" map, (1969)

No change to the previous field report.

Visited by OS (J B) 7 September 1981.

Activities

Field Visit (16 August 1910)

On the W end of a slight ridge about ½ mile E of Upper Dounreay are the remains of a horned round cairn. The heads of three large slabs protrude from the centre, indicating the position of the chamber, otherwise the whole cairn is overgrown with grass. The diameter of the body of the cairn has been about 42ft (12.8m). the main axis of the chamber has been WNE and ESE, but there is no sin of the direction of the entrance passage. The horns have been some 22ft in length and 17ft in breadth at the base, while the distance between their extremities towards the WNW has been 40ft. At 13ft from the outer end of the S horn, laid at right angles to its direction, has been a cist. One end and one side, consisting of single slabs, remains, showing a length of 3ft 9in and a width of 1ft 8in. The upper edge of the slabs is level with the present surface, and they are exposed for a height of some 8ft.

Visited by RCAHMS 16 August 1910

OS 6" map (1907) 'Brough'

Field Visit (23 November 1964)

This turf-covered chamber cairn, 1.5m maximum height, is generally as described above. The W horn although shapeless is larger than the others. Stone slabs set on edge, forming part of the burial chamber, are visible in the mutilated top of the cairn. In the S horn, one end and one side slab of a cist, 1.0m by 0.6m, can be seen protruding 0.1m through the surface of the cairn.

Resurveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (N K B) 23 November 1964.

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