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Gallow Hillock, Backlass
Cairn (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Gallow Hillock, Backlass
Classification Cairn (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Backlass Hill
Canmore ID 8789
Site Number ND25SW 2
NGR ND 2049 5411
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/8789
- Council Highland
- Parish Watten
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Caithness
- Former County Caithness
ND25SW 2 2049 5411
(ND 2049 5411) Gallow Hillock (NR)
OS 1:10,000 map, (1976)
This is a turf-covered mound with protruding boulders which suggest that it might be a cairn. It measures 85ft long, NE-SW and about 3ft maximum height. At the SE end it measures 21ft in breadth, gradually expanding to the NW where it measures 42ft.
RCAHMS 1911, visited 1910
Gallow Hillock is a grassy mound situated on the top of Backlass Hill (110m OD); only one large boulder remains at the foot of the SE slope. It is now much spread and appears to be roughly circular, measuring some 24m in diameter and 1.7m in height, but the RCAHMS description suggests that it may be a long cairn.
Resurveyed at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (NKB) 22 October 1965
Gallow Hillock is a cairn, visible as a level-topped, turf-covered mound measuring 24.0m NE-SW by 21.0m transversely and 1.2 m high. The only stone noted is a random block on the SE margin. There is no suggestion of a long cairn.
Visited by OS (J M) 11 March 1982
Cairn. Diameter: 27m. Circular grass and gorse covered mound 0.6-0.7m high with a flat top diameter 11m.
R J Mercer, NMRS MS/828/19, 1995.
Scheduled as Gallow Hillock, Backlass Hill.
Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 12 august 2005.
