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Warehouse, South
Chambered Cairn (Neolithic)
Site Name Warehouse, South
Classification Chambered Cairn (Neolithic)
Alternative Name(s) Cairns Of Warehouse
Canmore ID 9080
Site Number ND34SW 70
NGR ND 30573 42081
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/9080
- Council Highland
- Parish Wick
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Caithness
- Former County Caithness
ND34SW 70 30573 42081.
An Orkney-Cromarty type round cairn with a Camster type chamber. One of the group of five cairns known as Cairns of Warehouse, it was excavated by Rhind in 1853 and Anderson in 1865. It now comprises a mound of flat slabs, partly turf-covered 8 to 9ft high with a diameter of about 55ft, and a partially exposed chamber. Anderson found remains of two encircling wall faces, the outer of which is exp osed north and east of the entrance, and the inner on the SE side of the entrance.
J Rhind 1854; J Sinclair 1865; J Anderson 1886; RCAHMS 1911; A S Henshall 1963.
This cairn bears no resemblance to Miss Henshall's plan which is apparently of another cairn, unless based on Anderson's plan, in which case her N a rrow is inverted. The cairn survives as a mound of bare stones on a hillock, and measures 17.0m in diameter and 1.5m maximum height, and is surmounted by a modern marker cairn. A hollow in the centre shows the top of a large upright slab 2.3m long facing NW-SE which appears to be the back slab of an Orkney-Cromarty type chamber. One other smaller upright slab, facing NW-SE is visible about 1.0m to the SE. There is no other sign of the chamber nor of a kerb, nor of the entrance, which is presumably in the SE. A mound of debris extending to the NE is apparently material dumped from the central excavation.
Surveyed at 1:10,000.
Visited by OS 13 March 1972.
Under and extending S of the Orkney-Cromarty type round cairn is a long horned cairn. Near the round cairn it measures approximately 10m in breadth; at its narrowest point some 30m S it measures some 7m in breadth; it extends some 35m from the edge of the round cairn to the centre of its S facade. The S forecourt measures approximately 9 to 10m between the southernmost inner corners of horns some 2m wid e and is about 5m deep. A mass of masonry on the NE side of the round cairn may be a horn of a N forecourt, but excavations by Anderson in 1865 allow the possibility that this masonry is spoil. A more jumbled mass of masonry on the NNW side of the round cairn is in a feasible position for a horn but is indistinguishable from spoil. All measurements are converted from paces and orientations are approximate.
Infomation from P J Ashmore to OS, 1982.
Scheduled with ND34SW 41, ND34SW 69, ND34SW 71 as Cairns of Warehouse.
Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 9 November 2000.
This chambered cairn lies on a boggy terrace in heather moorland, commanding views N to the Loch of Yarrows and S into the Burn of Warehouse. It measures 18.8m in diameter by 3.5m in height, and has a long rectangular tail extending 36.3m to the SW, where it terminates in two horns. Within the rubble spread of the round cairn, the roofed entrance passage leads in from the NE, but it is now largely choked with stone and fallen masonry. The main chamber is exposed and roofless, and two portal stones 0.6m apart mark its entrance from the antechamber. These support a lintel and carry the walls of the chamber up to a height of 1.5m.
(YARROWS04 419)
Visited by RCAHMS (ARG) 28 July 2004
Excavation (16 September 2013 - 8 October 2013)
ND 30542 42102 A programme of excavation was undertaken, 16 September – 8 October 2013, at the southern end of the Yarrows trail – Warehouse West and Warehouse South. Both cairns had been excavated previously during the 19th century with a central cist found within Warehouse West and a chambered cairn revealed at Warehouse South. The excavations confirmed the presence of a central cist at Warehouse West and showed that it is most likely a Bronze Age cairn as there are no structured walls created to form the cairn. The excavations of Warehouse South re-excavated the central chamber of the cairn as well as revealing part of the outer façade. The excavations confirmed that the cairn is not a simple round cairn, but is in fact a highly denuded long cairn with horn works revealed at the entrance and at the end of the tail. All excavations were backfilled to ensure the consolidation of the cairns and to allow for an easier interpretation of the cairns by visitors to the sites.
Archive: NRHE
Funder: Npower
John Barber, Alan Duffy and Kevin Paton – AOC Archaeology Group
(Source: DES, Volume 18)
