Ancient Monuments

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Gort na h-Ulaidhe, long cairn 900m north east of Gartgreillan, Glen Lussa

A Scheduled Monument in South Kintyre, Argyll and Bute

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Coordinates

Latitude: 55.4833 / 55°29'0"N

Longitude: -5.5706 / 5°34'14"W

OS Eastings: 174493

OS Northings: 626854

OS Grid: NR744268

Mapcode National: GBR DGM6.WQM

Mapcode Global: WH0LZ.DFLR

Entry Name: Gort na h-Ulaidhe, long cairn 900m NE of Gartgreillan, Glen Lussa

Scheduled Date: 17 November 1964

Last Amended: 20 January 2004

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM2484

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Prehistoric ritual and funerary: long cairn

Location: Campbeltown

County: Argyll and Bute

Electoral Ward: South Kintyre

Traditional County: Argyllshire

Description

The monument comprises the remains of a chambered cairn, a burial and ritual monument dating from the Neolithic period (around 3500-3000 BC).

The cairn lies at 150m OD, along the edge of a broad, fairly level shelf high above the Glenlussa Water. The cairn is trapezoidal on plan, elongated E to W and measures 36m long by 10m across the E end and 7m across at the W end. It has been considerably robbed, especially in a hollow which crosses the cairn between 4m and 6.5m behind the chamber, but cairn material survives over the whole site and behind the E chamber stands to approximately 2m high. Four sub-rectangular chambers are set into the cairn, one directly behind the E facade, one about halfway along (opening to the S), one about three-quarters of the way along (apparently running right through the body of the cairn and one near the W end (opening from the N). Six orthostats remain erect along the E facade, including one which forms the N portal stone of the entrance to the E chamber.

The area to be scheduled comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is a rectangle 60m E-W by 45m N-S, as shown in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of its potential to contribute to an understanding of prehistoric funerary and ritual practices. Its plan has unusual features, especially a chamber which appears to run from one side cairn through to the other.Its importance is increased by its proximity to other monuments of potentially contemporary date.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

The monument is recorded by RCAHMS as NR72NW 3.

References:

Henshall A S 1972a, THE CHAMBERED TOMBS OF SCOTLAND, Edinburgh, Vol. 2, 350.

ORDNANCE SURVEY (NAME BOOK), Original Name Books of the Ordnance Survey, Book No. 75, 15.

RCAHMS 1971a, ARGYLL: AN INVENTORY OF THE ANCIENT MONUMENTS, VOLUME 1: KINTYRE, Edinburgh, HMSO, 35-6, No. 7.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

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