Description

The monument comprises the remains of a partially excavated chambered cairn and nearby structures. The cairn itself has been scheduled for some years, but this proposal extends protection to the nearby remains in addition.

The cairn, of Orkney stalled variety, is oriented roughly NNW-SSE and is slightly over 30m long. Into it a souterrain was inserted during the later prehistoric period. A curvilinear bank about 2m across and 0.5m high encloses an area running from the cairn south-westward towards the sea. Other structures, particularly prominent for some 10m north-east of the cairn, appear as masonry foundations and slabs, including a socket-stone apparently intended to receive the pivot stone of a door. These remains of buildings appear to be broadly contemporary which those shown by excavation to have risen on the summit of the cairn at some time after its upper parts had fallen into ruin, and the enclosure in particular may be of ritual rather than agricultural significance.

The area to be scheduled measures 63m NNW-SSE by up to 50m WSW-ENE. The SSE corner is at the modern wall WSW of the cairn, 30m SE of the angle in the modern wall; its NNW corner is at that wall 35m NW of the angle, and its ENE side is 50m ENE of the angle (and thus slightly over 20m ENE of the ENE side of the mound of the chambered cairn), all as marked in red on the accompanying map extract. The scheduling excludes the modern wall above its foundations but includes its foundations below the modern ground surface and whatever lies beneath them.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of the importance of the chambered cairn and potentially ritual enclosure and associated remains to the understanding of Neolithic and later burial and ceremonial rituals.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

Davidson and Henshall. (1989) The Chambered Cairns of Orkney, EUP.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland