Description

The monument comprises a chambered cairn of prehistoric date, visible as a stony mound, and the remains of a small circle of standing stones enclosing a small cairn. The monument was first scheduled in 1930, and re-scheduled in 1969, but on both occasions an inadequate area was included to protect all of the archaeological remains: the present re-scheduling rectifies this.

The sites are situated some 9km from the head of Glen Almond, on a terrace 15m above the northern bank of the River Almond.

The chambered cairn is aligned approximately NW-SE and measures 58m in length by 11.6m in breadth at the S end, narrowing to 6.1m at the N end. It stands up to 1.5m high at the S end, but diminishes in height towards the N. In plan the ends are rounded. There is no axial chamber or facade, but there were four lateral chambers entered from the S side. Three of these were emptied through excavation in 1954; a fourth, visible in 1910, had been totally destroyed. The cairn has evidently been robbed and disturbed, probably in connection with the road that passes it on the S side. Cairns of this type normally date to the Neolithic period.

The small circle of standing stones enclosing the remains of probably a second cairn lies about 45m SE of the long cairn and was also partially excavated in 1954. The circle comprises one upright stone, 1.3m in height, and the stump of another, standing some 5m apart; the holes for two others were found in 1954. No dating evidence was recovered, but this type of monument normally dates from the Bronze Age (around 2000 to 1500 BC). Within and around the stones is a low mound of rubble, about 6m in diameter, probably the remains of a burial cairn.

The scheduled monument comprises two discrete areas, as marked in red on the accompanying map. The area around the chambered cairn is irregular in shape, with maximum dimensions of 80m NW-SE by 36m transversely, to include the upstanding cairn and an area around it within which related evidence is likely to survive. The area around the stone circle is a circle in shape, 15.5m in diameter. The top 20cm of the track (which runs SW of the chambered cairn and N of the stone circle) is excluded from the scheduling to allow for routine maintenance.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

These monuments are of national importance as they have the potential to contribute to our understanding of prehistoric funerary and ritual practices. Their importance is enhanced by their group value, especially given the close proximity of two or more different types of prehistoric ritual and funerary monument, and the possible associations between a chambered cairn and a stone circle enclosing another cairn. The monument is damaged and has been partially excavated, but still retains significant archaeological potential, both within and beneath the two cairns.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

The monument is recorded by RCAHMS as NN 83 SW 1.

Bibliography:

Current Archaeology (1972),'Chambered Tombs of Scotland', Current Archaeology, 3, 11, Sept 1972, 304-5.

Henshall, A. S. (1972), The chambered tombs of Scotland, 2, Edinburgh, Vol. 2, 468-72.

Henshall and Stewart, A. S. and M. E. C. (1956) 'Excavations at Clach na Tiompan, Wester Glen Almond, Perthshire', Proc. Soc. Antiq. Scot., 88, 1954-6, 122-4.

Stewart and Henshall, M. E. C. and A. S. (1954) 'Clach na Tiompan, Wester Glen Almond', Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 1954, 12.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland