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Creag nan Caorach, four cairns south east of Kinbrace

A Scheduled Monument in East Sutherland and Edderton, Highland

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Coordinates

Latitude: 58.2531 / 58°15'11"N

Longitude: -3.9295 / 3°55'46"W

OS Eastings: 286859

OS Northings: 930996

OS Grid: NC868309

Mapcode National: GBR J6NX.JR8

Mapcode Global: WH4BR.MT0H

Entry Name: Creag nan Caorach, four cairns SE of Kinbrace

Scheduled Date: 11 December 1934

Last Amended: 10 December 2001

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM1783

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Prehistoric ritual and funerary: cairn (type uncertain)

Location: Kildonan

County: Highland

Electoral Ward: East Sutherland and Edderton

Traditional County: Sutherland

Description

The monument comprises four prehistoric burial cairns on the SW flank of Creag nan Caorach. The cairns were scheduled in 1934, but there are inaccuracies in the original mapping and the areas scheduled at that date were inadequate to protect the full area of archaeological significance, hence this rescheduling.

The cairns are described from NW to SE. The farthest to the NW is a round cairn of bare stone measuring approximately 15m in diameter and 1.3m high. The centre has been dug into but there is no sign of a central chamber or cist. The second cairn, 60m to the SE, is also about 15m across. It has four low-lying 'horns', projections extending about 3m from the NW, NE, SW and SE. The exact extent of these is unclear. The entrance has been from the E. Part of the central chamber is visible. This stands 1.4m high along its N inner face, with the start of roof corbelling still visible. The third cairn, 175m to the E of the second, is more robbed (or originally lower), again about 15m in diameter. Three large protruding stones near the centre suggest that this cairn, too, was chambered. The final cairn is 410m SSE from the third. It is smaller, about 8m in diameter and 0.7m high. There is no trace of a chamber or cist.

The area now to be scheduled consists of a circular area around each cairn. The circles round the three northern cairns are 40m in diameter. The area round the fourth, southernmost, cairn, is 30m in diameter. These areas include the cairns and an area around each in which further evidence relating to their construction and use is likely to survive. The areas are marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

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