Description

The monument consists of two prehistoric burial cairns.

The first cairn is in a corner of the enclosed land at Cairnhouse. It is about 20m in diameter and 2.5m high. The E side has been quarried, but there is no sign that any burials have been disturbed. The size of this cairn suggests that it may be chambered within. The second cairn is 600m to the WSW, and higher up, on the SE slope of Barney Hill. It is about 15m in diameter and 1m high. It, too, shows every possibility of sealing intact archaeological deposits, which are more likely to be contained within a cist than a tomb chamber.

The scheduled area is in two parts. The first is an irregular area in the N angle of the enclosure at Cairnhouse. It is bounded on the NW and NE by the field boundary, and elsewhere by a line some 5m from the foot of the cairn, giving overall dimensions of 25m N-S and E-W. The second is circular, centred on the upper cairn, and measures 30m in diameter.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a pair of nearby cairns, of broadly similar appearance, but probably of different type, both of which may contain undisturbed burials or other deposits. They have the potential, through excavation and analysis, to provide important information relating to Neolithic and/or early Bronze Age burial practices and ritual beliefs.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

The monument is recorded in the RCAHMS as NX 45 NW 3 and NX 45 NW 7.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland