Description

The monument consists of two burnt mounds, prehistoric cooking places, at the W end of a small loch.

The larger mound is oval, 11.0m by 12.0m and 1.2m high. The centre is hollowed and a single upright slab protrudes, possibly representing the remains of a cooking trough. This mound stands immediately beside the outlet of the loch. Further to the SE is a smaller oval mound, 7.5m by 4.0m by 1.0m high. Two upright stones protrude through the turf, one on the SW and one on the NE.

The area to be scheduled is irregular, bounded on the N and W by recent stone walls (which are excluded from scheduling), and measures a maximum of 80m NW-SE by 50m, as marked in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a good example of a prehistoric, possibly Bronze Age, cooking place. It derives additional importance from its membership of a small group of monuments on the island of Mousa, which together represent aspects of the changing nature of settlement within a constrained area.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as HU 42 SE 3.

Calder, C. S. T. (1965) 'Cairns, Neolithic houses and burnt mounds in Shetland', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, Vol. 96, 83.

RCAHMS (1946) Inventory for Orkney and Shetland.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland