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Cairn Holy, chambered cairn 35m south of Cairnholy

A Scheduled Monument in Mid Galloway and Wigtown West, Dumfries and Galloway

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Coordinates

Latitude: 54.8591 / 54°51'32"N

Longitude: -4.31 / 4°18'36"W

OS Eastings: 251819

OS Northings: 554037

OS Grid: NX518540

Mapcode National: GBR HHQV.Y7C

Mapcode Global: WH3V2.R4S8

Entry Name: Cairn Holy, chambered cairn 35m S of Cairnholy

Scheduled Date: 21 May 1928

Last Amended: 20 November 2002

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM90049

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Prehistoric ritual and funerary: chambered cairn

Location: Kirkmabreck

County: Dumfries and Galloway

Electoral Ward: Mid Galloway and Wigtown West

Traditional County: Kirkcudbrightshire

Description

The monument comprises a chambered cairn of prehistoric date. It is in the care of Scottish Ministers and is being re-scheduled to clarify the extent of the protected area.

The monument lies on the summit of a low hillock in arable farmland, at around 135m OD. It comprises a roughly oblong chambered cairn now measuring about 21m NE-SW by about 9m transversely. The cairn has been extensively robbed for stone, so that it stands no higher than about 0.6m. The slab-lined chamber, at the NE end of the cairn, measures about 6m long and is divided into an inner and outer chamber of roughly equal size by a transverse slab. The inner chamber still retains its capstone. The entrance to the chamber is flanked by two portal stones, one of which measures 2.9m, the other possibly broken. Cairns of this type are burial monuments dating to the Neolithic.

The area proposed for scheduling comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related material may be expected to be found. It is irregular with maximum dimensions of 72m NE-SW and 42m NW-SE, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract. The area proposed for scheduling is identical to the area in care of Scottish Ministers. Excluded from the scheduling are the above ground sections of the modern farm building, erected in the north-east corner of the scheduled area.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation

Historic Environment Scotland Properties
Cairn Holy 1
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/cairn-holy-chambered-cairns
Find out more

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

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