MHG42441 - Burial cairn, Sinclair's Sithean

Summary

No summary available.

Type and Period (1)

  • BURIAL (Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC? to 551 BC?)

Protected Status

Full Description

Sinclair's Sithean (NR) (Cairn) (NR) (Human Remains found) (NAT) OS 6" map, Caithness, 2nd ed., (1907)

This is a long cairn, turf-covered and partly overgrown with gorse. It has been considerably robbed in places, leaving surface v uneven, but it still stands up to 7ft high at SE end and about 3.5ft high at NW end. The cairn is composed of irregular stones with a fair covering of earth. The presence of large stones on E corner of the cairn edge suggests that cairn was never horned. Of the various large stones lying about SE end, only one, 12ft from end and almost on centre line of the cairn, appears to be earthfast. Over rest of cairn, 5 stones protrude.
ONB (1872) states that cairn was opened 'many years ago' when human remains were discovered.
The RCAHMS (1911), quoting the Ground Officer at Stemster, states that a short cist was found, just below surface at ESE end, about 1880. The cist contained an unburnt interment.
Name Book 1872; RCAHMS 1911; A S Henshall 1963, visited 1957.

Sinclair's Sithean: a long cairn, as described and planned by Henshall. Revised at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (R D) 10 November 1965

(ND 1655 6245) Sinclair's Sithean (NAT) Long Cairn (NR)
OS 6" map, (1970)

No change to the previous reports.
Visited by OS (J M) 28 October 1981

Long cairn, 'Sinclair's Sithean'. Length: 52m. Long cairn situated on a natural ridge, containing a number of hollows. Orientation NNW-SSE.
R J Mercer, NMRS MS/828/19, 1995

Sources/Archives (4)

Map

Location

Grid reference Centred ND 1656 6245 (6m by 6m) (2 map features)
Map sheet ND16SE
Civil Parish THURSO
Geographical Area CAITHNESS

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Investigations/Events (0)

External Links (2)

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