MHG1517 - Chambered Long Cairn, Sithean Mor
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- CHAMBERED LONG CAIRN (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2401 BC)
Protected Status
Full Description
Sithean Mor (NAT) Long Cairn (NR)
OS 6"map, (1963)
The remains of this horned long cairn are situated about 100 yards NW of Loch a Mhuilinn. It lies with its longest axis NNE-SSW, rising and expanding in the former direction. The body of the cairn, except the high portion at the NNE end, which probably contains the chamber, has been removed for the sake of its stones, a mere line along each side being left. At the SSW end the existence of the horns is apparent, but they are extremely overgrown; the horns are not evident at the NNE end. The total length of the cairn is some 200ft, its breadth at the NNE end 54ft and across the body at the SSW end, 30ft. The elevation at the former end is about 10ft. A slight circular depression about 8ft in diameter at the high end probably indicates the position of the chamber. On the W side, towards the S end, the outer constructional wall is still quite evident. some 60ft from the SSE (W) end is a large upright slab, standing at right angles to the main axis, possibly indicates the site of a chamber.
RCAHMS 1911, visited 1910; A S Henshall 1963.
The remains of this long cairn are generally as described. Except for the NNE end, the whole internal length of the cairn has been quarried. The 'horns' at the S end are not prominent; the SW one is almost entirely destroyed, while the SE one appears as a turf bank 0.2m high by about 0.4m broad. At its S end the cairn is 1.2m high and there is a quantity of loose stone here. About 8.0m in from the S end of the cairn, within a cavity, is a small upright slab lying E-W with the top of another appearing 1.0m E of it; 9m beyond this is the large upright slab mentioned above - it has a smaller one lying at right angles to it at its W end. About 4m beyond this are the tops of this slabs forming two cist-like chambers. On the edge of the cairn about 5m E of the large slab is a prostrate slab measuring 1.9m by 0.7m. At the N end is the complete mound, 2.0m high with two shallow depressions on top and many stones protruding.
Visited by OS (J L D) 10 April 1962.
No change to the preceeding reports.
Visited by OS (J M) 1 July 1981.
Sources/Archives (3)
- --- SHG2115 Text/Publication/Volume: Davidson, JL and Henshall, A S. 1991. The chambered cairns of Caithness: an inventory of the structures and their contents. 92-3, no. 6; plan; fig. 16.
- --- SHG2664 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1911. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Third report and inventory of monuments and constructions in the county of Caithness. . 100, No. 365.
- --- SHG357 Text/Publication/Monograph: Henshall, A S. 1963. The chambered tombs of Scotland, Volume 1. 258, CAT 6; plan.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred ND 0589 5703 (100m by 100m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ND05NE |
| Civil Parish | REAY |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM482 (Online designation description (Historic Environment Scotland))
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/7668 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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