MHG2534 - Chambered Long Cairn, Cooper's Hill
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- CHAMBERED LONG CAIRN (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2401 BC)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
The remains of the long cairn on the top of Cooper's Hill are slight. There are few signs of stones and the site is now a low mound rising only 1 to 2ft above the field and covered with the same turf. The long axis lies NW-SE and the latter end is slightly higher. It measures about 220ft long but other measurements are now indefinite. A S Henshall 1963; RCAHMS 1911.
ND 2184 6537. The remains of this long cairn are as described above. A modern rubbing-stone has been erected at the SE end.
Surveyed at 1:2500. Visited by OS (RD) 16 February 1965.
(ND 2184 6537) Long Cairn (NR) OS 1:10,000 map, (1975)
This long cairn is as described above. The estimated width varies from 22m at SE end to 17m at NW end.
Visited by OS (RD) 16 February 1965
The cairn is in a field at 76m OD, almost on the top of the gentle rise of Cooper's Hill, and has magnificent views over county and to Orkney.
The cairn was already greatly reduced by ploughing when seen in 1910 (RCAHMS supra) and ploughing has continued since then. The edges of the cairn are very difficult to define and the cairn has been much spread. Nevertheless it is still an obvious feature in the landscape, especially seen on the skyline when viewed from the W. The long axis slopes down slightly from SE to NW. The cairn is about 69m long. Each end of the cairn appears to be rounded, swelling to about 22m wide at the SE end and about 17m wide at the NW end, both ends rising to 1m high; the centre part is about 11 to 12m wide and 0.5m high. Due to the slope of the ground the SE end looks higher and a modern rubbing stone has been set up on the top. The monument appears to have consisted of two round mounds, the larger to the SE, linked by the lower parallel-sided central portion.
Visited 8 October 1988.
J L Davidson and A S Henshall 1991
Long cairn, 'Cooper's Hill'. Length: 72m. Horned long cairn incorporating at either end two round cairns, one of which measures 23m in diameter. orientation SE-NW.
R J Mercer, NMRS MS/828/19, 1995
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. 110, no. CAT 21; plan p.110.
- --- 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. . 88, No. 324.
- --- SHG357 Text/Publication/Monograph: Henshall, A S. 1963. The chambered tombs of Scotland, Volume 1. 270, CAT 21.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred ND 2183 6537 (100m by 100m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ND26NW |
| Civil Parish | OLRIG |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (1)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/8822 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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