MHG2857 - Site of Possible Chambered Cairn, Midlairgs
Summary
A possible chambered cairn once occupied this site. The same feature was marked on OS maps as a stone circle. Further research cannot be carried out as the site has been destroyed through quarrying.
Type and Period (3)
- CHAMBERED CAIRN (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2401 BC)
- (Alternate Type) STONE CIRCLE (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
- (Alternate Type) PASSAGE GRAVE (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
The remains of this cairn and the wall round it have been entirely removed by quarrying operation. Nothing remains, and it appears from enquiries at the quarry that nothing of interest was found during its removal.
Revised at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (W D J) 29 August 1963.
Stone Circle (NR) (Remains of)
OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1905)
Midlairgs: Possibly a Clava passage-grave. This site is very ruined and the remains are obscured by the rough square wall built round it utilising some of the stones. The centre of the site is much higher than the surrounding field, suggesting that besides being built on a small knoll there is some depths of cairn material remaining. Obviously many stones have been displaced and several large slabs are lying about, possibly beside their original positions. The three stones in the centre only just show through the turf, and appear to be set on a circle with a diameter of about 12 to 14ft. Some stones remain of an outer circle, perhaps the cairn kerb. The remains misght possibly represent the vestiges of a small and rather irregular cairn of the Clava group; particularly the presence of contiguous stones tells against its being a stone circle as such. If it does belong to the Clava group its proportions are in favour of its being a passage-grave rather than a ring cairn.
A S Henshall 1963, visited 8 April 1957; J Fraser 1884.
One of the stones, which appears to have formed the intermediate ring here, and which faces the south-east, is marked by three vertical grooves or cracks in the stone. The middle crack is slightly enlarged by an iron tool, and a rough cross is formed by cutting another groove across near the top of it. Whether the cross thus formed is a relic of early Christian times, or of recent origin, has not been ascertained.
J Fraser 1884.
Sources/Archives (3)
- --- SHG2004 Text/Publication/Volume: Burl, {H} A {W}. 1976. The stone circles of the British Isles. 359.
- --- SHG357 Text/Publication/Monograph: Henshall, A S. 1963. The chambered tombs of Scotland, Volume 1. 382, INV 42; plan.
- --- SHG537 Text/Publication/Article: Fraser, J. 1884. 'Descriptive notes on the stone circles of Strathnairn and neighbourhood of Inverness', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 18 1883-4, p.328-62. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 328-62. 337-8; plan fig. 6.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 7122 3684 (80m by 80m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH73NW |
| Civil Parish | DAVIOT AND DUNLICHITY |
| Geographical Area | INVERNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (1)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/14123 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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