MHG3551 - Chambered cairn and standing stones at Kinchyle of Dores
Summary
Remains of a Clava-type chambered cairn.
Type and Period (1)
- CHAMBERED ROUND CAIRN (Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 1501 BC)
Protected Status
Full Description
NH63NW 5 6215 3896.
(NH 6215 3896) Stone Circle (OE) (Remains of)
OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1905)
The site of this Clava passage-grave - Kinchyle of Dores - lies on a small hill-crest. The cairn material has been totally removed, but most of the kerb which has a diameter of 30 feet remains, now consisting of nineteen upright and fallen stones, placed with their flattest faces outwards. The stones nearest the entrance are 3 feet and 3 feet 6 inches high, the smallest stones occuring on the east side where they are 1 foot 6 inches or 1 foot 9 inches high. The entrance is just to the west of south. Three stones of the west side of the passage and two of the east side remain, theinner stones 2 feet and 1 foot 3 inches high being slightly taller than the others. Two stones of the chamber remain in situ on the north-west side and between them and the entrance is another which has fallen outwards.
The outer circle of monoliths, with a diameter of 66 feet is placed 16 to 18 feet outside the kerb. It retains five of its stones upright and three more have fallen over their former positions. The highest stone, 5 feet 9 inches tall, is to the south-west of the entrance, the others (clockwise) being 4 feet 6 inches, 4 feet 3 inches 3 feet 9 inches and 4 feet 3 inches high. All the stones used in the construction are irregular rounded boulders. When seen in about 1824 there were nine stones in the outer circle, but otherwise the site seems to have been in the same condition as at present (J Anderson 1831) It was visited by Johnson and Boswell during their Highland Tour (August 30th 1773) and was even then described as a double circle, one of very big, the other of smaller stones.
When the area of the original chamber was examined the old surface was only 1 foot below the present turf. "A small bowl-shaped pit was found cut into the boulder clay, 18 inches in diameter and 10 inches deep, filled with dark soil, and near this to the south-west was a scatter of cremated bones with dark earth on the old surface and under a few flattish stones. No other finds were made" (S Piggott 1956).
The cremated remains were of a single individual (F P Lisowski 1958).
A S Henshall 1963; S Piggott 1956; F P Lisowski 1958; A J Beaton 1882; J Fraser 1884; J Anderson 1831.
The remains of the chambered cairn are as described above.
Visible on GP air photograph AO/62/114/3.
Visited by OS (E G C) 20 March 1962.
Historic Scotland describes this as a Clava-type chambered cairn dating to the early Bronze Age. The description of the remains broadly matches the above. However, the schedule entry states that the outer circle of stones consists of 21 upright and fallen stones. The rubble bank is 3-4m thick, surrounding a central court. The east side of the central court lining remains. The passage leading to the central court is on the south side. <1>
Sources/Archives (10)
- --- SHG1214 Text/Publication/Article: Beaton, A J. 1882. 'Notes on the antiquities of the Black Isle, Ross-shire, with plans and sections', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 16 1881-2, p.477-92. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 477-92. 491-2; fig. 9.
- --- SHG1320 Text/Publication/Article: Anderson, G. 1831. 'On some of the stone circles and cairns in the neighbourhood of Inverness', Archaeol Scot Vol. 3 1831, p.211-22. Archaeol Scot. 211-22. 212-13.
- --- SHG24003 Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council Archaeology Unit. HCAU Slide Collection Sheet 1. Colour slide. . Digital (scanned). 22.
- --- SHG24004 Image/Photograph(s): Highland Council Archaeology Unit. HCAU Slide Collection Sheet 2. Colour slide. . Digital (scanned). 28.
- --- SHG357 Text/Publication/Monograph: Henshall, A S. 1963. The chambered tombs of Scotland, Volume 1. 380-1, INV 37; plan, 381, fig. 97.
- --- SHG485 Text/Publication/Article: Lisowski, F P. 1958. Cremations from the Culdoich, Leys and Kinchyle sites. Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 89. 83-90. 83-90.
- --- 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. 356-7; fig. 23.
- --- SHG749 Text/Publication/Article: Piggott, S. 1956. Excavations in passage-graves and ring-cairns of the Clava group 1952-3. Proc Soc Antiq Scot Volume 88. 173-207. 184-8; fig. 8.
- --- SHG8494 Image/Photograph(s): Scaniport, Crow Wood, Clava-type cairn. Digital Image. .
- <1> SHG23290 Text/Designation Notification/Scheduled Monument: Historic Scotland. 2008. Entry in the Schedule of Monuments Re: The Monument known as Crow Wood Cottage, chambered cairn and standing stones 265m W of. Digital (scanned as PDF).
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 6215 3896 (36m by 36m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH63NW |
| Civil Parish | DORES |
| Geographical Area | INVERNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM11546 (Online designation description (Historic Environment Scotland))
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/13184 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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