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MHG39207 - Chambered Cairn - Oskaig

Summary

An extensively robbed chambered cairn.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

A survey of Oskaig and Holoman was carried out by ACFA in April 1995 as part of a continuing survey of the Island of Raasay. A cist was recorded at NG 5476 3846. <1>

A chambered cairn was noted at NG5476 3844 in the ACFA's 2004 publication of surveyed cairns on Raasay. It had previously been recorded in a previous survey by the ACFA in 1995 as a cist. It was set on ground falling gently to the north and 50m to the south of the building known as Manitoba. The cairn showed as two large orthostats 0.7m and 0.8m high lying parallel with each other c. 0.9m apart on a N-S axis. The orthostats were surrounded by a scatter of stones defining a clear circle. Probing of the grass revealed a low stony mound 0.15m high with a definable edge measuring 5.5m in diameter. The two large orthostats were in the centre of this little mound. The eastern orthostat was a large rectangular slab measuring 1.3m long, lying N-S, by 0.3m thick and 0.8m high. 0.9m to the west was a large boulder with a flat vertical face 1.2m long by 0.55m wide and 0.7m high. Between the two vertical faces of the stones at the south end was a slightly curved kerb formed by by placed stones. There was no sign of a cap or cap stones, nor any indication of closure at the north end. To the south end of the cairn were 4 large stones forming an alignment which continued to the south for a considerable distance after a 30m gap. These stones are not part of the cairn but are perhaps a boundary that respects or includes the cairn (this boundary is visible on aerial photography and appears on current OS mapping). It was very probable that the feature was the remains of a small round cairn of the Bronze Age, about 6m in diameter containing a stone built chamber 1.2m long by 0.9m wide to a height on 0.75m. Only two large stones forming the sides remain, all the rest of the chamber stones and the cairn material had almost certainly been extracted when the adjacent Manitoba was built in the late 19th century. <2>

GIS spatial data amended in 20121 according to ocation of site as seen on 2010 vertical APs. <3>

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 5476 3844 (10m by 10m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG53NW
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	PORTREE

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

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External Links (1)