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MHG4119 - Cairns - Allt Fearns, Raasay

Summary

An oval prehistoric cairn which has been re-used as a base for perhaps a second cairn and finally as the base for a shieling.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

Lying 46m to the N of the Inverarish to Fearns road and just E of a large area of enclosed rig cultivation, at 155m OD is a tumbled mound of stone. The mound lies within an area of grass surrounded by heather and bracken. A well defined kerb surrounds the mound and measures 10.8m in diameter. Within the kerb are the remains of a small circular shieling type structure which measures 2m in diameter. <1>

The cairn and shieling were noted at NG5785 3598 in the ACFA's 2004 publication of their surveys of cairns on Raasay. On a south facing slope at approximately 170m above sea level, on a mound between two small burns, was a cairn, not more than 25m to the north of the Inverarish to Fearns road. An outer mound was oval in shape and measured 19.5m from north to south by 15m east to west. The limits of this mound were clearly defined in most parts, sometimes with stone edging but occassionally simply as a change of slope in the grass. Several large stones and boulders lay within the mound while beneath the grassy turf cover stone could be felt. On top of this outer cairn a further mound, 10.5m by 8.0m, had been built with the edging to this mound also defined by stones and a change of slope. Within this inner mound a shieling had been built (see MHG58464). It was considered that this was a multi-period site. An oval prehistoric cairn has been re-used as a base for perhaps a second cairn and finally as the base for a shieling. <2>

GIS spatial data amended in 2021 according to location on 2020 vertical APs. <3>

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 5796 3599 (15m by 15m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG53NE
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	PORTREE

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (1)