MHG63096 - Gooseberry Cave - Rosemarkie
Summary
One of the smallest caves of the group at only 4 metres in length. The rock appears unstable, a place to avoid.
Type and Period (1)
- CAVE (Undated)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
The 2011-15 Rosemarkie Caves Project excavation report contains descriptive details of 14 caves which could potentially have been used as rock shelters in historic or pre-historic times.
From the results of our 2011-2015 programme of survey and test pitting, substantial evidence for lengthy use of the Rosemarkie Caves over the past 2000 years was gathered. A number of the caves, in particular the Learnie group, had been visited or occupied sometime during the 7th-9th centuries AD.
Gooseberry Cave; One of the smallest caves of the group, it is only 4 metres in length. Entering this cave involves an uncomfortable crawl, with sharp talus on the floor. Outside the cave, the rock contains large cracks. As there are also large blocks of stone lying outside the entrance, the cave may have been much bigger in the past and subsequently collapsed. Rock appears unstable, a place to avoid. No evidence of human usage. 7.5 metres OD at entrance. <1>
A list of caves, with grid references, is available on the Rosemarkie Caves Project website. <2>
Note; location not identifiable from the 6 figure grid coordinates provided in the report so approximate location based on report map. (T.Blackie 22/1/24)
Sources/Archives (6)
- --- SHG21057 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Cressey, M.. 09/1998. Coastal Assessment Survey Inner Moray Firth: Volume 1 - Inverness to Dingwall. Centre for Field Archaeology. 14/12/1998. Digital (scanned as PDF). pp 90, 91.
- --- SHG23297 Verbal Communication: Tilbury, S. Comment by Sylvina Tilbury, HER Officer.
- --- SHG23879 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Gunn, S. and Wood, J.. 09/2008. Community Archaeology Project: Excavation and Survey - Learnie Caves 2006. Highland Archaeology Services Ltd. 10/09/2008. Digital.
- --- SHG25378 Interactive Resource/Webpage: Gunn, S. Rosemarkie Caves Project. Digital.
- <1> SHG27731 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Gunn, S. & Peteranna, M.. 2016. Rosemarkie Caves Project: Programme of Archaeological Survey and Test Pitting in 2011-2015. Rosemarkie Caves Project. Digital. p.12,53. XY
- <2> SHG29509 Interactive Resource/Online Database: McComas, J.. 2016. Rosemarkie Caves Project; Excavations in 2016.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 7516 6019 (20m by 20m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH76SE |
| Geographical Area | ROSS AND CROMARTY |
| Civil Parish | ROSEMARKIE |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (2)
External Links (1)
- http://www.spanglefish.com/rosemarkiecavesproject (Link to online website)
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