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MHG63338 - Cairn - Holm Mills, Inverness

Summary

A cairn is shown on a historic map at what is now Holm Mills, Inverness.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

A cairn is shown on a historic map at what is now Holm Mills, Inverness.

On John Home's map of Inverness, which was surveyed in 1774 (and published some time later), a cairn is shown and labelled as such at the approximate location of what later became the Holm Mills complex. It would have been visible from the larger cairn shown on the map on the opposite bank of the River Ness, known as the Kilvain Cairn whch was removed during construction of the Caledonian Canal (see MHG3771). <1>

A crescent-shaped cropmark in grass at the approximate (putative) location of the cairn is visible on vertical aerial photographs taken in 1999-2001. This would represent the northern half of the cairn as the southern half had either been excavated away or covered to form a hardstanding. If the latter then it is possible that any deeper features, such as a ditch, may still survive below. Enough of the feature is visible in the photographs to indicate a cairn that may have been up to 22m in diameter and which may have included a ditch approximately 2-2.5m in width. The possible ditch appears as a darker outer semi-circle surrounding a lighter semi-circle approximately 3m in width with a further central darker area c.10.5m in diameter. This latter feature may be a component of the cairn, possibly a collapsed chamber, or it may be a result of later disturbance. <2>

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 6542 4311 (32m by 32m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH64SE
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	KINCARDINE

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