MHG9017 - Chambered Cairn - Kilcoy South
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- CHAMBERED CAIRN (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2401 BC)
Protected Status
Full Description
(NH 5701 5160) This is an Orkney-Cromarty type polygonal, short horned cairn c50 ft. across by 60 ft. long. On SE are traces of dry walling and large boulders on tips of horns, which partly define a forecourt. In the centre of this façade are two upright portal stones; from these runs passage 4 ftx 4 ft, each wall being of one upright stone with a sill between. Next is the outer compartment, c6 ft long, each wall of one upright stone and spaces filled with dry-walling. Next, two transverse slabs, supporting a lintel, form the entry to the main, polygonal compartment, about 10ft. X 9 ft., each wall of 2 slabs supplemented with dry walling. Finally, a passage of upright stones 3 .5ft. By 2.5ft leads by a double-silled entrance to a circular cell 5 1/2 ft. across. Remains include various types of pottery sherds, a saddle quern, white quartz, and skeletal remains of burnt bones.
A A Woodham 1956; A A Woodham 1956; A S Henshall 1963.
This cairn, much mutilated, as described above, and tripartite chamber is still intact.
Surveyed at 1/2500. Visited by OS (N K B) 21 January 1965.
No change. Visited by RCAHMS (JRS) 3 March 1989.
NH 570 516 Partial re-excavation of Kilcoy South chambered cairn was undertaken in early August 1997. The excavation has shown that cairn is likely to have been round with a flat façade rather than, as previously thought, a horned cairn.
A report will be lodged at NMRS.
Sponsors: Ms A Henshall, Dr G Ritchie.
G MacGregor & H Loney 1997
Site visit : 1999, Chambered Cairn very overgrown, there are signs of a central chamber some 1.5m wide with entrance 0.6m wide facing approx. SE. Local stone, glacial deposit. Cairn is approx. 15m diam., and stands on S facing slope at an altitude of about 115m. It overlooks Beauly Firth. Another cairn of similar size stands approx. 100m away almost due N. The cairn is on the boundary between two present day arable fields and a dyke bisects it.
J Aitken : 25/01/01.
Douglas Scott submitted photographs to the HER in July 2011. <1>
The NMS catalogue describes the saddle as an irregular squarish boulder of stone or granite with a shallow grinding surface, open on two sides. Listed under Acc. No. EO 1115. Beaker sherds are listed under Acc. Nos. EO 1046-1052.
Also listed in the NMS catalogue are flint and mica flakes and pottery fragments from excavations at the site. Acc. Nos. 1998.97.1- 1998.97.7. <2>
The excavation assemblage from the 1997 work at Kilcoy South was submitted to Treasure Trove (TT 181/97). It was allocated to the NMS. <3>
Sources/Archives (12)
- --- SHG1522 Text/Publication/Article: Close-Brooks, J. 1984. ''Some early querns'', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 113 1983, p.282-9. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 282-9. 284.
- --- SHG21 Text/Publication/Article: Hanley, R and Sheridan, A. 1994. 'A beaker cist from Balblair, near Beauly, Inverness District', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, Vol 124, pp 129-39. p 137.
- --- SHG2675 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1979. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The archaeological sites and monuments of the Black Isle, Ross and Cromarty District, Highland Region. . 8, No. 13.
- --- SHG28039 Text/Publication/Volume: Henshall, A. S. & Ritchie, J. N. G. 2001. The Chambered Cairns of the Central Highlands: An Inventory of the Structures and Their Contents. pp 153-7.
- --- SHG357 Text/Publication/Monograph: Henshall, A S. 1963. The chambered tombs of Scotland, Volume 1. 348-9, ROS. 2; plan, 348, fig. 80.
- --- SHG72 Text/Publication/Article: Woodham, A. A.. 1956. A survey of prehistoric monuments in the Black Isle. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Vol. 88 (1953-55). 65-93. p 86.
- --- SHG981 Text/Publication/Article: MacGregor and Loney, G and H. 1997. 'Kilcoy South (Killearnan parish), chambered cairn', Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1997, p.47. Discovery and Excavation in Scotland. 47. 47.
- --- SHG982 Text/Publication/Article: Woodham, A A. 1956. 'Kilcoy West', Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1956, p.23-4. Discovery and Excavation in Scotland. 23-4. 23-4.
- --- SHG983 Text/Publication/Article: Woodham, A A. 1958. 'Kilcoy West', Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1958, p.32-3. Discovery and Excavation in Scotland. 32-3. 32-3.
- <1> SHG25031 Image/Photograph(s): Scott, D. 2010-11. Photographs and information from Douglas Scott. Colour. Yes. Digital.
- <2> SHG28278 Dataset/Database File: National Museums Scotland. 2019. Highland Finds from the NMS Catalogue. National Museums Scotland. Digital. EO 1115, 1998.97.1- 1998.97.7.
- <3> SHG28208 Dataset/Database File: Treasure Trove. 2019. Highland Finds from Treasure Trove Annual Reports 2004-18. Treasure Trove. Digital. TT 181/97.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 5701 5160 (80m by 80m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH55SE |
| Geographical Area | ROSS AND CROMARTY |
| Civil Parish | KILLEARNAN |
Finds (4)
- SADDLE QUERN (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2401 BC)
- SHERD (Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 551 BC?)
- FLAKE (Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 551 BC?)
- HUMAN REMAINS (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2401 BC)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM4650 (Online designation description (Historic Environment Scotland))
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/12834 (View HES Canmore entry for this site)
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