Monument record MHG2079 - Broch, Cairn of Elsay
Summary
No summary available.
Location
| Grid reference | Centred ND 3871 5199 (43m by 54m) (Buffered by site type) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ND35SE |
| Old County | CAITHNESS |
| Civil Parish | WICK |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Map
Type and Period (1)
Full Description
Cairn of Elsay (NAT) Broch (NR) OS 6" map, (1968)
Broch, 'Cairn of Elsay', Staxigoe, was excavated and planned by the late Sir Francis Tress Barry. The wall was approximately 17ft thick, enclosing an inner area with diameter of 29ft. Any outbuildings which may exist around broch have not been uncovered. The plan shows an outer casing wall on S, through which an entrance passes, but this is not now apparent.
RCAHMS 1911.
The broch is a grass-covered mound situated on level ground close to shore. It is 18m diameter, has a wall 4.8m thick and stands to a max height of 2.7m above level of the ground at base of the mound. A fragment of inner face of the wall is visible on E side only, but outer face is exposed to a height of 1.2m and for a length of 7m on NE side; fragments are also visible on SE side.
The entrance, in SE, is 0.7m wide, its walls exposed to a height of 1.2m at the outer end.
The court is now a rubble-strewn hollow 2.6m below top of broch except for a large, stony, grass-covered mound 1.2m high which extends from centre to NE of entrance. In centre of the court is an upright stone slab 1m high, 0.4m wide and 0.1m thick.
No trace of any outbuildings was seen around the broch.
Resurveyed at 1:2500. Visited by OS (E G C) 22 April 1963.
Finds from broch were donated to NMAS by representatives of the late Sir Francis Tress Barry in 1908.
Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1909
Wall thickness 5.18m, diameter 8.84m. C E Batey 1981.
No change. Visited by OS (J B) 18 August 1982.
Sources/Archives (3)
- --- SHG1959 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Batey, C E. 1981. Caithness coastal survey 1981: interim report. University of Durham, Department of Archaeology. . No. 152.
- --- SHG2664 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1911. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Third report and inventory of monuments and constructions in the county of Caithness. . 162-3, No. 521; plan fig. 44.
- --- SHG624 Text/Publication/Article: PSAS. 1909. 'Donations to and purchases for the Museum and Library, with exhibits', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 43 1908-9, p.8-23, 73-5, 145-6, 176-9, 268-71, 291-5. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 8-23, 73-5, 145-6, 176-9,. 17.
Finds (0)
Protected Status/Designation
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
Record last edited
Jan 28 2008 12:00AM
