Monument record MHG2341 - Cists w burials etc, Mill of Watten

ND25SE 4 251 549.

(ND 2511 5496 & ND 2513 5496) 3 Stone Cists containing Human Remains and Iron Spearhead, found here AD. 1867 (NAT)
OS 25" map, Caithness, (1872)

Short Cists found 1867, 1869 (NAT) OS 1:10,000 map, (1975)

"While removing some earth in spring of 1867 three stone cists were discovered - two were lying parallel to each other about 6ft apart, other was about 60ft W. In one of two which were close to each other a complete human skeleton was found in tolerable preservation. And an iron spearhead near it (sic) - the others were full of decayed human bones and black earth. The cists were lying due E and W."
Name Book 1871; Info from Mr MacAdam, Watten Mill, Mr A Sutherland, Borgie and Mr W Flett, Strath of Watten to OS, c1871

Changes to OS 1:10,000 map arose because of minor differences between Mr MacAdam's account of find in ONB (1871), and his published description (PSAS 1873). In latter he states that only a single cist was found in 1867, and other two cists, 6ft apart were found in 1869, 20 yds W of find-spot of single cist. (This reverses positions of cists as given in Name Book.) All 3 cists are referred to as short cists in published account, which also notes that iron spearhead was found in one of two cists which were close together. (ONB account of this find is rather ambiguous, but the NMAS catalogue states that spearhead, 10 ins long and broken at the point, donated by Mr MacAdam in 1871 - Acc No IL 210 - was found beside the cist.)
Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1873; NMAS 1892

No further info regarding these sites was obtained from enquiries at Mill of Watten. One find spot falls in a cottage garden while the other lies between the farm buildings.
Visited by OS (W D J) 24 April 1963