Monument record MHG6354 - Carn Liatha (Boath Chambered cairns)

Summary

No summary available.

Location

Grid reference Centred NH 5814 7383 (80m by 80m) (Buffered by site type)
Map sheet NH57SE
Geographical Area ROSS AND CROMARTY
Old County ROSS-SHIRE
Civil Parish ALNESS

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

NH57SE 2 5814 7383.
Cairn Liatha (OE). OS 6"map, Ross-shire, 1st ed., (1907)

Cairn Liatha: Long horned cairn. Said to have been intact until about 1820, cairn has been greatly robbed and its outline is very indefinite. It is marked on OS 6" as two cairns but remains suggest rather a single long cairn about 200 ft. long (excluding the horns) which has been divided by a track across centre. At E. end there is a much disturbed pile of naked stones, but the rest of the cairn is turf-covered and only 1-2 ft. high. At one or two places along the edge between the horns, small horizontally laid slabs are visible, and one or two stones set lengthwise can be seen towards E. end of N. side. At E. end of cairn six slabs which have formed the chamber project through the cairn material. <1> <2>

The remains of this long horned cairn are as described by Henshall, but only 3 slabs of the chamber are now evident. It is oriented NE-SW and measures 60m by 16m (excluding the horns), the large mass of bare stones at its east end has a max. height of 2.3m above the surrounding ground level.
Resurveyed at 1/2500. Visited by OS (W D J) 4 May 1963.

Carn Liatha (NAT) Long Cairn (NR) OS 6" map, (1970).

No change. Visited by OS (J B) 19 November 1976.

The monuments to NNE of Easter Ballone farm consist of remains of three chambered cairns of neolithic date (NH57SE 1, 2 and 3). The second, middle, cairn, known as Cairn Liatha, is a long horned cairn orientated NE-SW that has been extensively robbed and now measures 60m SSW-NNE by 16m NNW-SSE. It lies due N of the first cairn, across the road.
Info from Hist Scotland, scheduling document dated 11 April 1997.

Field sketch of three chambered cairns situated NE and NNE of easter ballone farm - see Assoc. Docs. File.
J Aitken : 18/12/00.

The site was visited and photographed by R Spencer-Jones in September 2014. This long cairn is much as described by previous visitors, especially AS Henshall 1963. It is surrounded by long grass, as part of a partridge-shooting establishment. The eastern horns are no longer as visible as AS Henshall describes. In addition to previous descriptions, there is an apparently modern (ie 19th century) shooting butt created at the eastern end of the cairn. <3>

Sources/Archives (5)

  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Brown, W L W. 1910. 'Alness in the eighteenth century', Trans Inverness Sci Soc Fld Club Vol. 6 1899-1906, p.18-25. Trans Inverness Sci Soc Fld Club. 18-25. 20.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: PSAS. 1890. 'Donations to and purchases for the Museum and Library, with exhibits', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 24 1889-1890, p.6-18,141-6,274-81,378-82,410-15,443-50. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 6-18,141-6,274-81,378-82,. 414.
  • <1> Text/Publication/Article: Woodham, A A. 1956. 'Boath', Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1956, p.24-5. Discovery and Excavation in Scotland. 24-5. 24.
  • <2> Text/Publication/Monograph: Henshall, A S. 1963. The chambered tombs of Scotland, Volume 1. 339-40, ROS 10 and 11 plan, 341, fig. 77.
  • <3> Image/Photograph(s): Spencer-Jones, R.. 2014. Photographs of Carn Liatha long cairn. Colour digital. Yes. Digital.

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Protected Status/Designation

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Record last edited

Oct 17 2014 4:22PM

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