Monument record MHG8175 - Chambered cairn - Kinrive Wood

Summary

A chambered cairn in Kinrive Wood.

Location

Grid reference Centred NH 6978 7513 (80m by 80m) (Buffered by site type)
Map sheet NH67NE
Geographical Area ROSS AND CROMARTY
Old County ROSS-SHIRE
Civil Parish KILMUIR EASTER

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

A Cchambered cairn in Kinrive Wood.

NH67NE 3 6977 7513.

(NH 697 752) Cairn (NR) OS 6" map, Ross-shire, 2nd ed., (1907)

King's Head Cairn : Round with polygonal chamber Orkney-Cromarty type. The cairn itself is almost entirely removed but its edge is quite distinct showing a diameter of 85ft EW and 75ft NS. The chamber is constructed of large slabs and stands clear and almost intact with its interior choked with debris and surmounted by a birch tree whose roots envelope structure. 7 feet NW of the back of chamber is a cist with 4 side stones measuring 3 by 4ft and at least 3ft 6ins deep.
ISSFC 1902; V G Childe 1944; J M Davidson 1948; A S Henshall 1963, Visited 14 July 1956.

As described above, this cairn is situated in a dense birch wood.
Visited by OS (R D L) 12 May 1963.

The site was Scheduled in 1970.

Graham Grant visited this site on 23 September 2011 and took some phtoographs for the HER. He comments as follows: "This is a very impressive monument which the report on the HER does no justice to (the birch tree has long since disappeared!). The remaining chamber stones are massive. I cannot recall seeing such large slabs within any of the Easter Ross Orkney/Cromarty cairns. Unfortunately it is very difficult to visualise the exact positioning and layout of the chamber(s) due to the large amount of debris within the chamber and the haphazard layout of the slabs. The outer circumference is well delineated and intact through its whole length although it is not possible to see where the entrance to the cairn was. There is a beautiful example of a stone cist exactly as described. An altogether impressive monument, worth a visit due to its magical setting within a picturesque birch woodland." <1>

The site was re-scheduled by Historic Environment Scotland in 2016. <2> <3>

GIS spatial data amended in 2017 to it location as shown on OS MasterMap. <4>

Sources/Archives (10)

  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Childe, V G. 1944. 'An unrecognised group of chambered cairns', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 78 1943-4, p.26-38. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 26-38. 31.
  • --- Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1979. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The archaeological sites and monuments of Easter Ross, Ross and Cromarty District, Highland Region. . 8, No. 11.
  • --- Text/Publication/Monograph: Henshall, A S. 1963. The chambered tombs of Scotland, Volume 1. 350, ROS 25; plan.
  • --- Text/Publication/Monograph: Henshall, A S. 1972. The chambered tombs of Scotland, Volume 2. 2. Paper (Original). 563, ROS 25.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Davidson, J M. 1948. 'A miscellany of antiquities in Easter Ross and Sutherland', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, Vol 80 (1945-46), pp 25-33. pp 30-1.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: ISSFC. 1902. 'Excursion to Balnagown and Strathrory', Trans Inverness Sci Soc Fld Club Vol. 5 1895-9, p.359-64. Trans Inverness Sci Soc Fld Club. 359-64. 363.
  • <1> Image/Photograph(s): Grant, G. 2009-11. Information and photographs of various HER sites submitted by Graham Grant. Colour. Yes. Digital.
  • <2> Text/Designation Notification/Scheduled Monument: MacIver, M.. 2016. Changes to the schedule of Monuments 27/09/2016. Historic Environment Scotland. Digital.
  • <3> Text/Designation Notification/Scheduled Monument: Historic Environment Scotland. 2016. Amended entry in the Schedule of Monuments: SM2965: King's Head Cairn, chambered cairn 230m WSW of Mid Kinrive. Historic Environment Scotland. Digital.
  • <4>XY Image/Map: Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey Mastermap. Digital. [Mapped features: #50827 Indicative centroid, ; #102943 ]

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Related Events/Activities (1)

Record last edited

Oct 31 2017 2:31PM

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