Knowe of Lairo Chambered Cairn View all content for Knowe of Lairo

Don't miss this. In my opinion, the finest cairn I have ever seen. It's a real hidden gem - no guidebook makes anything of it and it's not coloured blue on the OS map like it's neighbours. Access is difficult - approaching from the small road to the west, there is first an open field, then field boundary that must be crossed. This is most easily achived by balancing on the concrete drinking trough. When I visited, there were tall thistles, grasses, teasels and other such things blocking access. The mound is very long and impressive, although it does not stand out very much in the landscape. The entrance to the chamber is small, hidden and at the far end of the long mound. The chamber occupies only the extreme end of the mound. The entrance passage is very low and is silted up - be prepared to lie on your chest in the mud and compress your rib cage. Once inside, your labours will be richly rewarded. The roof is intact, and is finely corbelled. More importantly, it is extremely high. I felt certain that the inside of the chamber was higher than the mound itself. Although the entrance passage does slope downwards slightly, this is a psychological product of the impressive nature of the chamber. Amazing. [Note: it is possible I have confused this with its neighbour slightly to the north and east]

Posted by the fear 24th January 2003ce

Comments (0)
You must be logged in to add a comment