Unstan Cairn(s) View all content for Unstan

Viewed 10.6.12 This H.S. site is very easy to access being sign posted off the main road. As the day wore on I was feeling rougher and rougher but as we were due to catch the night ferry to Shetland I knew this would be my last chance to visit any ‘must see’ sites. The views from the tomb are good with the Ring of Brodgar, Maes Howe and the Stones of Stenness all visible in the distance. Dafydd of course was his usual keen self to get inside the tomb and shot off ahead of me. I dawdled behind as best I could. As soon as I entered the tomb I could detect a funny smell – I put it down to my imagination. We first looked at the chambers to the left and then the chambers to the right. Then I saw it – a putrid, festering fish ‘offering’ left in the last chamber! Now normally this wouldn’t have bothered me – but not the way I was feeling today. I scampered back down the entrance as fast as I could and was sick over the fence – not wanting to be sick next to the tomb! I have seen all sorts of ‘offerings’ over the years – nuts, berries, money, candles etc but never a fish! Did the person who left it not consider the stench it would cause? Due to this I didn’t spend as much time in the tomb as I would have liked and decided to head for my next site. Dafydd enjoyed telling the story of the fish to his mother!

Posted by CARL 18th July 2012ce

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