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The Grey Cairn

Cairn(s)

Miscellaneous

The OS 1/25000 shows three cairns here, the Grey Carn itself and two other long cairns. Canmore lists all three, the two unnamed long cairns are named as Glenurquhart. However, in "The Chambered Cairns of the Central Highlands" (2001 Edinburgh Eniversity Press), Audrey Hensall and Graham Ritchie suggests that neither of the long cairns, which they name as Glenurquhart South West and North East, are long cairns at all (Appendix 1, p. 239).

Canmore description for Grey Cairn itself:

Grey Cairn, prominently placed on a ridge, stands to a height of about 2.0m and measures about 20.0m NE-SW by about 18.0m transversely. There is a recent hollow in its NE arc. There is no evidence to support Woodham's suggestion that it is chambered. It stands on a stony platform about 0.3m high which is surrounded by a stony sub-circular bank about 2.0m wide retained externally by a kerb of stones on edge and measuring about 26.0m NE-SW by about 24.5m transversely overall. None of these stones seems large enough to be the kerb of the cairn itself and it appears that this platform and bank are original features, and not due to the robbing which has mutilated the cairn particularly on the NE. At the moment the cairn sits eccentrically within the bank and merges with it in the E, but this is probably due to the way the cairn has tumbled and partly to the robbing.
thesweetcheat Posted by thesweetcheat
14th October 2012ce
Edited 14th October 2012ce

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