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UnstanCairn(s)
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Interior video of the Unstan Cairn taken on my last day on Orkney mid August 2009 which up for the Ness of Brodgar dig & related sundries. This was a grand day's culmination walk from the main road to Stenness,Barnhouse, N.o.B., Brodgar to the Ring of Bookan, then back & out to Unstan. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tyrianterror/3829823392/ |
Posted by Tyrianterror14th November 2011ce |
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When we reached Unstan the wind was really picking up a pace and standing on top of the mound was a feat in itself but the views back across the loch were stunning. We dutifully crawled in to the passage and into the chamber, torches lighting the way. After the pomp and ceremony of visiting the "big" sites we had all dreamed of, Unstan was breathtaking and stole the show for me. This is how I like to see archaeology; on my knees with a torch in my hand and a slightly hysterical sensation coursing through my body! We all got a bit giddy again and kept bumping into each other and talking over each other – 9 of us crammed into the central chamber, just awe-struck by it all. The almost luminous green of the algae reminded me of the covered cairns at Cairnpapple. This was definitely my favourite site of the day. This post appears as part of the weblog entry WILD AND WINDSWEPT ORCADIAN WONDERS DAY ONE
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Posted by Vicster27th October 2009ce |
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Unstan is a great example of a stalled tomb and is particularly easy to access. No expensive ferry fares to Rousay, no long drive over the Churchill barriers to Isbister, no entry fees or booking required, easy parking, easy to find. But just because it's easy, don't think it'll let you down. It's great. From the outside, the knowe is tall - about 2.5ms, I guess, and unlike many Orcadian tombs which are built on slopes, stands proud from it's flat base like an upturned pudding basin. It doesn't have a henge like Maeshowe. A mercifully short stoop through a short passageway takes you into the chamber, which has been re-roofed with a concrete bowl with skylight. I like the way Historic Scotland have done this to many tombs on the islands as you still get a sense of the interior space and those wonderful stalls. |
Posted by Jane7th July 2004ce |
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If you're passing, say from Stromness to Kirkwall or Finstown, Unstan is near the road, and has parking. If you aren't sure about dark dingy tombs, it's neither, the whitewashed modern ceiling and the skylights make it quite dry, and well illuminated. To the point where the stones are a vivid green on a bright day, due to the algae growing on them. There are many inscriptions, you could lose an hour or so trying to decipher if any are prehistoric. Most seem to be 19thC |
Posted by Hob26th June 2004ce |
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All the years that I have been in Orkney of all the major sites to look at I had never been to the Knowe of Onston, despite its lying alongside the main road just short of the Brig o'Waithe. Somehow it looked insignificant and also I was put off by the thought of crawling through some damp passage. Then I saw a photo of the inside on a website and was surprised by the light and space. So one weekend two weeks later I finally paid homage to the Unstan Tomb, finding it to be just as the photo showed. Such a contrast to the Cuween Hill Cairn: there really was a short crawl, here more a shambling crouch, there the main compartment only fairly visible with a lantern, here apart (alas) for the side-chamber it was as if you were out in the open. The place is refreshing to look at and in my limited opinion is as good as our stalled cairns get, short of a trip to Rousay. A couple visiting at the time were impressed by the use of red sandstone slabs. |
Posted by wideford28th January 2004ce Edited 26th June 2007ce |
| Heading from the great mothership of Maes Howe towards Stromness, take a R (signed) shortly before the junction that leads to Stromness and park at the house. You reach this beautifully formed "mini-maes howe" down a fenced path - it appears to be open round the clock , as we visited late evening. The entrance chamber has been cut away, but inside are the stalls and the gravel covered floor. Much of the walls is incomplete, and there is not the fine stonework seen at "big sister" or at Cuween. |
Posted by a23 26th August 2001ce |
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| my two minute inside video 12Mb downloadable from http://rapidshare.com/files/457215983/Unstan.P4050027.wmv |
Posted by wideford 13th April 2011ce |
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Orkneyjar: The Unstan cairnA pretty little page about the Unstan cairn, including background information, a simple plan of the tomb, and links to high resolution photos of the tomb (including one photo of an engraving on the interior which I don't recall seeing when we visited). |
Posted by Kammer23rd August 2002ce |
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