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Visited 08.10.26

Knockan E Chambered Cairn is located c. 75m N of the A835 at the W edge of Elphin, a small settlement in the Highlands. The ruined cairn lies down a steep N slope from the A835 in rough pasture. It is c. 80m ENE of Knockan W Chambered Cairn.

Knockan E Chambered Cairn is a subcircular mound c. 12m in diameter and 2m high. It is carpeted in rough grass. There is an irregular hollow in the NW quadrant of the cairn. This may be attributable to rabbit warrens which could still be occupied. The summit of the mound is dominated by three large orthostats, measuring c. 0.5m high. They are presumably remnants of a central chamber orientated N-S.

trove.scot 4638 has further details of Knockan E Chambered Cairn.

Visited 08.10.26

Knockan W Chambered Cairn is located c. 50m N of the A835 at the W edge of Elphin, a small settlement in the Highlands. The ruined cairn lies down a steep N slope from the A835 in rough pasture. It is easily identified by a telegraph pole supplanted on the N arc of the cairn.

trove.scot 4638 states that Knockan W Chambered Cairn survives “as a turf-covered mound of debris truncated on all sides by late agriculture and its original size is conjectural. It is now roughly oval measuring 15.0m NE-SW by 10.0m and 1.5m maximum height.” There is a ruined chamber in the centre of the cairn orientated ESE-WNW, measuring c. 1.8m long and 1.2m broad. Two stones remain in situ on the N side of the chamber: a upright triangular slab measuring c. 0.75m high by 0.75m long by 0.3m broad and a moss covered recumbent slab measuring c. 0.75m long by 0.6m broad by 0.3m high. A hollow containing scattered medium sizes stones is located c. 5m E of the central chamber.

Visited 07.10.26 & 08.10.26

I had planned a visit to the area around Elphin using trove.scot Map Search to find obscure cairns. The Knockan cairns were my first port of call on a showery changeable morning. I found a convenient lay-by 100 yards down from the cairns. I hopped over the fence and scrambled down the steep slope towards the telegraph pole. I was trying to make sense of the jumbled stones on Knockan W Cairn when a heavy shower sent me scuttling to my car. I continued N to other sites before returning in the early afternoon. It was dry for 10 minutes then another downpour made me abandon the site. My third attempt to examine the cairn two hours later was aborted when it started pouring as soon as I parked up. I took this as a sign from the universe and headed for my hotel. The next morning I returned to resume my battle with the elements. Happily, I was able to spend a dry hour investigating and recording the three cairns hidden in the moorland. All’s well ...