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Boath Long and Short

Chambered Cairn

Fieldnotes

On the east coast of Scotland between the Dornoch Firth and the Moray Firth (known as the Firthlands) is a high concentration of chambered cairns. Around 47 surviving - about one every eight square miles.

Most are the passage grave type known (rather unsatisfactorily) as Orkney-Cromarty.

Boath Short is probably the best preserved example in the Firthlands. If you are in the area, it would be worth visiting for that reason alone but add to that its beautiful open setting, its easy access from the nearest road and two other chambered cairns just a stone's throw away and you have even more reason to see it.

The cairn (round on a "horned" platform) survives to roof level and it is through the roof that you enter the chamber. No Historic Scotland ladders here so you need to be pretty agile to get back out!

For more on the preservation within the chamber - see the photo captions.

Boath Long lies some 200m to the SW. An impressive 70m long but heavily robbed in the middle. Only a few chamber orthostats can be seen at its NE end.

Access. Easy. Room to park opposite the entrance to East Ballone Farm and tracks lead up to the cairns.

Visited 1 November 2004
greywether Posted by greywether
11th November 2004ce
Edited 11th November 2004ce

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