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Kinbrace Burn

Chambered Cairn

<b>Kinbrace Burn</b>Posted by GLADMANImage © Robert Gladstone
Nearest Town:Dornoch (40km S)
OS Ref (GB):   NC87572830 / Sheet: 17
Latitude:58° 13' 45.16" N
Longitude:   3° 54' 52.8" W

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<b>Kinbrace Burn</b>Posted by GLADMAN <b>Kinbrace Burn</b>Posted by postman <b>Kinbrace Burn</b>Posted by postman <b>Kinbrace Burn</b>Posted by postman

Fieldnotes

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It seems everywhere you look along the flanks of this wonderful valley there are brochs, standing stones and - last but not least - chambered cairns.

Standing to the right of the burn as you approach uphill from the A897 (incidentally, how can a single track road be an 'A' road? - only in The Highlands...) this quite substantial chambered cairn is well worth a visit. While I was here a couple of stags approached, looked me over and then ushered their females out of sight. Sorry fellas.

Further up the Strath of Kildonan (heading north, just beyond the forestry plantations on the right) the hillside is again chock-a-block with cairns. A quick scramble from the car will not only reveal (at least) two more pretty substantial chambered cairns, but also - if you're lucky - a grand view across Kinbrace Village, the sun glinting off Loch an Ruathair and leading the eye to Ben Loyal - I think - on the horizon
GLADMAN Posted by GLADMAN
18th June 2009ce

The first chambered cairn of the day, at about 7am ish the sun had yet to reach over the hill to the east. Visible from the road if you know where to look, and only a 5 minute walk so well worth a visit. Great views up and down the Strath of Kildonan. There was more to see in the imediate vacinity including more chambered cairns and at least 3 souterrains but time was not on our side. postman Posted by postman
24th September 2007ce

Miscellaneous

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An Orkney-Cromarty type, short, horned cairn with a Camster-type chamber. It still stands 10' to 11' high, but has been greatly disturbed, especially by robbing at the edges which are so overgrown with heather that only the north and NE sides can be traced even approximately. The diameters seem to have been about 70' E-W by 63'. There are definite horns at the NW and NE corners but their limits are difficult to establish. The entrance has been from the east, the passage now starting about 20' inside the edge of the cairn, and being visible for only 4', roofed with lintels. The present entrance into the chamber is through a hole in the roof of the central compartment which reaches a height of 6'.
The cairn was excavated before 1911, the only find being a heart-shaped amulet of polished serpentine which was in Dunrobin Museum in 1911 (RCAHMS 1911, visited 1909) but was lost by 1957.
A S Henshall 1963, visited 1957.
Visited by OS (E G C) 26 May 1961

This chambered cairn is as described and planned by
Henshall; the chamber is choked with stones.
Revised at 1/10,000.
Visited by OS (J B) 16 December 1976
postman Posted by postman
16th September 2007ce