Cat Cairn 2

Also known as:
Tullos 3
Nearest town:
Aberdeen (3km NW)
OS reference:
NJ9521903216
OS sheet:
38
Latitude:
57° 7' 11.58 N
Longitude:
2° 4' 44.27 W
Added to TMA by

Sites within Cat Cairn 2

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Images

Image of Cat Cairn 2 (Kerbed Cairn) by LesHamilton

Cat Cairn 2, now released from its encumberance of uncontrolled gorse.

Image credit: © Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Apr 17, 2024
Image of Cat Cairn 2 (Kerbed Cairn) by LesHamilton

8 years on, Cat Cairn 2 is now surrounded by birch scrub and gorse, and not so easy to locate.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Mar 25, 2022
Image of Cat Cairn 2 (Kerbed Cairn) by LesHamilton

Cat Cairn 2, seen from the east. You can see the main Cat Cairn in the background, at left.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Oct 20, 2012
Image of Cat Cairn 2 (Kerbed Cairn) by drewbhoy

From the south west, looking towards Balmedie and that damned golf course.

Image credit: drew/sud
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Aug 29, 2012
Image of Cat Cairn 2 (Kerbed Cairn) by drewbhoy

Central of cairn, bone fragments have been found, awaiting carbon dating.

Image credit: drew/amj
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Aug 29, 2012
Image of Cat Cairn 2 (Kerbed Cairn) by drewbhoy

New dig finds from 28/8/2012, two kerbs in the north east sector.

Image credit: drew/sud
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Aug 29, 2012

Articles

Cat Cairn 2

LesHamilton
LesHamilton Apr 17, 2024

Visited April 17, 2024

This was my first visit to Tullos Hill for some months and it was pleasing to discover that the thick and uncontrolled gorse that used to surround Cat Cairn 2 has all been removed.
An expansive area of at least an acre surrounding the monument is now planted with a vast number of saplings, which should create a pleasant woodland scene in time.

The kerb of the cairn is now clear to view from every direction, and the cairn itself can be seen to have a hollow centre (ring cairn?).

Cat Cairn 2

LesHamilton
LesHamilton Jun 2, 2014

Visited: June 2, 2014

I decided to pay a visit to Tullos Hill again, and was encouraged to find that a new interpretation board had been erected, among other things, describing the archaeological investigations of recent years.

Specifically mentioned was Cat Cairn 2, though its location was not actually revealed. The photograph I’ve posted shows how the ring cairn is now well on the way to blending into its surroundings as the vegetation starts to overwhelm it.

Cat Cairn 2

LesHamilton
LesHamilton Oct 20, 2012

Visited October 20, 2012

I visited this site in August, just the day after Drew and spent some time chatting with the workers on site.

With the dig long concluded, I took the opportunity to return to see how it now looked (after dumping a pile of garden refuse at the nearby collection centre).

Cat Cairn 2 is well worth seeing just now. The excavation has been infilled, but the rank vegetation that formerly hid it from view is gone, leaving a quite attractive site. Doubtless, over the coming year, vegetation will once more cause it to blend into anonymity.

Cat Cairn 2

drewbhoy
drewbhoy Aug 30, 2012

An update on the new excavations. The north east sector of the cairn has been excavated to reveal more kerbs revealing a central area some three metres in width.

One unusual thing to report about the area as a whole, some of the dykes nearby are massive. There must have been plenty stones all over the place, nearby cairns haven’t been disturbed to much.

Hopefully I’ll get the site report and post it as a link.

There is also an Open Day on Saturday 1/9/2012 viewing this cairn and the nearby hut circle.

Re-visited 28/8/2012.

Cat Cairn 2

drewbhoy
drewbhoy Jul 14, 2010

Some 60 meters in a north east direction from the Cat cairn, follow the path, my luck was in. A kerb cairn had been found and an archaeological team led by Ian Suddaby, of CFA Archaeology was busy uncovering the the newish site.

Ian explained that the site had been discovered in 2004 and Aberdeenshire Council had given the go ahead to excavate the Neolithic site. (The council acting wisely..........) The cairn itself is some 8.3 meters wide and at its tallest is possibly a meter high. Two very large kerbs can be seen to the south east and these seem to continue their way round. This part of the site is still to be uncovered so another visit will be required. The western side is excavated but here the kerb seems to have gone. Also the centre of the cairn has been slightly robbed.

Thanks to Ian Suddaby and his team. Hopefully when they have finished I’ll get a copy of their discoveries and I’ll post them as a link.

Visited 13/07/2010.

Sites within 20km of Cat Cairn 2

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