Vatten

Nearest town:
Uig (22km NNE)
OS reference:
NG298440
OS sheet:
23
Latitude:
57° 24' 21.37 N
Longitude:
6° 29' 57.67 W

Images

Image of Vatten (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The north-western (right) is in much better nick than its companion....

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 26, 2019
Image of Vatten (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

What better way to spend the finale of a perfect day at the fabulous Rubh an Dunain than upon the Vatten cairns... looking towards the Black Cuillin from the southern monument.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Mar 19, 2016
Image of Vatten (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The Vatten pair from the nearby cairn at Barpa...

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 7, 2015
Image of Vatten (Cairn(s)) by LesHamilton

The trench across the middle of the Vatten South chambered cairn.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Sep 6, 2014
Image of Vatten (Cairn(s)) by LesHamilton

A panoramic composite photograph of Vatten South chambered cairn.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Sep 6, 2014
Image of Vatten (Cairn(s)) by LesHamilton

The Vatten North chambered cairn as seen from the roadside.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Sep 6, 2014
Image of Vatten (Cairn(s)) by LesHamilton

The Vatten North chambered cairn as seen from its neighbour at Vatten South

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Sep 6, 2014
Image of Vatten (Cairn(s)) by Howburn Digger

North cairn (foreground) with the southern cairn to the left in the distance.

Western Isles Tour July August 2010.

Image credit: Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger Sep 2, 2010
Image of Vatten (Cairn(s)) by Howburn Digger

Two friends waiting for the storm at the North Cairn. Inner Hebridean Tour July/ Aug 2010.

Image credit: Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger Sep 2, 2010
Image of Vatten (Cairn(s)) by postman

Postgirl for scale and there’s me car too

Image credit: chris bickerton
postman
postman Oct 29, 2006
Image of Vatten (Cairn(s)) by Hob

Northern cairn, with the southern one hovering in the background.

Image credit: IH
Hob
Hob Aug 19, 2005

Articles

Vatten

LesHamilton
LesHamilton Sep 6, 2014

Visited: September 3, 2014

Standing just 100 metres south of the cairn at Vatten North, in the adjacent field, lies the considerably larger chambered cairn of Vatten South. This cairn is seriously ruined, with a height of 3½ metres and a basal girth of almost 40 metres. Most of the cairn has degenerated through stone robbing into little more than a stoneheap, with a conspicuous, deep trench across it where material has been removed.

Vatten

LesHamilton
LesHamilton Sep 6, 2014

Visited: September 3, 2014

I must have passed by this huge cairn many times while motoring across Skye, yet never realised it was there, despite it lying just 50 metres from the roadside. I bacame aware of it as I returned from visiting the broch in Glen Heysdal. There it was: straight ahead of me.

The Vatten North chambered cairn is every bit as impressive as Carn Liath at Kensaleyre—indeed, almost an identical twin—standing over 6 metres tall and with a basal girth of 25 metres or so. In form, it is an almost perfect cone, covered by heather and numerous smallish, white, rounded stones. It’s condition, unlike that of its neighbour Vatten South, just 100 metres distant, is almost pristine.

Vatten

C
CARL Aug 15, 2013

Visited 28.7.13

These are two very large Cairns, close to the road, and well worth visiting.
They were much bigger than I was expecting.

The northern Cairn is in better condition although its southern counterpart has the better views. Due to the rain / mist the views were somewhat curtailed.

Access is via a metal field gate and across a bogy field. All went well until I stepped into a hole and my right leg fully disappeared into the ground. There I was ‘sat’ on the wet grass in the rain – with a leg covered in black ‘bog water – such is the life of a TMAer!

Once I had regained my composure (and leg) I carried on to the Cairns and slipped and slithered to the top over the wet heavily moss covered stones.

I didn’t stay long due to the weather and a car full of people who had had enough for one day!

Vatten

Hob
Hob Aug 18, 2005

Fairly easy to get to, only about 30m or so from the road, but there is a hop over a wire fence, then some pretty boggy and uneven ground, with the odd deephole down into the peat.

However, if you’re passing, give it a shot. There’s something very proud about these two piles of tumbled stones. I don’t know how the idea that they have chambers got started, but that is the recieved wisdom. But I do agree with Mr Cope on this one, it’s nice to see a couple of monuments that have been left intact. It really adds to the feel of the place. Very brooding and slightly ominous at sunset. Hollow hills? Aye, probably.

Vatten

greywether
greywether Dec 8, 2003

Two cairns, probably chambered – the N being in better condition standing some 5m high.

Plenty of parking available on the minor road running N from the site.

Folklore

Vatten
Cairn(s)
Rhiannon
Rhiannon Jan 9, 2024

It is unclear why the two cairns were built together, but local folklore provides its own interpretations. One tale is that one of the mounds is the burial place of a great chief who owned the surrounding land. Each summer he went on a raiding mission with his men, bringing back gold, cattle and slaves. One summer he did not return when expected, but in the autumn the ships sailed slowly into the bay. The body of the chief was carried ashore on his men’s shields to be buried in a huge grave, while in the bay below, his galley was ritually set alight.

Another legend holds that the mounds are built on the site of the last battle between the MacDonalds and the MacLeods, two rival clans in Skye. A thick mist descended during the fighting, resulting in carnage so complete that only women and old men were left to bury the dead. All that could be done was to make two piles of bodies, one for each clan, and cover them with stones.

In ‘Prehistoric Scotland’ by Ann MacSween and Mick Sharp (1989).

Sites within 20km of Vatten

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