Images (5)
Fieldnotes (2)
Miscellaneous (1)
Links (2)

Images

Image of Slewcairn (Chambered Cairn) by new abbey

The Long Cairn from north to south. Portal stones in centre

Image credit: stonefeelers 2010

new abbey Apr 8, 2010

Image of Slewcairn (Chambered Cairn) by greywether

General view looking S over the portals towards the features at the centre of the cairn.

greywether Oct 12, 2004

The E half of the facade looking W towards the portals.

greywether Oct 12, 2004

Looking N from the central cairn area along the general line of the mortuary enclosure towards the facade portals.

greywether Oct 12, 2004

The central area looking E showing the passage leading to the standing stones and the paved area to the right (S).

greywether Oct 12, 2004

Articles

Slewcairn

Chambered Cairn

new abbey Apr 8, 2010

The ‘Long Cairn’ is no longer in the forest. As per Greywether’s directions, follow the track from the cottages to the second fence then look east with binocs to spot the cairns amongst the old tree stumps. Ground beyond boundary fence is very tricky indeed.

Slewcairn

Chambered Cairn

greywether Oct 12, 2004

This site and Lochhill were two, originally featureless, long cairns which were excavated in the 70s and shown to have an interesting sequence of development built around a mortuary enclosure (see Miscellaneous).

The site sits in the middle of a forest but in a wide clearing.

Some of the features have been destroyed as part of the excavation process necessary to get down to the basal layers to identify the mortuary enclosure but the facade is still well defined.

The features in the central area are now largely covered in vegetation but three of the standing stones are still visible. Not sure about the fourth.

Not too easy a site to get to and not too spectacular to look at but, if you like that sort of thing, worth the trouble due to its rarity – especially as nothing remains to be seen at Lochhill.

Access Off a forest road but a long way in from the nearest public road. The alternative I adopted was to approach from the W.

Boreland Hill Cottages (NX922607) are holiday cottages which you can drive to if they are not occupied – ask permission at Boreland of Southwick farm. A track leads N then it’s E over an easy stream and some rough ground as you enter the forestry ride leading to the site.

Slewcairn

Chambered Cairn

greywether Oct 12, 2004

This long cairn and Lochhill are examples of mortuary enclosures in SW Scotland.

At this site, three large timber posts were contained within an 8m long compartment situated S of two portal stones and a facade (see plan).

Further to the S and probably after the mortuary enclosure use, a passage ran from near the W of the cairn to a setting of four standing stones situated in the area of the southernmost post of the mortuary enclosure. A paved area ran to the S of these stones.

Subsequently, the passage, the line of the mortuary enclosure and the paved area were filled in with stones.

Finally, the originally horn-shaped cairn was enlarged to a trapezoidal cairn with the internal features obscured.

(Drawn from a number of sources and interpretations)