A feature in the landscape
This burial tomb has been a feature of the landscape for 5,000 years. It is surrounded by prehistoric remains spanning thousands of years of human activity. The original tomb was a small, round cairn with a central burial chamber. This was reached by a short, low passage. Subsequently the cairn was enlarged and elaborated with horn-shaped projecting forecourts on its north and south sides. The entrance was through a small antechamber, defined by two pairs of large upright stones. Such upright stones are a characteristic of chambered tombs in this part of Scotland.
The burial chamber would have been a much more impressive space when originally built. The walls would have risen over 3m high before being sealed by massive roof lintels. Yet by the time the tomb was excavated in the 19th century, the roof had long since collapsed.
However, this fallen rubble sealed the burials that had been placed in the chamber. On the floor was a mass of burnt material, including charcoal and fragments of human bone. This suggests that the chamber had been used for cremations. Above the ash deposit were the unburnt remains of seven people. They were accompanied by leaf-shaped flint arrowheads, Neolithic pottery and animal bones.
Cairn o'Get Highlight
•The setting – amid a moorland landscape rich in prehistoric and later monuments.
No Comments Yet - Why not be the first to leave a comment
Every effort is made to make sure that all the information is correct but we strongly recommend that you call Cairn o'Get before you set off on your day out to confirm opening times and admission prices.
Please also note that the position on Google maps for Cairn o'Get is a rough estimate using their postcode in the database and might be slightly out.
It may also be worth clicking the web link for Cairn o'Get to see if there are any special events coming up or currently on.
Cairn o'Get