This chambered Cairn on Orkney has lost its mound, but is still large. It was excavated by George Petrie in 1849, and he found the bones of horses, cattle, sheep, pigs and deer. He also found that there were three drystone "skins" enclosing the chamber and passageway. The masonry is very fine, similar to that at nearby Fairy Knowe. The cairn had a special chimney which was used to fill it up with debris after it had been sealed at the end of its original period of use.
| Visit date: | 04/10/2000 |
| Reporter: | Paul Kesterton |
| Email: | cthulhu@madasafish.com |
| Purpose: | Photographing and visiting sites |
| Spoke to Land Spirits: | Yes |
| And they said: | A meditation inside the tomb provided me with probably the most intense experience of a site guardian I'd ever come across (see comments) |
| Comments: | I was tangibly aware of an amorphous form in the chamber with me. At first I found this quite frightening but the whole atmosphere of the tomb was one of peace. This is a powerful place and left me feeling distinctly wired for the rest of the day. It is probably the best chambered tomb I have ever been in, this place is wonderfully preserved, like a mini Maes Howe, without the tourists for only the hardy undertake the demanding walk onto the slopes of Widdeford Hill. There was nothing to spoil the wonderful ambience of the place, and Historic Scotland even thoughtfully provided a torch, housed in a small wooden box at the site. Wonder how long it would be before the torch got stolen if you tried that at an English site? |