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Castle Farm, Barcaldine

Burial Cairn(S) (Bronze Age), Ring Cairn (Bronze Age)(Possible)

Site Name Castle Farm, Barcaldine

Classification Burial Cairn(S) (Bronze Age), Ring Cairn (Bronze Age)(Possible)

Canmore ID 23315

Site Number NM94SW 10

NGR NM 91035 40297

NGR Description NM 9101 4029, NM 9105 4029 and NM 9108 4032

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/23315

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Argyll And Bute
  • Parish Ardchattan And Muckairn (Argyll And Bute)
  • Former Region Strathclyde
  • Former District Argyll And Bute
  • Former County Argyll

Archaeology Notes

NM94SW 10 from 910 403 to 910 402.

(A: NM 9101 4029) )

(B: NM 9105 4029) ) Cairns (NR)

(C: NM 9108 4032) )

170 metres SE of Castle farm, Barcaldine, there are three cairns.

Cairn A: is encircled by a low, stone-revetted bank, and both cairn and bank have been built on an artificial platform about 22 metres in diameter. The cairn itself is 9.8 metres in diameter and stands 0.6 metres high. It is composed of small stones within a kerb of large boulders measuring up to 0.8 by 0.4 metres and protruding 0.8 metres above the level of the platform. The surrounding bank, about 3.7 metres from the cairn, is 3 metres wide and 0.6 metres above the ground outside. In the SE there is an entrance flanked by two upright slabs. The westerly slab measures 0.8 by 0.3 metres at base and 1 metre in height whilst the eastern slab measures 1.1 by 0.4 metres at base and 0.8 metres in height.

Cairn B: is the central of the three cairns and is about 9 metres in diameter with a height of 1 metre. The outline in the north and south has been disturbed by stone-robbing. Some of the surviving kerb-stones are massive boulders, the largest measuring 1 metre by 0.6 metres and having a height of 0.5 metres.

Cairn C: is 0.8 metres high and originally had a diameter of about 9 metres. A number of kerb-stones survive, and the cairn itself is now grass-grown with a slightly hollowed centre.

RCAHMS 1975.

As described. Cairn A is clearly of the Wessex type.

Visited by OS (RD) 9 November 1971.

Surveyed at 1:2500 scale.

Activities

Field Visit (May 1967)

Situated 170 m SE of Castle Farm, Barcaldine, there are three cairns disposed in an irregular line running approximately NE and SW.

(1) The NE cairn (plan, Fig. 18, 1) stands to a height of 0·8 m, and a number of kerb-stones show that it originally measured about 9 m in diameter. It is now grass covered and the centre is slightly hollowed.

(2) The central cairn (Fig. 18, 2), 33 m SW of (1), is also about 9 m in diameter and stands to a height of 1m; stone-robbing has disturbed the outline on the Nand S. It consists for the most part of small stones, although some of the surviving kerb-stones are massive boulders, the largest measuring 1.0 m by 0.6 m and 0.5 m in height.

(3) The SW cairn (Fig. 18,3), 18 m W of (2), is one of the most unusual in Lorn; it is encircled by a low stone-revetted bank, and both cairn and bank have been built on an artificial platform about 22 m in diameter. The cairn is 9.8 m in diameter and stands to a height of 0·6 m; it consists of small stones within a kerb of large boulders, measuring up to 0·8 m by 0'4 m and protruding 0.8 m above the present level of the platform. The surrounding bank, which is about 3.7 m from the cairn, measures 3 m in width and 0·6 m in height above the ground outside. In the SE quadrant there is an entrance flanked by two upright slabs; the W slab measures 0.8 m by 0.3 m at its base and 1m in height, while the other is 1.1 m by 0.4 m and 0.8 m in height.

This group of cairns was originally accompanied by a standing stone, which, according to Pennant, was situated about 10 feet (3.1 m) from the SW cairn and stood to a height of 7 feet (2.1 m) (Tour, I, 413). Subsequently the stone fell and was re-erected on the N tip of an esker 120 m E of the cairns (Smith, Loch Etive, 176). As it stands at present, it measures 0'45 m by 0.15 m at its base and 2.1 m in height.

RCAHMS 1975, visited May 1967.

Measured Survey (1967)

Surveyed with plane-table and alidade. Redrawn in ink and published at a reduced scale of 1:500 (RCAHMS 1975, fig. 18).

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