Alternative Names Hailie House; Haylie Chambered Tomb; Haylie House; Cathcart Road; Largs
Site Type CHAMBERED CAIRN
Canmore ID 41155
Site Number NS25NW 1
NGR NS 20945 58592
Council NORTH AYRSHIRE
Parish LARGS
Former Region STRATHCLYDE
Former District CUNNINGHAME
Former County AYRSHIRE
Datum OSGB36 - NGR

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C14 Radiocarbon Dating
C14 radiocarbon dating

Notes and Activities

Archaeological Notes

NS25NW 1 20945 58592

(NS 2094 5858) Margaret's Law (NAT)
Burial Chamber (NR)
(Undated) OS map.

Location formerly entered as NS 2094 5858.

This burial chamber, also called 'Haco's Tomb', lies in pasture, on a gentle slope, between 100ft and 150ft OD. It was covered by a large cairn, "Margaret's Law', which was completely removed in 1772. The Clyde type chamber, with entrance to the E, measures 22ft by 3ft - 4ft wide, it probably had three compartments, but only the innermost remains intact, complete with capstone.
It is said that in 1772 two of the compartments contained five skulls each, while during excavations in 1954 parts of two skulls and other bones were found. A flint knife or scraper from here is in private possession. A broken, brown earthen urn (OSA 1796) or several earthen urns were also found in the chamber in 1772.
A S Henshall 1972.

This burial chamber is as described.
Surveyed at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (WDJ), 27 October 1964.

No change. The limits of the chamber are fenced off from the paddock field in which it is situated. A private notice board names it 'Haylie Chambered Tomb'.
Visited by OS (JRL), 2 January 1983.

Margaret's Law [NAT]
Burial Chamber [NAT]
OS (GIS) MasterMap, November 2009.

Aitken and Marshall, W G and D (1958) 'Excavation of burial chamber at Haylie, Largs, Ayrshire, in 1954', Ayrshire Archaeol Natur Hist Collect, 2nd, vol.4
Page(s): 255-7

Aitken, G (1953) 'Ayrshire', Discovery Excav Scot
Page(s): 6-7

Childe and Graham, V G and A (1943) 'Some notable prehistoric and medieval monuments recently examined by The Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, vol.77
Page(s): 33-4