Description

The monument consists of two prehistoric burial cairns on the NW shoulder of Craonaval. The cairns stand 125m apart. That lower on the slope is oval, 22m N-S by 26m E-W, and 2.5m high. It is turf covered, but a few protruding stones mark an outer kerb and, on the SE side, two larger stones protrude, possibly indicating the presence of a chamber.

There has been disturbance, with the construction of later buildings, at the W end. The second cairn, higher on the hillside, is also oval, 22m NW-SE by 19m NE-SW, and 2.0m high. It is turf covered and displays no external features of note. The areas to be scheduled consists in each case of a circle diameter 50m centred on the cairn, as indicated in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a pair of cairns which form part of a large local group of cairns, standing stones and stone circles. The importance of this particular element of the group is enhanced by the strong possibility that disturbance to both has been minimal, so that they are likely to contain undisturbed deposits associated with Neolithic burial, with a potential to provide important and scarce information on burial practices. The cairns themselves will afford information on the development of funerary architecture, while they will seal below themselves buried soils with evidence of contemporary land-use.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NF 86 SW 13.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland