Giants' Graves, Arran
The Giants' Graves are the remains of two Neolithic chambered tombs on the Isle of Arran in Buteshire. They are found within 40 yards of each other, and stand on a ridge 400 feet above the sea in a clearing in a forest, overlooking Whiting Bay to the south.[1]
- Location map: 55°28’35"N, 5°5’50"W
Giant's Grave North
The northern cairn (NS04302467) has been much robbed, but the edges are still well-defined.[2] The main axis of the cairn is north–south, the north end being wider with a concave facade.[2] The chamber is 6 metres long, and around 1 metre wide.[2] It was excavated in 1902, and among the artifacts recovered were pottery shards, flint knives, and leaf-shaped arrowheads.[2]
Giant's Grave South
The southern cairn (NS04312463) is at right angles to the larger, northern cairn.[3] The main axis is east–west, and the entrance was at the west end.[3] The chamber is about 4 yards long, and over a yard wide.[3] Excavations in 1902 only revealed soil and stones, however in 1961-2 further exploration produced nine sherds of a round-based vessel, and fragments of burnt bone.[3]
Outside links
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Giants' Graves, Arran) |
- Giants' Graves, long cairns, Whiting Bay, Arran - scheduled monument detail (Historic Environment Scotland)