Hill forts · Scottish Islands
Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn
Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn — Neolithic chambered cairn on Mainland in the islands of Orkney.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn is a hill fort in the United Kingdom. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Owned by Historic Environment Scotland. Managed by Historic Environment Scotland. Wikidata describes it as: "Neolithic chambered cairn on Mainland in the islands of Orkney". Coordinates: 58.9975°, -3.1083°.
Photo gallery
From Historic Environment Scotland
Delve into Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn, a 5,000-year-old tomb that illustrates the sophistication of life among these early communities. Contact us today for more information.
Read more on the official property page.
From the Wikipedia article
Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn (grid reference HY364127) is a Neolithic chambered cairn on Mainland, the main island of Orkney, Scotland, about 6 miles west of Kirkwall. It dates to around 3000 BC, and is similar in design to Maeshowe, but on a smaller scale. It was constructed by Neolithic farmers as a burial place. The cairn was excavated in 1901 and the remains of several humans and dogs were found, including skulls. In the 1990s, excavations uncovered the remains of a small Neolithic settlement at Stonehall, at the foot of Cuween Hill, and in 2019 images of a forensic model of one of the dog skulls were published.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Description
The entry to the tomb is down a narrow passage, partly open to the sky. The main chamber, built on the bedrock, stands well over 2 meters high, and was probably taller before 19th century explorers broke through the roof to gain entry. The roof has been replaced with a modern one.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 58.9975, -3.1083
- District
- Orkney Islands
- Postcode
- KW17 2EJ
- Parliamentary constituency
- Orkney and Shetland
- Official site
- www.historicenvironment.scot
Sources
- wikidata: Q1146656 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Cuween Hill, front external view, 2012 March.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn?
- Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn is in the Scottish Islands, United Kingdom (postcode KW17 2EJ).
- Who runs Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn?
- Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn is operated by Historic Environment Scotland.
- Is Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn a listed building?
- Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Is Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn free to visit?
- Yes, Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn is free to enter.
- How do I get to Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode KW17 2EJ. It sits within the Orkney and Shetland parliamentary constituency.