Scheduled Monument
Leachkin, chambered cairnSM3104
Status: Designated
Documents
Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).
The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.
Summary
- Date Added
- 29/12/1971
- Last Date Amended
- 28/02/2000
- Supplementary Information Updated
- 11/12/2018
- Type
- Prehistoric ritual and funerary: chambered cairn
- Local Authority
- Highland
- Parish
- Inverness And Bona
- NGR
- NH 62970 44165
- Coordinates
- 262970, 844165
Description
The monument comprises the remains of a chambered cairn; a ritual and funerary monument dating from the Neolithic period (c.4000-2000BC). It was first scheduled in 1971 but the area scheduled was inadequate. This scheduling extension remedies this.
The cairn is situated on the spine of a ridge which lies between the Ness valley and the Beauly Firth, and commands extensive views of the surrounding countryside. Almost all of the body of the cairn has been removed, exposing the large stones which make up the chamber. These stones are made of coarse conglomerate and at least 8 survive, defining a chamber with 2 compartments and an apparent entrance passage to the E. The tallest stone stands to approximately 1.8m. The faint traces of a probable kerb can be traced as a broken arc of stones lying 4-10m to the N and E of the chamber. The cairn belongs to the "Orkney-Cromarty" building tradition, and would originally have been roughly circular in shape with a maximum diameter of approximately 25m.
The area to be scheduled is circular, with a diameter of 45m, centred on the chamber, to include the remains described above and an area around where evidence relating to the construction and use of the cairn may be expected to survive, as shown in red on the attached map extract.
References
Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation
About Scheduled Monuments
Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.
We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.
Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
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scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).
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