Scheduled Monument

Boath, three chambered cairns NE and NNE of Easter Ballone FarmSM6644

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
11/04/1997
Supplementary Information Updated
11/03/2021
Type
Prehistoric ritual and funerary: chambered cairn
Local Authority
Highland
Parish
Alness
NGR
NH 58150 73843
Coordinates
258150, 873843

Description

The monuments to the NNE of Easter Ballone farm consist of the remains of three chambered cairns of neolithic date.

The first and southernmost of these chambered cairns, known as Balnagrotchen, may have been a short horned cairn and has a polygonal burial chamber. It lies on the edge of a field on a terrace to the NE of the farm. Repeated ploughing has largely removed the cairn material and the monument now appears to be square in plan.

The second, middle, cairn, known as Cairn Liatha, is a long horned cairn orientated NE-SW that has been extensively robbed and now measures 60m SSW-NNE by 16m NNW-SSE. It lies due N of the first cairn, across the road. The third, northernmost, cairn lies to the NE of Cairn Liatha and is a short horned cairn with a polygonal burial chamber. It measures approximately 30m E-W by 46m.

The area to be scheduled is in three parts. At the southernmost cairn a circular area 60m in diameter, excluding the above-ground elements of the pylon which stands on the cairn; at the middle cairn an irregular area measuring a maximum of 95m ENE-WSW by 70m, ending just short of the fenceline on the W side of the cairn, and at the northernmost cairn an irregular area measuring a maximum of 90m N-S by 70m E-W, bounded on the E by a fenceline and on the NW and SW by tracks. These areas are shown in red on the accompanying map extract.

Statement of National Importance

These three chambered cairns are each of national importance as a small group of Neolithic burial monuments belonging to Henshall's Orkney-Cromarty group. They gain added importance from the fact that they form a small close group of apparently varied constructional detail, offering the opportunity for comparative study which could contribute to the understanding of the range and development of prehistoric funerary architecture and ritual activity.

References

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NH 57 SE 1.

Reference:

Henshall, A. (1972) The Chambered Cairns of Scotland, Vol. 1, 336 and 339-342.

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.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the 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).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

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Printed: 29/03/2024 14:36