<< Our Photo Pages >> Balnuaran of Clava SW - Clava Cairn in Scotland in Highlands

Submitted by TimPrevett on Thursday, 02 November 2006  Page Views: 22794

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Balnuaran of Clava SW Alternative Name: Mains of Clava SE, Clava Cairns
Country: Scotland County: Highlands Type: Clava Cairn
Nearest Town: Inverness
Map Ref: NH7568944380  Landranger Map Number: 27
Latitude: 57.472585N  Longitude: 4.074469W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
 3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 5 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
 5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
 5

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I have visited· I would like to visit

drolaf visited on 21st May 2024 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 5 gets busy so best to visit early morning/late evening. it was lovely at 6am. by 8 car park was full and there were unofficial 'guides' pontificating to gullible tourists.

stolinskie visited on 1st Jan 2024 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 4

hallsifer visited on 3rd Dec 2023 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 4

sba_dk visited on 7th Jul 2019 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5

XIII visited on 9th May 2017 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5

SolarMegalith visited on 16th Jun 2015 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5

SandyG visited on 8th Aug 2014 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 4 Access: 5

markj99 visited on 2nd Nov 2011 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5 This site has two strikes against it: 1) I hate sites with too many people. 2) I dislike over-restored sites. Despite these issues the Balnuaran Clava Cairns are quite impressive if you visit out of season.

ChrisHealey visited on 1st Oct 2007 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 4

BolshieBoris visited on 1st Jul 2004 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5

coldrum visited - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 5

Pezzco visited - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 5

h_fenton DrewParsons TimPrevett Klingon HaggisAction have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.83 Ambience: 4.5 Access: 4.75

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by Scotaviaimages : The Easterly cairn from the Cessna camera plane (Vote or comment on this photo)
Stone Circle and Passage Grave in Highland. Three large cairns all surrounded by a circle of standing stones (the others being Balnuaran of Clava Centre and NE) stand 50m and 70m apart close to the River Nairn.

The whole area was said to have been covered with prehistoric monuments in the 19th century, but due to agricultural improvements in the last couple of centuries sadly many have been destroyed.

This site is composed of a passage grave enclosed by a ring of standing stones.

References: The Chambered Cairns of the Central Highlands, A.S.Henshall & J.N.G.Ritchie (Edinburgh Uni Press, 2001).

Note: Dead crow find causes concern in the local paper, see comment
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Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by h_fenton : Balnuaran of Clava SW. showing how the road cuts through the site. one large stone is built into the field boundary. Pole Aerial Photograph 17 May 2011 (Vote or comment on this photo)

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by AdamCircle : From the late Bruce Adams' Inverness photo album, more: Flickr or PDF here. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by pasckal : Site in Highlands Scotland (Vote or comment on this photo)

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by postman : Standing on the gate post (Vote or comment on this photo)

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by DrewParsons : The S W Cairn's passage showing the orthostat with cupmarks on the northern side of the passage's entrance into the chamber. September 2010.

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by Antonine : 2008

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by SolarMegalith : Burial chamber of the SW passage grave of the Balnuaran of Clava complex (photo taken on June 2015).

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by SolarMegalith : A general view of the SW passage grave (photo taken on June 2015).

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by mattchapman : Taken from within the chamber on the winter solstice 2015

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by mattchapman : Taken on winter solstice 2015

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by Flickr : Cairns at Balnuaran of Clava in 1996 Balnuaran of Clava is the site of an exceptionally well preserved group of prehistoric burial cairns that were built about 4,000 years ago. The Bronze Age cemetery complex comprises passage graves, ring cairns, a kerb cairn, standing stones and the remains of a chapel. This view shows the centre and south west cairns taken with a Hi-spy, a camera attached to an...

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by SandyG : Stones forming part of the stone circle surrounding the passage grave in the foreground with other cairns and stone circles in the background. A truly thought provoking place. View from south west (8th August 2014).

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by DrewParsons : Detail of the cupmarks on the orthostat at the entrance to the chamber of the S W Cairn. September 2010.

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by DrewParsons : The passage of the S W Cairn. September 2010.

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by DrewParsons : View of part of the S W Cairn showing some of the standing stones which surround it. September 2010.

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by TimPrevett : A look through all three main monuments at Clava.

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by spindrift : Autumn colour at Clava

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by Klingon :

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by AdamCircle : From the late Bruce Adams' Inverness photo album, more: Flickr or PDF here.

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by AdamCircle

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by Antonine : 2008

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by Antonine

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by Antonine

Balnuaran of Clava SW
Balnuaran of Clava SW submitted by Antonine

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 45m NNW 339° Balnuaran of Clava Kerb Cairn* Cairn (NH7567444422)
 66m NNE 26° Balnuaran of Clava Centre* Ring Cairn (NH7572044438)
 115m ESE 103° Balnuaran of Clava E* Clava Cairn (NH75804435)
 125m NE 37° Balnuaran Of Clava NE* Clava Cairn (NH7576744478)
 246m NNE 25° Balnuaran of Clava (Stone)* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NH758446)
 407m ENE 60° Mains of Clava SE* Cairn (NH76054457)
 599m SW 225° Milltown Of Clava* Cairn (NH7525043971)
 832m SW 222° Culdoich* Ring Cairn (NH75114378)
 1.1km NW 319° Cumberland's Stone* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (NH74974526)
 1.3km W 271° Leanach NE* Chambered Cairn (NH74344444)
 1.4km W 269° Leanach SW* Stone Circle (NH743444)
 1.5km WNW 292° The Well of The Dead* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NH7431844971)
 1.5km W 260° Culchunaig* Stone Circle (NH74194416)
 1.5km S 183° Culdoich S* Clava Cairn (NH75554285)
 2.6km NE 52° Cantraybruich* Clava Cairn (NH77834594)
 3.0km SW 232° Forrest Cottage* Cairn (NH733426)
 3.5km WNW 283° St Mary's Well (Culloden)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NH723453)
 4.4km NE 49° Dalgrambich Farm* Standing Stones (NH79104715)
 4.4km SW 221° Daviot Ring Cairn* Stone Circle (NH727411)
 4.6km NW 314° Cullearnie* Stone Circle (NH72504768)
 4.6km NNE 27° Dalcross Mains* Stone Circle (NH779484)
 4.7km NNW 331° Newton Of Petty* Ring Cairn (NH73484858)
 5.2km NW 307° Allanfearn* Chambered Cairn (NH7163147608)
 5.6km WNW 295° Milton Stone Row Stone Row / Alignment (NH70704690)
 6.6km W 275° Beechwood Farm Site Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry (NH6908045190)
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"Balnuaran of Clava SW" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
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Re: Balnuaran of Clava SW by nosas on Monday, 05 November 2018
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Balnuaran Of Clava Cup Marked Stone
by jamesmcc
on Sketchfab


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Re: Balnuaran of Clava SW by Runemage on Wednesday, 25 April 2012
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Or even http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/clava-cairns.pdf for people who like to know what link they are being asked to follow :-)

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Street View by coldrum on Wednesday, 17 March 2010
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View Larger Map
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Is Clava crow find a Hallowe'en sacrifice? by Andy B on Thursday, 02 November 2006
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A DEAD crow has sparked fears of macabre goings on at a prehistoric burial site on the outskirts of Inverness.

The bird was found at a standing stone surrounding one of the burial chambers at the Clava Cairns, just south of Culloden.

But the unusual way the bird was laid out and the choice of standing stone raised alarm bells for John Ray, of Inverness, who came across the crow on Sunday.

Mr Ray, who has a strong interest in mythology and archaeology, told the Highland News: ‘Of all the stones surrounding the three cairns, it had been placed at the one that is connected to the Samhain/Hallowe’en festival.

‘It did spook me, and left me with a negative feeling. I’ve seen offerings left at the stones before at Halloween, midwinter and midsummer solstices over the years - flowers, mistletoe, crystals, that sort of thing.

‘This was different. The person that did this must have known what they were doing.

It’s not just the fact it is a crow - which in folklore can symbolise death and evil - it was the position it was in.

More: Highland News
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Re: Balnuaran of Clava SW by TimPrevett on Wednesday, 28 June 2006
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See HERE for an excellent pdf file on the Clava cairns.
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