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Visiting the Past: Finding and Understanding Britain's Archaeology

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Knowe of Lairo - Chambered Cairn in Scotland in Orkney

Submitted by DrewParsons on Sunday, 17 October 2010  Page Views: 9103

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Knowe of Lairo
Country: Scotland County: Orkney Type: Chambered Cairn
Nearest Town: Rousay Island  Nearest Village: Hullion
Map Ref: HY39922796
Latitude: 59.134186N  Longitude: 3.051565W
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
5 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.
2 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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coin whese001 would like to visit

drolaf visited on 9th Jun 2022 - their rating: Cond: 3 due to excessive number of visitors since it was on TV the farmer has blocked access, with concern for people's safety and the cairn's protection.

h_fenton visited on 2nd Sep 2019 A bit of a squeeze getting past the collapse in the entrance passage, this shouldn't collapse further since it has been propped up with stones which make the passage narrower at this point than it was originally. Biggest dangers inside are side chambers, partially collapsed and broken lintels that are unsupported. Fantastic site, could do with a few metal bars to help stabilize the stonework in places so that it is safer for those who dare enter inside. Fairly new looking fence has been put up around the long mound. Would be great so see some further archaeological examination of this site (if health & safety ever allows).

DrewParsons have visited here

Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by DrewParsons : The south east facing entrance. September 2010. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Chambered Cairn in Orkney

The Knowe of Lairo is a wonderful site located on a rise above the hamlet of Hullion on Rousay Island. It was incompletely excavated in 1936 as other features were discovered during the excavation and time constraints then the Second World War intervened in the work. The excavation resulted in the discovery of a chamber possessing unique features at the eastern end of the long mound with indications of a northern horn and southern horn and associated court to the site. One enters the passage into the chamber by wriggling along on one's belly, passing under a low beam of stone and into the chamber which rises gradually to a massive 4 metres in height and is spanned by seven massive lintels which give lateral support below the top of the corbelling.

The original excavation was deemed unsafe to be tackled through this entrance passage as the partial collapse of the inner walls had made it too dangerous a prospect and so it was excavated via the roof. The chamber had been built with three compartments, although structural work required its builders to block off the third with a supporting wall and nowadays one can look through but a small opening into this area. In the first compartment a celt (stone axe) and pottery sherds were found. Compartment two was similar to one and had ambry (alcoves) in the walls. Compartment three was in too dangerous a condition for full exploration and the 1936 excavators opined that it might contain an as yet undiscovered burial. Outside, the passage opened onto a semicircular forecourt through a double walled facade traces of which can still be seen on the northern side of the entrance. An estimate of the size of the forecourt was a diameter of 21 metres based on what remained at the time of the excavation in 1936.

When I visited the site in September 2010 it was off the beaten track and unsignposted although it is marked conspicuously on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 map given its considerable length at 40 metres. I wriggled into the entrance passage with my torch and was amazed at the size of the chamber once inside. As I looked around and took photos I thought I heard someone walking above me, the noise became louder and was now more of a rustling sound and I realised that some other creature was in the tomb with me in one of the holes through to the inner compartment that had not been excavated. Shining my torch in I noticed some small bones which I took to be animal or bird bones but no sign of the other occupant who continued to rummage around out of site. I wriggled out leaving it to its ancient home and walked down to the nearby hamlet of Hullion - the best site I have visited for many a year!


Reference: The Knowe of Lairo, Rousay, Orkney, Walter G Grant and D Wilson. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquarians of Scotland, January 1943.
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Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by DrewParsons : A view back down the passage - a real squeeze!! September 2010. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by DrewParsons : The 15 cm (6 inch) torch in this picture gives some idea of the size of the opening - which is restricted a metre further in by a sloping stone which I hoped would stay in position!! September 2010. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by DrewParsons : Openings on the side of the chamber. One contained some animal bones. September 2010. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by drolaf : Lairo as seen from Ramsey stalled cairn up the hillside. The central cairn survives well and the south-east horn is clear. All these cairns lie along the contours of the glacial ridges. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Knowe of Lairo ceiling
Knowe of Lairo ceiling submitted by donhelfrich : I visited the Knowe of Lairo on May 9th, 2017. This is a pretty clear picture of the 4 meter high cap stones of the ceiling of the main chamber. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by DrewParsons : Detail of the lateral support for the corbelling inside the main chamber. September 2010.

Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by DrewParsons : The cairn viewed from the road - it is circled in black in this photo. September 2010.

Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by DrewParsons : A view of the mound. September 2010.

Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by DrewParsons : Emerging into the daylight!! September 2010.

Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by DrewParsons : This view illustrates how the chamber rises from the entrance passage. The partly fallen restricting stone can be seen part way in. September 2010. (1 comment)

Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by DrewParsons : Another ragged side alcove. September 2010.

Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by DrewParsons : Detail of the corbelling, roof and side supports. September 2010.

Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by DrewParsons : The corbelled roof with its side supports reaching up to 4.1 metres above the floor. September 2010.

Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by DrewParsons : You really do need to wriggle in here!! September 2010.

Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by DrewParsons : The impressive long mound. September 2010.

Knowe of Lairo
Knowe of Lairo submitted by DrewParsons : The distinct 40 metre long cairn seen from above. September 2010.

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 126m ENE 71° Knowe of Ramsay* Chambered Cairn (HY40042800)
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"Knowe of Lairo" | Login/Create an Account | 3 News and Comments
  
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Re: Knowe of Lairo by drolaf on Saturday, 25 June 2022
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this is a multi stage site, with the tall chambered cairn, then additions, culminating in a large horned cairn. The chamber is very well constructed but the later rearward constructions were for 'show' and have collapsed. the eastward horns and forecourt were better built and more evident.
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Re: Knowe of Lairo by donhelfrich on Monday, 15 May 2017
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I visited Lairo May 9th, 2017. You're right, excellent site. Though a tight squeeze, I didnt get as muddy as Cuween Hilltop Cairn. That hole in the back of the main chamber is stated as being constructed to close off the third chamber, but it seemed to me that it separated a first and second of central chamber, not including the small side chambers. For the fact that it is so narrow and no bones were found, perhaps it was more a Minehowe type of function? I have one picture that seems appropriate to add...if I can.
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Re: Knowe of Lairo by DrewParsons on Sunday, 17 October 2010
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When I visited the site in September 2010 it was off the beaten track and unsignposted although it is marked conspicuously on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 map given its considerable length at 40 metres. I wriggled into the entrance passage with my torch and was amazed at the size of the chamber once inside. As I looked around and took photos I thought I heard someone walking above me, the noise became louder and was now more of a rustling sound and I realised that some other creature was in the tomb with me in one of the holes through to the inner compartment that had not been excavated. Shining my torch in I noticed some small bones which I took to be animal or bird bones but no sign of the other occupant who continued to rummage around out of site. I wriggled out leaving it to its ancient home and walked down to the nearby hamlet of Hullion - the best site I have visited for many a year!
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