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<< Our Photo Pages >> Cuween Hill - Chambered Cairn in Scotland in Orkney

Submitted by Jon on Sunday, 14 April 2019  Page Views: 17280

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Cuween Hill Alternative Name: Cuween Hill Cairn
Country: Scotland County: Orkney Type: Chambered Cairn

Map Ref: HY36421277  Landranger Map Number: 6
Latitude: 58.997292N  Longitude: 3.108306W
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
 4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 4 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.
 4 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

coin KenMP whese001 jain wendybird would like to visit

drolaf visited on 8th Jun 2022 - their rating: Cond: 3 Access: 4

Catrinm visited on 29th Aug 2019 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4 Still as described 2019

bishop_pam visited on 21st Apr 2018 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 3

rrmoser visited on 13th Jul 2017 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 4

SandyG visited on 2nd Jun 2015 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 4

Estrela visited on 2nd Jun 2014 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 Cuween is a cairn near Finstown where many dog skulls as well as human remains were found. My Spanish author friend links this to the entrance to hell, with the dogs guarding its entrance. As the darkest mound with the lowest entrance we encountered, that seemed very appropriate. It is situated on a hill, and overlooks the Bay of Firth. There is a small cottage and a small parking area with a short footpath leading up to the cairn, which is ringfenced to protect it from grazing animals. There is an up and over ladder stile to access the site, with explanatory boards, and a box with a torch for use in the site which is otherwise unlit apart from the light from the very low entrance passageway. We had taken a torch, but the provided one provided better illumination. All the skulls and bones have been removed, but it certainly is a chilly place and seldom visited, you are unlikely to encounter busloads of tourists at Cuween. We were amused to find many small stone monuments erected on top of the mound, perhaps by visiting children and young people. Some show quite considerable architectural skill!

Jansold visited on 7th Jun 2013 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 4 Access: 3

DrewParsons TimPrevett HaggisAction NickyD Redfun have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 4.29 Ambience: 4.5 Access: 3.71

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by coin : Corbelled ceiling in one of the side chambers. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Cuween Hill chambered cairn (Orkney) is set on a hillside overlooking the Bay of Firth. The site is still covered by an earth mound although 19th century attempts to gain access have disturbed the top of the corbelled roof which is now covered by flat stones. However, within the cairn the walls and corbelling up to a considerable height are intact and in excellent condition.

The site is signposted from the Old Finstown Road and is reached along a 300 metre gravel road to a car park from where a 250 metre footpath ascends to the cairn.

The entrance passageway (gated but just to keep sheep out) leads 3 metres into the chamber from which there are side chambers. Excavated in 1901 the remains of at least 8 people were found together with 24 dog skulls leading to the suggestion that like the Tomb of the Eagles this site's owners had a totem which in this case was the dog.

This is an excellent site and well worth a visit. Take a torch in case the clockwork one in the box by the site is missing.

Additional information supplied by Drew Parsons in September 2010

Note: Erland Cooper records part of his new song First of the Tide inside Cuween Hill chambered cairn, more details in the comments on our page. Also the head of a Neolithic dog recreated using a skull discovered in the same cairn in 1901 - again more below...
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Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by coin : View of the main chamber with emphasis on the verticality of its construction. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by ShamrockStone : Cuween Hill (Vote or comment on this photo)

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by howar : Exit the tomb. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by Graham1950 : Entrance to the tomb and me with muddied knees. Fabulous! (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by coin : View of two of the side chambers' portals.

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by Parns : One of the main interment spaces.

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by howar : The way in.

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by howar : RH end with part of side.

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by TimPrevett : This was the best feeling tomb on Orkney for me; darkness. No modern skylights. The solitude, and darkness are quite creepy, but it is superb. A very low crawl indeed, and investigating the four smaller chambers is a must. Best shots were without a flash, and I rather liked this self portrait just near the entrance. Summed up the feeling of this tomb, which some have called "The Tomb of the Beagle... (4 comments)

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by Tegfantrio : The entrance to Cuween Chambered Tomb

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by ShamrockStone : Cuween Hill

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by Parns : The chamber has retained its original height.

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by Parns : Another view of the main chamber.

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by SandyG : Looking into the cairn along the entrance passage. (2nd June 2015).

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by SandyG : Side chamber with internal compartment. (2nd June 2015).

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by SandyG : Main chamber. (2nd June 2015).

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by SandyG : Corbelling at its very best. (2nd June 2015).

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by howar : Ancient and modern meet.

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by howar : Roof of W cell's southern half.

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by howar : W cell entranceway & southern half.

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by enkidu41 : HY 364127 Also called Fairy Knowe, Cuween is a restored chambered cairn of the Maes Howe sub-group. The cairn is 55' in diameter and 8'6" high. A low, narrow 18' long passage leads to a rectangular chamber (10' high x 5' wide x 7'6" high) off which 4 cells, one with a subsidiary cell, open.

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by enkidu41

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by enkidu41

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill submitted by enkidu41

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 1.5km NNW 346° The Hillock* Broch or Nuraghe (HY361142)
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"Cuween Hill" | Login/Create an Account | 5 News and Comments
  
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The head of a Neolithic dog recreated using a skull from Cuween Hill by Andy B on Sunday, 14 April 2019
(User Info | Send a Message)
The model - complete with realistic muscle, skin and hair - by forensic artist Amy Thornton using 3D images produced by Historic Environment Scotland and Edinburgh University's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

The animal is believed to have been the size of a large collie with features similar to a European grey wolf. The skull was one of 24 discovered when the chamber at Cuween Hill was excavated in 1901. It is believed the dogs were placed there more than 500 years after the passage tomb was built.

Ms Thornton used identical techniques to those she would normally use to recreate a human head.
More: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-47919051
[ Reply to This ]

Erland Cooper records part of new single First of the Tide inside Cuween Hill cairn by Andy B on Sunday, 14 April 2019
(User Info | Send a Message)
Erland Cooper, a hard to categorise purveyor of beautiful music (so I won't attempt to) recorded part of his his new single inside Cuween Hill chambered cairn, using the cairn as a natural echo chamber for playing back the main synth line. The track also features field recordings of the tide coming in, seagulls and a fortuitously recorded fishing boat which joins in the same tone and key, which is hard to hear as it's so well blended in.

The track is First of the Tide, and is a collaboration with electronic artist and producer Benge whose PolyMoog 1975 provided the ethereal sounds.

This is a taster for Erland's new album Sule Skerry, which is the follow up the amazing Solan Goose from last year. Sule Skerry is out on the 17 May, to coincide with a sold out show at the Barbican’s Milton Court concert hall.

More: Louder than War
https://louderthanwar.com/erland-cooper-announces-new-album-sule-skerry/
Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jan/08/erland-cooper-musician-orkney-interview
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Cuween Hill by DrewParsons on Friday, 15 October 2010
(User Info | Send a Message)
Cuween Hill chambered cairn is set on a hillside overlooking the Bay of Firth. The site is signposted from the Old Finstown Road and is reached along a 300 metre gravel road to a car park from where a 250 metre footpath ascends to the cairn. The site is still covered by an earth mound although 19th century attempts to gain access have disturbed the top of the corbelled roof which is now covered by flat stones. However, within the cairn the walls and corbelling up to a considerable height are intact and in excellent condition. The entrance passageway (gated but just to keep sheep out) leads 3 metres into the chamber from which there are side chambers. Excavated in 1901 the remains of at least 8 people were found together with 24 dog skulls leading to the suggestion that like the Tomb of the Eagles this site's owners had a totem which in this case was the dog. This is an excellent site and well worth a visit. Take a torch in case the clockwork one in the box by the site is missing. September 2010.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Cuween Hill by howar on Wednesday, 01 June 2005
(User Info | Send a Message)
Like many anothersI saw only three cells, the missed one is behind the wall with the passage and to the left as you come in. The lantern only lights up like a torch beam, so without forewarning all you see as you come in are the chambers in the wall opposite the entrance passage and the side walls. Went in the other three chambers except only my hands went into the second half of the doublet west. You certainly have the feeling that they are by different hands, finally unified by the covering mound. A lost rough sandstone ball came from the s'ern half of the doublet.
Inside the tomb look from the inner left passage corner towards the outer right and you are looking at the Wideford Hill Cairn. If it were not for the slight curve of the passage I'm sure the diagonal would be smack in line with this.
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