Although things might be a little different on your visit, you can still enjoy exploring Grain Earth House.
Find out more about this historic place below.
Journey inside
Explore Grain Earth House with our short video tour.
Grain Souterrain (or ‘Earth House’) is an Iron Age subterranean structure. It comprises a curving drystone passage leading to a rounded chamber, about 2m below the current ground surface. It’s covered by a modern mound.
It was likely built in the 1st millennium BC. Excavations have shown that it was once part of a larger settlement.
It may have been primarily for storage, but other uses could have included ritual activity. After excavation in 1857 by Farrer and Petrie, it was found to contain charred wood, shellfish, and the bones of domestic animals.
Explore the history
Earth houses were not dwellings, but stone-lined underground passages. They’re more commonly known as souterrains, and are found in Brittany, Cornwall, Ireland and eastern and northern Scotland.
Within Scotland there are distinct regional types. Angus and Perthshire is home to massive souterrains, averaging 46m2 in area, while those in the Northern Isles – like Grain – are significantly smaller, providing just 5m2 of space.
Various theories have been proposed regarding souterrains’ original function. They may have been places of refuge, but it’s more likely they were used for storage as they would have had a stable year-round temperature.