Cairn o'Get
Sealed with slabs
The tomb would have originally looked a lot more impressive than it does today, with 3m high walls sealed by massive stone slabs forming roof lintels. The roof collapsed long before the tomb was excavated, sealing the burials that had been placed in the chamber.
The small, round stone cairn had a central chamber, reached by a short, low passage. This was later enlarged and elaborated, with horn-shaped projections from each of the four corners creating forecourts to the north and south.
Statement of Significance
You can find out more about Cairn o'Get in our Statement of Significance, part of a series of special documents outlining the history and development of Historic Scotland sites.
Inside the tomb
The entrance to the tomb would have been through a small antechamber defined by two pairs of upright stones, a characteristic of chambered cairns in this area.
On the floor of the main chamber within the cairn was a mass of burnt material, including charcoal and fragments of human bone – suggesting the chamber had been used for cremations.
In the antechamber, above a layer of ash, were the unburnt remains of at least seven people. Artefacts accompanying the remains included leaf-shaped flint arrowheads, neolithic pottery and animal bones
Discover more on trove.scot
See archive photographs of Cairn o'Get, plus archaeology notes and more on trove.scot.
