Beta Help us improve: share your feedback on our new website.

Quoyness Chambered Cairn

Island of Sanday, Orkney
Historic Environment Scotland logo
Open all year round
View gallery

Crawl into the high central chamber of a megalithic tomb dating back 5,000 years.

Entering Quoyness Chambered Cairn is a wonderful experience. Visitors must crawl through the 9m-long entrance passage leading into the large central chamber, which still stands to its original 4m in height.

This was once a tomb for the dead, but its form bears some resemblance to the houses of the living. Perhaps this reflects Neolithic beliefs in the afterlife.

Entrance passage of Quoyness Chambered Cairn, showing a long, narrow, stone‑lined corridor descending between thick drystone walls. The passage cuts into the side of the circular cairn, whose layered stone construction is clearly visible. Grass grows around the outer edge of the mound, and the sky above is overcast, creating a muted, grey light over the scene.
Entrance passage of Quoyness Chambered Cairn, showing a long, narrow drystone corridor built from tightly stacked stone slabs. The passage slopes gently downward toward a dark doorway covered by a large horizontal capstone. The high stone walls curve inward slightly as they lead into the mound, with patches of lichen visible on the stones.
Tall, narrow interior chamber of Quoyness Chambered Cairn, built from tightly stacked flat stone slabs forming steep, tapering walls. At the base of the far wall is a small rectangular side‑cell opening framed by stone blocks, with another low opening visible to the right. The floor is bare earth with scattered stones, and soft light from above highlights the rough textures and layered construction of the ancient masonry.
Interior chamber of Quoyness Chambered Cairn, showing thick drystone walls built from flat stacked stones. Several low side‑cells open off the main chamber, each with a small rectangular entrance framed by stone slabs. The floor is bare earth with a shallow circular depression in the centre. The stone walls curve inward slightly toward the roof, and the space is dimly lit, highlighting the textures of the ancient masonry.

Explore more with Orkney Digital Guide

Discover nearly 5,000 years of Orkney’s history and prehistory, including Quoyness Chambered Cairn, with our Orkney Digital Guide.
Buy our Orkney Digital guide at stor.scot

Ready for an adventure?

Use a Membership or Explorer Pass to discover centuries of Scottish history and heritage, all while saving money and supporting our work.

Membership

Ideal for regular visitors and heritage supporters

Unlimited annual pass for all ticketed sites plus daytime events

Two adults, holding hands with two young children, walk through a graveyard, with historical stone ruins in the background. It is a sunny day.
  • Unlimited annual pass for all ticketed sites plus daytime events
  • Discount in our shops and cafés (on site and online)
  • Historic Scotland magazine delivered to your door
  • Free or discounted entry to sites in England, Wales and the Isle of Man
Buy now View details

Explorer Pass

Perfect for short-term trips and sightseeing

Valid for 14 consecutive days

A family walking across a grassy lawn with the New Abbey Corn Mill building in the background.
  • Valid for 14 consecutive days
  • Entry to all ticketed sites, including Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and Urquhart Castle
  • 20% discount on audio guides at Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and Glasgow Cathedral
  • Guaranteed entry when you pre-book online
Buy now View details