Ancient Scotland - Barmore Wood

Barmore Wood

Inveraray, Argyll

Chambered Cairn

This chambered long cairn stands on a low rocky knoll in what was a forestry commission plantation, although the trees have been recently cleared.

Although almost all the cairn material has been robbed away, it is thought that the cairn would have originally been about one hundred feet long running northeast-southwest with a chamber at each end.

The two chambers were excavated between 1963 and 1965, before the forest was planted. Three megaliths of the southwest chamber remain, indicating that the chamber was about 14 feet long. The side slabs of the northeast chamber remain, and that would have been about 17 feet by 3 feet in floor area.

Both chambers were divided into an inner and outer portion. The rim of a neolithic pot and some other small finds were discovered in the northeastern chamber, and part of a flint knife was found in the southwestern chamber.

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In the foreground are the side slabs of the northeastern chamber. In the centre background are the stones of the southwestern chamber.

25/34 In the foreground are the side slabs of the northeastern chamber. In the centre background are the stones of the southwestern chamber.

The side slabs of the northeastern chamber, looking east.

26/34 The side slabs of the northeastern chamber, looking east.

The stones of the southwestern chamber, looking to the northwest.

27/34 The stones of the southwestern chamber, looking to the northwest.

One of the stones of the southwestern chamber.

28/34 One of the stones of the southwestern chamber.

The back stone of the southwestern chamber.

29/34 The back stone of the southwestern chamber.

The stones of the southwestern chamber, looking south.

30/34 The stones of the southwestern chamber, looking south.

One of the portal stones of the southwestern chamber, looking west.

31/34 One of the portal stones of the southwestern chamber, looking west.

Another stone of the southwestern chamber.

32/34 Another stone of the southwestern chamber.

One of the portal stones of the southwestern chamber, looking east.

33/34 One of the portal stones of the southwestern chamber, looking east.

The backstone of the southwestern chamber.

34/34 The backstone of the southwestern chamber.

Nearby Sites

5km Inverary Castle Megalith Standing Stone

10km Castle Lachlan Castle

16km Keppochan Decorated Boulder Cup Marks

20km Creagantairbh Beag Monolith Standing Stone

20km Glennan Standing Stone

(NB: All distances are as-the-crow-flies. Lochs, mountains and beautiful winding roads will make it further. Sometimes much further.)