Scheduled Monument

Airigh nan Seilicheag,chambered cairn 1300m SSE of MarroghSM5246

Status: Designated

Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

Summary

Date Added
09/12/1991
Supplementary Information Updated
25/01/2023
Type
Prehistoric ritual and funerary: chambered cairn; long cairn
Local Authority
Na h-Eileanan Siar
Parish
North Uist
NGR
NF 83662 68793
Coordinates
83662, 868793

Description

The monument consists of the remains of a prehistoric chambered burial cairn. The cairn is situated towards the SE end of a spur on the W side of Loch Scadavay. It is elongated WNW to ESE, and has been over 30m long, although much of the cairn material from the ESE end has been robbed to build shielings nearby.

At the W end, which reaches over 2m in height, a passage leads into an iregularly rectilinear chamber 4.1m by 3.6m.

The area to be scheduled is rectangular, 100m WNW-ESE by 60m transversely, to include the cairn and an area around it in which evidence for its former extent, construction and use may survive.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance for the evidence it displays of variety in the funerary traditions of the Neolithic, being a rare long cairn in an area rich in round cairns. It may have undisturbed chamber deposits, which, together with the soil underlying the cairn, would upon excavation furnish important evidence for Neolithic funerary practices and contemporary land-use.

References

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NF 86 NW 8.

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

Images

There are no images available for this record, you may want to check trove.scot for images relating to Airigh nan Seilicheag,chambered cairn 1300m SSE of Marrogh

There are no images available for this record.

Search trove.scot

Printed: 22/07/2025 05:40