Clava Cairns

Posted on by Stephen Edwards

Leanach, Scotland

It’s not often that you encounter human-built prehistoric sites that are available to walk up and visit, but Clava Cairns in Scotland is one of the most accessible that I have ever visited. Managed by Historic Environment Scotland, the site sits off the road, with a car park and easy access to the 4,000-year-old ruins.

Henry inside the cairn. You had to be careful where you walked on our visit, as each cairn had standing water inside. This part of Scotland is surprisingly drier than other parts of the island, with only about 30 inches of rain per year.

Signs around the ruins give visitors an idea of what they are viewing. Still, because the original builders left no written record, we know the site through archaeological study. One thing is certain: the site was much larger in antiquity. Another is that the builders designed the site around the Midwinter sunset. The tallest of the Cairns faces the setting sun in the southwest.

The trees are not a natural part of the site, they were only added in the 1800s. One thing I learned from my travels in Northern Scotland is that you cannot trust everything you see as original. It is easier to see the standing water in this cairn with Adrienne.

The site is open year-round and always free to visit. The road next to the site, B9091, is narrow, so if you drive, watch for oncoming traffic. The site also has no facilities, so visitors should not expect a restroom or a gift shop. The site has three Cairns and several standing stones. The stones and the interior are easy to access. This place is easily worth a 15-20 minute stop; however, lovers of ancient ruins could stay a little longer. The ruins were modified in recent history, and a few changes were made in the 1800s. Fortunately, many of these sites are better protected, especially since we can study them and gain insights into our ancestors.

I did not end up in 18th-century Scotland, which is a good thing considering how close I was to Culloden. I appreciate the site’s accessibility, and there are many places like this around the United Kingdom, although only one with better PR seems to be what most people think of on the British Islands. Credit to Adrienne for the photo, and a lingering Henry in the background.

Uncle Rick rates Clava Cairns as a 1-triangle, worthwhile stop in northern Scotland. We saw many smaller tourist buses stop there, so this place is on the itinerary for many trips that also stop at the nearby Culloden Battlefield. For me, I’m glad we stopped at this place, which gave us a chance to ponder the meaning of this site from so long ago.

Clava Cairns is an excellent brief stop on a road trip in northern Scotland. The site makes you pause and reflect, as Wayne is doing above.

2 thoughts on “Clava Cairns”

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