Hill forts · Scottish Islands
Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn
In or near Finstown.
Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn — Neolithic chambered cairn on Mainland in the islands of Orkney.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn is a hill fort in the United Kingdom. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Owned by Historic Environment Scotland. Managed by Historic Environment Scotland. Wikidata describes it as: "Neolithic chambered cairn on Mainland in the islands of Orkney". Coordinates: 58.9975°, -3.1083°.
Photo gallery
From Historic Environment Scotland
Delve into Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn, a 5,000-year-old tomb that illustrates the sophistication of life among these early communities. Contact us today for more information.
Read more on the official property page.
From the Wikipedia article
Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn (grid reference HY364127) is a Neolithic chambered cairn on Mainland, the main island of Orkney, Scotland, about 6 miles west of Kirkwall. It dates to around 3000 BC, and is similar in design to Maeshowe, but on a smaller scale. It was constructed by Neolithic farmers as a burial place. The cairn was excavated in 1901 and the remains of several humans and dogs were found, including skulls. In the 1990s, excavations uncovered the remains of a small Neolithic settlement at Stonehall, at the foot of Cuween Hill, and in 2019 images of a forensic model of one of the dog skulls were published.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Description
The entry to the tomb is down a narrow passage, partly open to the sky. The main chamber, built on the bedrock, stands well over 2 meters high, and was probably taller before 19th century explorers broke through the roof to gain entry. The roof has been replaced with a modern one.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 58.9975, -3.1083
- District
- Orkney Islands
- Postcode
- KW17 2EJ
- Parliamentary constituency
- Orkney and Shetland
- Opening
- Open all year round
- Official site
- www.historicenvironment.scot
Sources
- wikidata: Q1146656 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Cuween Hill, front external view, 2012 March.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Cuween Hill
Archaeological sites · 0.0 km
Stonehall
Hill forts · 0.2 km
Hill of Heddle (Prehistoric Barrow)
Burial mounds & barrows · 0.6 km
Hill of Heddle
Mountains & hills · 1.1 km
Finstown
Towns & cities · 1.1 km
Holm of Grimbister
Islands · 1.5 km
Mainland
Islands · 1.6 km
Finstown Mill
Watermills · 1.7 km
Firth
Islands · 1.7 km
Buckle's Tower
Other places · 1.8 km
Hill of Lyradale
Mountains & hills · 1.8 km
Binscarth House
Historic houses · 2.1 km
Nearby
📷 3Archaeological sites · Scottish Islands
Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill — a archaeological in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
📷 3Hill forts · Scottish Islands
Stonehall
Stonehall — archaeological site in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK.
📷 3Burial mounds & barrows · Scottish Islands
Hill of Heddle (Prehistoric Barrow)
Hill of Heddle (Prehistoric Barrow) — a burial mound in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
📷 5Mountains & hills · Scottish Islands
Hill of Heddle
Hill of Heddle — mountain in scotland islands. Elevation: 135 m.
📷 5Towns & cities · Scottish Islands
Finstown
Finstown — village in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK.
Flagship📷 5Islands · Scottish Islands
Holm of Grimbister
Holm of Grimbister — inhabited tidal islet in the Orkney archipelago of Scotland.
Where to eat & stay near Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn
Places to stay
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Orkney Caravan Park at the Pickaquoy Centre
Orkney Caravan Park at the Pickaquoy Centre — a caravan park in scotland islands.
📷 5Hostels · Scottish Islands
Orcades Hostel
Orcades Hostel — a hostel in scotland islands.
📷 5Hostels · Scottish Islands
Kirkwall Youth Hostel
Kirkwall Youth Hostel — a hostel in scotland islands. Brand: Hostelling Scotland.
📷 5📷 7
📷 7Places to eat & drink
📷 4More places run by Historic Environment Scotland
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Hermitage Castle
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📷 5Castles · Scottish Highlands
Corgarff Castle
Corgarff Castle — castle and military museum in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK.
📷 3Museums · Scottish Highlands
Duff House
Duff House — estate house in Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK.
More places in this region
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📷 5Hill forts · Scottish Islands
Calanais Stones
Calanais Stones — neolithic standing stones near Calanais, Scotland.
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Callanish II
Callanish II — archaeological site in Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK.
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Callanish III
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn?
- Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn is in the Scottish Islands, United Kingdom (postcode KW17 2EJ).
- What is Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn?
- Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn — Neolithic chambered cairn on Mainland in the islands of Orkney.
- How do I get to Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn?
- Drivers can use postcode KW17 2EJ.
- Who runs Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn?
- Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn is operated by Historic Environment Scotland.
- Is Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn a listed building?
- Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Is Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn free to visit?
- Yes, Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn is free to enter.
- How do I get to Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode KW17 2EJ. It sits within the Orkney and Shetland parliamentary constituency.