Tony Garofalo
Cairnholy Chambered Tombs
The two chambered tombs at Cairnholy date back to the Neolithic period and were most probably constructed between 4,000 and 2,000 BC. They are located just over four miles south-east of Creetown, in the Dumfries and Galloway region of south-west Scotland, and stand on the lower slopes of Cairnholy Hill, where they overlook Wigtown Bay to the south.
The two tombs are usually referred to as Cairnholy I and Cairnholy II. Chambered tombs were once common in parts of Scotland, Ireland and the Atlantic coast of Europe, although the design varied from region to region. The Cairnholy tombs are outliers of the Clyde group of tombs, which as their name suggests, are actually more typical of west-central Scotland. Cairnholy I is the larger and more elaborate of the two tombs. It comprises an inner burial chamber, to which has later been added an outer chamber and then a concave, horned facade of eight tall stones that faces eastwards and forms a sort of forecourt in front of the tomb. The large cairn that once overlaid the tomb no longer exists as its stones have been removed and reused for building material elsewhere. Originally, however, it was trapezoidal in shape and measured approximately 164ft by 49ft. Cairnholy II lies just 492ft to the north of Cairnholy I. It too comprises an inner and an outer chamber and it has lost its covering cairn, but unlike its neighbour it has no forecourt façade, although the inner chamber still retains its capstone.
The two tombs at Cairnholy were designed to house the remains of many people and were used for centuries. Possibly Cairnholy II was used just as a place of burial and the ceremonies to commemorate the dead were conducted at the more extravagant Cairnholy I. Excavations have certainly shown that several fires were lit in the forecourt of the tomb during its period of use and indications of pottery-associated offerings have been uncovered. Both Cairnholy I and Cairnholy II were partially excavated in 1949 by two eminent professors of archaeology: Stuart Piggott and Terence Powell. Sadly the excavations shed little light on the burials themselves as the acidic soil had long since dissolved the bones, but some objects buried with the dead had survived. Foremost amongst these at Cairnholy I was a fragment of a jadeite axe that had been imported from the Alps and must once have belonged to a wealthy and powerful member of the community. Also recovered from Cairnholy I were fragments of Neolithic pottery, a leaf-shaped arrow head, a burial cist (containing fragments of food vessels and a cup-and-ring marked stone) and some later grave goods, including a flint knife and fragments of Beaker pottery. The excavations at Cairnholy II also unearthed flint knives, arrowheads and fragments of Beaker pottery, showing a similar range of users to that of its neighbour.
The Cairnholy tombs are in the care of Historic Scotland. According to local folklore Cairnholy II is the burial place of Galdus, a mythical Scottish king who is said to have opposed the Roman invasion and to have been killed in battle near Wigtown Bay, and for that reason people sometimes visit it to light candles or leave small offerings such as flowers.
The main picture I have uploaded here was taken looking northwards over Cairnholy I towards Cairnholy Hill. It shows the inner and outer chambers of the tomb and also the arc of eight upright pillars that once defined the forecourt. The top inset was taken looking south-eastwards over the tomb towards Kirkdale Glen and the bottom picture shows Cairnholy II. Note the peculiarly tapered portal stone on the north-west (left) side of the tomb entrance, which is nearly 10ft tall. The other portal stone may possibly be broken.
Cairnholy Chambered Tombs
The two chambered tombs at Cairnholy date back to the Neolithic period and were most probably constructed between 4,000 and 2,000 BC. They are located just over four miles south-east of Creetown, in the Dumfries and Galloway region of south-west Scotland, and stand on the lower slopes of Cairnholy Hill, where they overlook Wigtown Bay to the south.
The two tombs are usually referred to as Cairnholy I and Cairnholy II. Chambered tombs were once common in parts of Scotland, Ireland and the Atlantic coast of Europe, although the design varied from region to region. The Cairnholy tombs are outliers of the Clyde group of tombs, which as their name suggests, are actually more typical of west-central Scotland. Cairnholy I is the larger and more elaborate of the two tombs. It comprises an inner burial chamber, to which has later been added an outer chamber and then a concave, horned facade of eight tall stones that faces eastwards and forms a sort of forecourt in front of the tomb. The large cairn that once overlaid the tomb no longer exists as its stones have been removed and reused for building material elsewhere. Originally, however, it was trapezoidal in shape and measured approximately 164ft by 49ft. Cairnholy II lies just 492ft to the north of Cairnholy I. It too comprises an inner and an outer chamber and it has lost its covering cairn, but unlike its neighbour it has no forecourt façade, although the inner chamber still retains its capstone.
The two tombs at Cairnholy were designed to house the remains of many people and were used for centuries. Possibly Cairnholy II was used just as a place of burial and the ceremonies to commemorate the dead were conducted at the more extravagant Cairnholy I. Excavations have certainly shown that several fires were lit in the forecourt of the tomb during its period of use and indications of pottery-associated offerings have been uncovered. Both Cairnholy I and Cairnholy II were partially excavated in 1949 by two eminent professors of archaeology: Stuart Piggott and Terence Powell. Sadly the excavations shed little light on the burials themselves as the acidic soil had long since dissolved the bones, but some objects buried with the dead had survived. Foremost amongst these at Cairnholy I was a fragment of a jadeite axe that had been imported from the Alps and must once have belonged to a wealthy and powerful member of the community. Also recovered from Cairnholy I were fragments of Neolithic pottery, a leaf-shaped arrow head, a burial cist (containing fragments of food vessels and a cup-and-ring marked stone) and some later grave goods, including a flint knife and fragments of Beaker pottery. The excavations at Cairnholy II also unearthed flint knives, arrowheads and fragments of Beaker pottery, showing a similar range of users to that of its neighbour.
The Cairnholy tombs are in the care of Historic Scotland. According to local folklore Cairnholy II is the burial place of Galdus, a mythical Scottish king who is said to have opposed the Roman invasion and to have been killed in battle near Wigtown Bay, and for that reason people sometimes visit it to light candles or leave small offerings such as flowers.
The main picture I have uploaded here was taken looking northwards over Cairnholy I towards Cairnholy Hill. It shows the inner and outer chambers of the tomb and also the arc of eight upright pillars that once defined the forecourt. The top inset was taken looking south-eastwards over the tomb towards Kirkdale Glen and the bottom picture shows Cairnholy II. Note the peculiarly tapered portal stone on the north-west (left) side of the tomb entrance, which is nearly 10ft tall. The other portal stone may possibly be broken.