Giants' Graves
In a small clearing on the wooded hillside above Whiting Bay stands a two-chambered long cairn, surrounded by tall trees. The cairn is of the Clyde group, and is in a poor state, with turf covering part of the remains. The cairn is a jumble of rock and partially destroyed barrow, so it can be a bit awkward trying to make sense of the site.
The Giant's Grave(s) cairn is on a north-south axis, and over 90 feet long. The forecourt area is quite large at over 40 feet and 20 feet deep, and at the end of the forecourt 'horns' are marked with standing stones. The inner chamber is over 20 feet long and 3-5 feet wide.
Excavations within the chamber revealed pottery, flint knives, arrowheads, and burnt bone residue. The south chamber is much smaller, under eight feet long.
It is a bit of a stiff climb up to the cairns. There are well over 250 steps cut into the hillside, and the going will make you huff and puff a bit. However, the woodland is wonderful, and the cairns seem to be a million miles from anywhere.
We've 'tagged' this attraction information to help you find related historic attractions and learn more about major time periods mentioned.
