Region : Orkney Island : Rousay Town or village : Westside Grid Reference : HY 372 304 Period : 3rd millennium BC Midhowe CHAMBERED CAIRN

A huge stalled tomb, lying parallel to the shore on the west coast of the island of Rousay (Orkney). The rectangular chamber, 23.4m long, is divided by pairs of upright slabs into 12 compartments (in the photo, the chamber is seen from the south-east end). Several compartments are provided with stone benches. The cairn's outer wall-face was carefully arranged in a herringbone pattern. The tomb is now protected under a shed and its sophisticated structure can be viewed also from a overhead walkway. Along the eastern wall of the compartments the remains of 25 people were found. Some of them had been exposed prior to burial to remove the flesh. The first four compartments were empty. Pottery recovered from the chamber is of the so called Unstan type. A hundred metres to the west is the much later Midhowe broch. In care of Historic Scotland

Other chambered cairns ------------------ Achnacree (Carn Ban) Barpa Langass Beorgs of Housetter Blackhammer Cairnholy I Cairnholy II Camster Long Camster Round Camus nan Geall Clettraval Cnoc Freiceadain North Cnoc Freiceadain South Coille na Borgie South Cuween Hill East Bennan Garrywhin (Cairn o' Get) Holm of Papa Westray North Holm of Papa Westray South Isbister (Tomb of the Eagles) Knowe of Lairo Knowe of Yarso Maes Howe Midhowe Nether Largie South Ord North Ord South Punds Water South Yarrows South Taversoe Tuick Torrylin Unival Unstan Vinquoy Wideford Hill Other sites in Orkney ---------------------- Barnhouse Settlement Barnhouse Stone Blackhammer Comet Stone Cuween Hill Dwarfie Stane Grain Gurness Holm of Papa Westray North Holm of Papa Westray South Isbister (Tomb of the Eagles) Knap of Howar Knowe of Lairo Knowe of Yarso Liddle Maes Howe Midhowe Broch Midhowe Chambered Cairn Rennibister Ring of Brodgar (Brogar) Skara Brae Stone of Setter Stones of Stenness Taversoe Tuick Unstan Vinquoy Watch Stone Wideford Hill