Mid Howe Chambered Cairn, Rousay, Orkney

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The stalled chambered cairn of Mid Howe on Rousay, Orkney, was used for communal burial in the Neolithic. It is an impressive example of a type of drystone monument known as an ‘Orkney-Cromarty’ cairn. Its entrance passage leads to a long central chamber, divided by pairs of upright stone slabs into 12 ‘stalls’ or compartments, some of which have low stone shelves on one side. It was excavated in 1932-3 by Callander and Grant, who found the remains of at least 25 human skeletons, plus stone tools, pottery, and animal bone. In the mid-1930s it was enclosed by a protective stone-built hangar, which allows the whole cairn to be appreciated, including the outer layer of decorative stonework which has been arranged in a herringbone pattern. The site is in the care of HES. It’s open to the public and free to visit. For information on visiting, see our website. Discover more history of the cairn at Mid Howe in the HES Archives.