Unstan Chambered Cairn - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Old Ruins

About Unstan Chambered Cairn

This 5000-year-old burial tomb is just one of hundreds of similar sites to be found throughout Orkney, but this site in the West Mainland is in exceptionally good condition and incredibly easy to find. Unstan is notable as an atypical hybrid of the two main types of chambered cairn found in Orkney, and as the location of the first discovery of a type of pottery that now bears the name of the tomb. The site is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument.

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Attractions Near Unstan Chambered Cairn

Loch of Stenness

Loch of Stenness

1.21km from Unstan Chambered Cairn

The Loch of Stenness is a large brackish loch on Mainland, Orkney, Scotland and is named for the parish of Stenness. It is a sea loch and is the deepest loch on the Mainland, it is slightly smaller in area and volume than the Loch of Harray. The loch is connected to the Loch of Harray at the Bridge of Brodgar and both lochs together cover an area of 19.3 square kilometres making the two combined the ninth largest loch in Scotland by area.

Ring of Brodgar

Ring of Brodgar

2.01km from Unstan Chambered Cairn

The Ring of Brodgar is an archaeological treasure and without doubt one of the islands' most visited attractions. It is part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, a series of important domestic and ritual monuments built 5000 years ago in the Orkney Islands.

Ness of Brodgar

Ness of Brodgar

2.3km from Unstan Chambered Cairn

The Ness of Brodgar is a thin strip of land, in the West Mainland of Orkney, that separates the lochs of Harray and Stenness. The site has provided evidence of decorated stone slabs, a stone wall 6 metres thick with foundations, and a large building described as a Neolithic temple.

Standing Stones of Stenness

Standing Stones of Stenness

2.51km from Unstan Chambered Cairn

The Stones of Stenness today consist of four upright stones up to 6m in height in a circle that originally held 12 stones. This may be the oldest henge site in the British Isles. Various traditions associated with the stones survived into the modern era and they form part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site.

Barnhouse Settlement

Barnhouse Settlement

2.66km from Unstan Chambered Cairn

The Barnhouse Settlement is a Neolithic village located in Antaness, Orkney, Scotland, which was inhabited between c. 3300 and 2600 BCE. The early settlement consisted of at least six small houses similar in style to the early circular houses at Skara Brae. These were set around a larger and more elaborate building. Situated on the shore of Harray Loch, and accessed from the Standing Stones of Stenness, Barnhouse is a stone age village.

Copinsay

Copinsay

3.05km from Unstan Chambered Cairn

Copinsay is an uninhabited island in the Orkneys, famous for its large colonies of kittiwakes, guillemots and razorbills. Fulmars and puffins also breed along the cliffs of Copinsay. The island reserve consists of the main island of Copinsay and the four smaller islets of Corn Holm, Ward Holm, Black Holm and the Horse of Copinsay. The historic Copinsay Lighthouse sits atop 250’ high cliffs that extend for a mile along the coast.

Discover More Attractions in Orkney, Home of Unstan Chambered Cairn

Orkney

Orkney

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Orkney, also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles north of the coast of Caithness and has about 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. The largest island, Mainland, is often referred to as "the Mainland", and has an area of 523 square kilometres, making it the sixth-largest Scottish island and the tenth-largest island in the British Isles. Orkney’s largest settlement, and

Location of Unstan Chambered Cairn

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For more information about Unstan Chambered Cairn, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unstan_Chambered_Cairn

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