Cemeteries of platform cairns and long cists around Sinclair's Bay, Caithness

Abstract

The cemetery at Ackergill in Caithness has become the type site for Pictish platform cairns. A re-appraisal based on Society of Antiquaries of Scotland manuscripts, together with published sources, shows that, rather than comprising only the eight cairns and two long cists excavated by Edwards in the 1920s, the cemetery was more extensive. Close to Edward's site, Barry had already excavated two other circular cairns, three rectangular cairns and a long cist, and possibly another circular cairn was found between the two campaigns of excavation. Two of the cairns were re-used for subsequent burials and two cairns were unique in having corbelled chambers built at ground level. Other burial sites along the shore of Sinclair's Bay are also examined.