Cairnduff

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Cairnduff
Stewarton, East Ayrshire, Scotland
The Bronze Age cairn at Cairnduff Hill, Stewarton, East Ayrshire, Scotland. Curb stones, etc.jpg
Cairnduff Bronze Age Burial Mound
Coordinates 55°40′26″N4°30′45″W / 55.673995°N 4.5126024°W / 55.673995; -4.5126024 Coordinates: 55°40′26″N4°30′45″W / 55.673995°N 4.5126024°W / 55.673995; -4.5126024
Grid reference grid reference NS42094514
TypeBurial Cairn
Height0.7 metres
Site information
OwnerPrivate land
Open to
the public		Yes
ConditionExtensive robbing damage
Site history
BuiltUnknown
MaterialsBoulder banks

Cairnduff,Cairn Duff or Carn Duff [1] is a roughly circular Bronze Age burial cairn, [2] located on the lands of High Peacockbank Farm near the town of Stewarton in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It was built around 3000 years ago.

Contents

Location

Cairnduff is situated on the summit of Cairnduff Hill [2] at 114m [3] and Smith points out its prominence and that it is visible from the possible moot hill or watchtower site near High Castleton in the vicinity of Lainshaw House. [2] The position gives clear views of Strathannick and the surrounding hills to the north and south-west.

Description

Cairnduff is a type of tumulus, barrow or burial mound dating within the time period approximately 1300–700 BC, the Bronze Age. The term cairn is typically given to such structures in Scotland and refers to a stone pile, built and not of natural origin. The descriptive term cairn in this context is itself derived from the Scottish Gaelic : càrn [ˈkʰaːrˠn̪ˠ] (plural càirn [ˈkʰaːrˠɲ] ). [4]

The centre of this once circular cairn has been entirely removed due to the robbing of stones and only a low, roughly circular stoney bank around a 1.0m wide and a maximum of 0.7m high remains. Turf-covered, the cairn is located within a rectangular field bank. A significant quantity of rounded stones are still present and some are exposed to view in situ or spread around the site. A few larger boulders, possibly perimeter stones are present and the indications are that the diameter of the cairn may originally have been over 20m. [5] The stones are whinstone and mostly large. [6] No hammer or chisel marks were found on any of the stones. [6]

The three urns found were buried in pits that were close to the original ground level. One urn was around a foot in diameter and the other two were 5½ inches in diameter and six inches in height, [7] with zig-zag lines around the rim. [6] In 1820 it was recorded that other urns might be present "as not more than a fourth part of it has yet been examined". [6] A height of 5 to 6 feet measured in 1820 with stones possibly removed previously for road building, etc. [6]

The site was wooded in 1779 as shown on the Lainshaw Estate map. The cairn with its contents of three cinerary urns was exposed when trees were being removed by uprooting them from this small plantation in around 1810 [2] to 1826. [8] These urns or beakers are recorded to have contained bones. [8]

The Black Hill Cairn is a Bronze Age burial site near Kirkfieldbank in the Clyde Valley and is set in a similar location to Cairnduff at the highest point in the area.

History

The Lainshaw Estate map of 1779 shows a Cairnduff Park and below it a Bonfire Park running down to the Annick Water. The cairn itself is not named or indicated and only a small clump of trees is shown in its location, lying just outside the Lainshaw Estate on the lands of High Peacockbank. [9]

Circa 1810 [2] or 1826 [8] Mr John Deans of Peacock Bank (sic) decided to extract some small trees from his plantation on Carnduff Brae when he exposed three urns or beakers that contained bones. The position of the urns within the cairn was covered with a considerable quantity of stones and earth. [8] The stones would have had to be collected and carried to the site, probably from the river as many are rounded and river worn. No detailed description of the urns survives other than some details of the size and their present location is not recorded.

By 1857 Mr. James Neilson Provan of Peacockbank was the landowner. The urns contained bones and relics and these vessels were found enclosed in small excavations that were close to the original ground level. One urn, around a foot in diameter, was broken whilst being removed. The remaining two urns had a diameter of 5½ inches and were six inches in height. They were made from coarse clay. [7]

The field name 'Bonfire Park' suggests that the cairn, located at the highest point of ground overlooking Stewarton, may have been the site of traditional bonfires, such as those related to Halloween.

The typical burial ritual of the time involved the corpse being laid under a funeral pyre and burnt, together with any artefacts. Once cremated the surviving bones were carefully separated from the ashes and placed inside an urn that was inverted and buried in a pit. The ashes, charcoal and other remains of the pyre may have been buried in a pit nearby. The whole was covered in stones and earth to form a cairn. [10]

Views of Cairnduff

See also

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Lands of Lainshaw

The Lands of Lainshaw lie in Strathannick and were part of the Lordship of Stewarton, in East Ayrshire, Scotland. Lainshaw House is a category B listed mansion, lying in a prominent position above the Annick Water and its holm in the Parish of Stewarton, Scotland. Part of the much older Lainshaw Castle is contained within the several later building phases of the present day Lainshaw House. The names 'Langshaw' or 'Langschaw' were used in historic times. Law Mount near the High and Laigh Castleton farms has been suggested as the site of the original castle, granted in the 12th century to Godfrey de Ross by Hugo de Morville.

Bloak Human settlement in Scotland

Bloak was a hamlet or clachan in East Ayrshire, Parish of Stewarton, Scotland. The habitation was situated between Auchentiber and Stewarton on the B778. It was originally built as a row of housing for crofters and farm workers. A small school remained open for some years after the hamlet ceased to exist.

Kingsford, East Ayrshire Human settlement in Scotland

Kingsford is a hamlet or clachan in Strathannick, East Ayrshire, Parish of Stewarton, Scotland. The habitation is situated on the B769, two miles north of Stewarton and fourteen miles from Glasgow.

Lands of Broomlands Human settlement in Scotland

The lands of Broomlands or Broumlands formed a small country estate about a mile to the east of Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland situated on the east bank of the Annick Water in the Parishes of Dreghorn and Irvine.

Murder of Hugh Montgomerie

The Murder of Hugh Montgomerie, 4th Earl of Eglinton at the Annick Ford in Stewarton, East Ayrshire, Scotland, took place in 1586 as a consequence of a long running feud between the Montgomeries, Earls of Eglinton and the Cunninghames, Earls of Glencairn, families who were competing for power and influence locally and nationally. The significant repercussions of this act were felt throughout the county of Ayrshire and beyond. The spelling 'Montgomerie' is used throughout for both the family and Montgomery for the clan and clan and district names 'Cunninghame' in the same fashion.

Lainshaw Castle

Lainshaw Castle was a 15th century castle about 1.0 mile (1.6 km) south-west of Stewarton, East Ayrshire, Scotland, to the north of Annick Water. The castle was incorporated into Lainshaw House over the course of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Lawthorn Human settlement in Scotland

Lawthorn is a hamlet near Perceton in Strathannick, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The settlement lies on the old Irvine to Stewarton toll road.

Kemp Law Dun Human settlement in Scotland

Kemp Law Dun is a vitrified fort dating from the Iron Age situated near the town of Dundonald in South Ayrshire, Scotland. The remains of the Iron Age fort or dun lie on the old Auchans Estate in the Dundonald Woods near the site of the old Hallyards Farm and the quarry of that name. The footpath route known as the Smugglers' Trail through the Clavin Hills from Troon to Dundonald runs passed the ruins of the dun. Kemps Law is in the order of two thousand years old.

References

Notes;

  1. ↑ "Canmore - Bailliehill Mount" . Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Smith, John (1895). Prehistoric Man in Ayrshire. Elliot Stock. p. 85.
  3. ↑ Canmore mapping
  4. ↑ Drummond, Peter (2019) Scottish Hill Names, Scottish Mountaineering Trust, ISBN   978-0-907521-95-2, p.25]
  5. ↑ Canmore - Stewarton, Cairn Duff.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Robertson, George (1820). Topographical Description of Ayrshire more particularly in Cunninghame. Cunninghame Press. p. 329.
  7. 1 2 Scotland's Places.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Paterson, James (1863-66). History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton. V (II) - Cunninghame. Edinburgh: J. Stillie. p. 578
  9. ↑ Crawford, William (1779). Plan of the Estate of Lainshaw. William Cunninghame Esq.
  10. ↑ MacKie, Euan (2004). A Burial Ground of the Middle Bronze Age at Girvan. Friends of the McKechnie Institute. p. 18. ISBN   0-9544219-1-4.

Bibliography

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