A long cairn lies in a forest clearing on a steep Arran slope. Carn Ban is a Neolithic chambered tomb, a stone burial monument with internal compartments, and one of the best-known Clyde cairns of south-west Scotland.
The tomb has a trapezoidal cairn shape and a semicircular forecourt at its upper north-east end. Excavation in the late nineteenth century found only a flint flake, an unburnt fragment of human bone, and a pitchstone flake, but the monument’s plan still clearly connects it with the Clyde cairn tradition.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
Carn Ban was built in the Neolithic as a chambered tomb on Arran.
Its Clyde cairn form places it within a south-west Scotland tomb tradition.
The tomb was given a semicircular forecourt leading into a long divided chamber.
Late nineteenth-century excavation produced only a flint flake, an unburnt fragment of human bone, and a pitchstone flake.
Historic Environment Scotland has designated Carn Ban as a scheduled monument.
Connections
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Torrylin Cairn
Nearby cairn with a similar compartmented chamber arrangement.
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Isle of Arran
Island setting of Carn Ban.
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Historic Environment Scotland
Body named in the source pack for scheduled protection and visitor guide.
What to look for
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Semicircular forecourt
Forecourt at the upper north-east end of the cairn.
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Long chamber
Internal chamber divided by cross-slabs.
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Forest clearing
The cairn sits on a steep south-west-facing slope partly covered in grass.
Plan your visit
- Location
- General area near Highland, Highland
- Access
- Reached on a public path
- Terrain
- Rough ground — reasonable boots advised
Opening & admission
- Source pack says a four-mile/six-kilometre walk is required; steep forest-clearing slope.
This is a sensitive or fragile site, so we show only its general area. Please check official heritage sources for access before visiting, and take care not to disturb it.
Nearby places
Questions people ask
- What is Carn Ban?
- It is a Neolithic chambered tomb on the Isle of Arran.
- What is a Clyde cairn?
- It is a type of chambered cairn found across south-west Scotland.
- How hard is the approach?
- The source pack says a walk of four miles, or six kilometres, is required to reach the site.
- What was found in excavation?
- A flint flake, an unburnt fragment of human bone, and a pitchstone flake were found.
Sources
- Wikipedia article
- Historic Environment Scotland visitor guide
Explore more: Tomb or burial places · Prehistoric · Highland
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