Three linked cairns run along a ridge on Essich Moor. Carn Glas is a Neolithic chambered cairn, a stone-built burial monument with internal chambers, and the longest known chambered cairn in Scotland.
The monument stands near Inverness, south-east of Achvraid, and forms a striking linear burial site. It was scheduled in 1964, and the source pack notes other significant prehistoric sites nearby, including a stone circle at Torbreck and a chambered cairn at Culduthel.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
Carn Glas was built in the Neolithic as a chambered cairn burial site.
The monument was formed from three linked cairns on a ridge.
Its length makes it the longest known chambered cairn in Scotland.
Carn Glas was designated as a scheduled monument in 1964.
Nearby prehistoric sites include the Torbreck stone circle and a chambered cairn at Culduthel.
Connections
-
Achvraid
Nearby place north-west of the cairn ridge.
-
Torbreck stone circle
Significant prehistoric site nearby.
-
Culduthel chambered cairn
Another nearby prehistoric burial monument.
What to look for
-
Linked cairns
Three connected cairns form the burial site.
-
Ridge setting
The cairns stand on Essich Moor south-east of Achvraid.
-
Long monument plan
The source pack identifies it as Scotland's longest known chambered cairn.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 57.4150°N · 4.2500°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Moderate walking
Opening & admission
- Ridge monument on Essich Moor; public access not established by the source pack.
Nearby places
Fortified place · Medieval
Inverness Castle
Highland
It marks a site fortified for close to a thousand years and bound up with pivotal moments of Highland and Scottish history, from Robert the Bruce t…
Tomb or burial place · Prehistoric
Clava Cairns
Highland
A Bronze Age funerary monument of the Inverness/Moray Firth communities; the three cairns and their stone circles appear to have been built as a si…
- Near Inverness
- 149 metres from car park
- Easy path
Questions people ask
- What is Carn Glas?
- It is a Neolithic chambered cairn burial site near Inverness.
- Why is it notable?
- The source pack says it is the longest known chambered cairn in Scotland.
- What does it consist of?
- It consists of three linked cairns on a ridge.
- When was it scheduled?
- Carn Glas was designated a scheduled monument in 1964.
Sources
Explore more: Tomb or burial places · Prehistoric · Highland
The Ancient Codex, in your pocket
Get the Pocket Codex app
Carry the directory with you — Carn Glas and thousands of ancient places across Britain and Ireland, offline, wherever you roam.