A low tomb on Rousay looks out over Eynhallow Sound, its stone chamber divided by upright slabs. Blackhammer Chambered Cairn is a Neolithic chambered cairn, a stone-built burial mound with internal compartments for the dead.
The cairn belongs to the Orkney-Cromarty stalled tomb tradition, where slabs divide a long chamber into bays. Excavation in 1936 found human remains, tools, pottery, animal bone, and decorative masonry near the entrance, placing Blackhammer among Rousay’s distinctive Neolithic burial monuments.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
Blackhammer Chambered Cairn is on the island of Rousay in Orkney. The tomb was constructed around 3000 BC.
It belongs to the Orkney-Cromarty group of stalled chambered cairns. The monument was first excavated in 1936.
Excavation showed that the chamber originally had seven compartments divided by pairs of standing slabs. Four original slabs had already been removed by the time of excavation.
Skeletal remains of two adult males were found with a pottery bowl, flint knife, polished stone axe, and animal bones. Decorative triangular masonry survives outside the tomb on either side of the entrance.
Historic Environment Scotland established the site as a scheduled monument in 1994.
Connections
-
Knowe of Yarso
Another chambered cairn stands higher on the same hill.
What to look for
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Stalled chamber
Pairs of upright slabs divide the long internal chamber.
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Entrance masonry
Triangular decorative stonework is visible near the entrance.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 59.1313°N · 3.0252°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Moderate walking
Opening & admission
The source pack does not provide reliable current admission details; verify before travelling.
- The tomb is on Rousay near the base of a hillside; the pack gives no current admission details.
Nearby places
Settlement · Prehistoric
Broch of Gurness
Orkney Islands
Settlement on the site began sometime between 500 and 200 BC, when an Iron Age community raised a stone broch tower — once probably around 10 metre…
- Near Evie
- 141 metres from car park
- Some walking
Questions people ask
- What is Blackhammer Chambered Cairn?
- It is a Neolithic chambered burial cairn on Rousay in Orkney.
- What does stalled cairn mean?
- It means the burial chamber is divided into compartments or stalls by upright stone slabs.
- What was found in 1936?
- Excavation found two adult male skeletons, a pottery bowl, flint knife, polished stone axe, and animal bones.
- How is it protected?
- Historic Environment Scotland scheduled the monument in 1994.
Sources
- Wikipedia article
- Source pack: Blackhammer Chambered Cairn
Explore more: Tomb or burial places · Prehistoric · Orkney Islands
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