A grass-covered mound near the top of a Rousay hill looks down over Eynhallow Sound. Knowe of Yarso chambered cairn is a Neolithic stalled cairn, a stone burial chamber divided into compartments by upright slabs.
Excavation in the 1930s revealed both human burial and animal deposition. At least twenty-nine people were represented, alongside deer, sheep, a dog, pottery, arrowheads, bone tools, and flint, linking the tomb to other Rousay cairns such as Midhowe and Blackhammer.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
Knowe of Yarso chambered cairn is on Rousay in Orkney. The tomb dates to the period between 3500 and 2500 BC.
It sits on a ledge near the top of a steep hill overlooking Eynhallow Sound. The remains of Blackhammer chambered cairn lie near the base of the same hill.
Knowe of Yarso is an Orkney-Cromarty stalled chambered cairn similar to Midhowe and Blackhammer. The site was excavated in the 1930s.
Excavation revealed a rectangular cairn with a burial monument inside. The roof had been removed at some point when the tomb was robbed.
The original burial chamber had four compartments divided by pairs of upright slabs. Finds included remains of at least twenty-nine people, thirty-six deer, several sheep, a dog, pottery sherds, arrowheads, bone tools, and flint.
Historic Environment Scotland scheduled the monument in 1994.
What to look for
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Hill ledge setting
The cairn overlooks Eynhallow Sound from high on the slope.
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Stalled chamber
Four compartments were divided by upright slabs.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 59.1342°N · 3.0418°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Rough ground — reasonable boots advised
Opening & admission
The source pack does not provide reliable current admission details; verify before travelling.
- The cairn sits near the top of a steep hill overlooking Eynhallow Sound.
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 Knowe of Yarso?
- It is a Neolithic chambered cairn on Rousay in Orkney.
- What does stalled cairn mean?
- It means upright stone slabs divide the chamber into compartments or stalls.
- What was found there?
- Excavation found remains of at least twenty-nine people, animals, pottery, arrowheads, bone tools, and flint.
- What nearby cairn is connected?
- Blackhammer chambered cairn lies near the base of the same hill.
Sources
- Wikipedia article
- Source pack: Knowe of Yarso chambered cairn
Explore more: Tomb or burial places · Prehistoric · Orkney Islands
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