Cairns at Balnuaran of Clava ( Clava Cairns )

All pictures copyright © 1995, 1996, 1997 Martin McCarthy

Looking south out of the South-West passage cairn at Clava, near Inverness. The stone to the right of the passage contains several cup-mark carvings. Large image (42k 438x287) Looking from the South-West passage cairn towards the Ring Cairn and the North-East passage cairn. Large image (42k 444x286) The North-East passage cairn from outside the surrounding ring of stones. Large image (40k 436x294) The North-East passage cairn. Large image (25k 436x244) The central Ring Cairn. The stone in the foreground is "connected" to the kerb of the cairn by a radiating bank, as are two others of the nine stones which encircle the cairn. Large image (31k 436x228)

Balnuaran of Clava is near Inverness. Here are a lain of three cairns which have given their name to a class of cairns known (obviously) as Clava Cairns. Each cairn is surrounded by a circle of standing stones. Clava-type cairns are found mainly around Inverness, the Black Isle and the Spey Valley. The two cairns at either end of the line are passage cairns, with a passage running from the central chamber to the south-west edge of the cairn; the direction of mid-winter sunset. The central cairn is a "ring cairn", having no passage from the central chamber. Of the nine stones around the ring cairn, three have banks of stones "connecting" them with the cairn itself.