Cairn photos show sunrise through passage of time in Ross-shire
ATMOSPHERIC photographs taken by a local archaeology enthusiast prove the passages of ancient cairn ruins dotted around Ross-shire and beyond are orientated towards the rising sun at different times of the year.
Douglas Scott from Tain has carried out detailed work into the astronomical orientations of the Orkney-Cromarty passage cairns, the remains of which can be found throughout the northern Highlands, including a number of locations in Ross-shire.
The Orkney-Cromarty is thought to be by far the largest and most diverse group of chambered cairns, which were burial monuments consisting of a chamber and a cairn of stones.
The cairns are dated to the Neolithic period some 5,000 years ago, but had never been astronomically surveyed.
Mr Scott has taken photographs of numerous cairns throughout the area at different times of the year which support the assessment that most of the passages were in line with the rising sun in early November and February, and near the equinoxes in March and September.
His latest photograph was taken at Carn Glas, Kilcoy on the Black Isle on March 25 of this year at 6.17am and shows the sun rising in line with the cairn’s passage. It was aligned to the lowest part of the surrounding horizon so that the sunlight would have entered the burial chamber.
Photographs taken at other Ross-shire sites on previous years also clearly illustrate his conclusions.
The passage of the Heights of Brae cairn Dingwall was aligned to the equinox sunrise, as can be seen in the photograph taken at 7am on September 20.
His findings and photographs are set out in his work The Astronomical Orientations of the Orkney-Cromarty and Clava cairns. It includes details and pictures of cairns from Caithness down to Aviemore.
Because of the ruined state of the cairns some of the entrances have been destroyed, which means it is difficult to assess if the passages were originally high enough for the sun or moonlight to have entered the cairns.
Measurements and trigonometry calculations have shown that the entrances were higher than the horizon, and the sun or moonlight would have reached the centre of the Orkney-Cromarty cairns.
Mr Scott has concluded: “An assessment of the passages suggested that most were generally orientated towards the rising sun at different times of the year. Some passages were aligned to the sun at midsummer, midwinter or early May and August. However, most were orientated to the rising sun in early November and February and near the equinoxes in March and September. Twenty-two cairns were revisited at or near these times and the sun was photographed rising in line with their passages.”
He explained it is proposed that these times were the forerunners of the later Gaelic festivals of Samhain and Bride, while those in May and August equated with the Beltane and Lughnasa festivals.
“The orientations of some cairns are clearly dictated by their local topography, but others, while having wide views of the surrounding horizon, have chosen specific directions,” he said.
“It’s possible that the cairns were repeatedly reopened over a long period of time to allow the sunlight to enter the burial chambers with their final closure marking when they fell out of use.”
Mr Scott formerly ran his silversmith business, Tain Silver, and since his retirement has dedicated more of his time to his lifelong passion of archaeology.
Mr Scott was responsible for the identification and recording of the highest concentration of ancient rock art ever discovered in the Highlands which he found on hillside farmland in Ross-shire. He discovered Bronze Age cupmarks which were carved into rocks up to 5,000 years ago on 28 separate sites on Swordale Hill outside Evanton.
The remains of an enclosed henge have also been found on the hill’s Druim Mor ridge, which is also the location of a chambered cairn.
