The South-West Passage Cairn

The construction of this cairn is almost identicle to the other passage grave at Clava.

The passage grave was built first and used for a short period of time before being deliberately closed and surrounded by a cobbled bank and stone circle. The chamber was excavated in 1828 but little is known of the human remains that were unearthed although the monument was certainly refused for a serries of cremation burials dating from about 1000BC. the line of the modern road has seperated the southernmost stones of the circle and the cairn.

A common feature of these tombs is the use of decorated stones, carved with abstract designs.

The entrance to this chamber is marked by two tall slabs, one of which is carved with cup marks and cup and rings. There are more cup marks on the kerb. We can only guess at their significance. Were they carved specialy to be incorporated into this tomb or were they taken from another structure?

The cairn shares the same alignment with the setting sun as the north-east passage grave.

Seen from this tomb, the midwinter sun would have set on the valley side, but, viewed from its counterpart, it would have seemed to rest on top of this cairn. Both Clava passage graves made use of graded rings of stones which rose in height towards the axis of the midwinter sun.

-from the Historic Scotland Information Board