east-lothian-1924/05-234

Transcription

WHITTINGHAME.] -- INVENTORY OF MONUMENTS IN EAST LOTHIAN. -- [WHITTINGHAME.

6 inches in height. A surveyor's cairn has
been erected on the top.

xvi. N.E. (unnoted). 17 June 1913.

229. Cairns (denuded), Spartleton Edge.-
About 1/2 mile north-north-east of Johnscleugh,
near the summit of the broad ridge known as
Spartleton Edge, at an elevation of 1100 feet
above sea-level, are the remains of what
probably were three cairns. On the site of
the first are three large stones, the largest
being 4 feet in length, and a quantity of
smaller stones. A hollow 8 feet in length by
5 feet in breadth with small stones showing
on the sides may have been the spot where a
cist was placed. Some 80 yards to the east,
four stones 9 to 12 inches in breadth, set on
end and rising 4 inches above the surface,
demark the southern arc of a circle, while the
northern half shows the remains of the cairn.
The diameter is 18 feet taken across the semi-
circular arc formed by the four stones. About
23 feet to the south-east there seems to have
been a third cairn 17 feet in diameter, but it
is almost entirely demolished.

xvi. N.E. (unnoted). 14 June 1913.

230. Cairn, Spartleton Edge.-About one
mile north-east of Johnscleugh, on Spartleton
Edge, at an elevation of about 1100 feet above
sea-level, is a cairn of stone covered with a
depth of about 6 inches of peat, measuring 25
feet in diameter and rising 1 1/2 feet above the
level of the ground.

xvi. S.E. (unnoted). 3 April 1914.

231. Cairns, Kingside Hill.-Half a mile
north-east of Mayshiel near the foot of the
western slope of Kingside Hill, about 150 yards
south of the Gifford and Priestlaw road and
some 100 yards east of the cart track between
Mayshiel and Johnscleugh, are two circular
cairns. The most southerly is 36 feet in
diameter and 3 1/2 feet in height ; the second,
143 feet to the north-north-east is 28 feet
in diameter and 2 1/2 feet in height. Both show
signs of excavation on the top.

xvi. S.E. (unnoted). 30 May 1913.

232. Bell Cairn, Table Rings, Penshiel
Hill.-On a gentle slope on the north-east

139

shoulder of Penshiel Hill, about 1000 yards
[marginal note]
Plan wanted
south-west of Kingside School, at an elevation
of over 1000 feet above sea-level, is a circular
cairn of stones surrounded by a broad trench
with an earthen bank outside, a typical bell
cairn, marked Table Rings on the O.S. map.
The cairn is almost flat on the top with a very
slight hollow in the centre, as if some slight
excavation had been attempted, and it is
built not exactly in the centre of the saucer-
like excavation, but rather nearer the north-
western and western arcs of the enclosing
bank. The trench has been excavated to a
depth varying from 2 feet on the south-west
to 1 foot 3 inches on the north-east, and the
bank varies from 9 inches in height above
outside level on the south-west to 1 foot 6
inches on the north-east to allow for the
slope of the hill and keep the top of the en-
closing bank about level. The whole structure
is nearly circular, the external diameters vary-
ing only 3 feet. From north-west to south-east
the diameter over all is 96 feet and from
north-east to south-west 93 feet. The bank
varies in width from 6 feet on the north-west
and north-east to 7 feet on the south-west
and 8 feet on the south-east, while it rises
about 2 feet 9 inches above the bottom of
the trench, which is 21 feet broad at the north-
west, 22 feet at the south-west, 27 feet at the
south-east and 25 feet at the north-east.
The cairn is 34 feet in diameter at the base
and 24 feet at the top from the north-west to
south-east, 31 feet at the base and 22 feet at
the top from north-east to south-west, and it
rises 4 feet 3 inches above the bottom of the
trench.

xvi. S.E. 12 June 1913.

CAIRNS AND HUT CIRCLES.

233. Small Cairns and Hut Circle, Johns-
cleugh.-Above the brow of the steep slope
rising from the left bank of the Whitadder,
about 3/4 mile north-west of Johnscleugh, a short
distance north of the mouth of the Tavers
Cleugh on the western side of the river, at an
elevation of a little over 1000 feet above sea-
level, are two cairns and a hut circle which can
be traced with difficulty as they are covered
with several inches of peat. The hut circle has