Clava Cairns : info and guided tour

About Clava Cairns

Clava Cairns is a group of prehistoric burial monuments located east of Inverness, in the north of Scotland. The site brings together several funerary cairns and standing stones, set in an open moorland landscape. It is part of the region’s most evocative archaeological heritage and attracts visitors for its peaceful atmosphere as much as for its age.

The site dates back to the Bronze Age and bears witness to the burial practices of very ancient communities. The cairns visible today show circular stone structures, with passages and inner chambers in some of the monuments. The whole site is especially interesting for the quality of its preservation and for the careful arrangement of the elements across the landscape.

Clava Cairns is also famous for its standing stones and for the alignment of some of the monuments with the setting sun, especially at the time of the winter solstice. This astronomical dimension, often mentioned by visitors, adds to the site’s cultural appeal. The place is appreciated for the precision of its construction and the powerful atmosphere of its archaeology.

Discover Inverness with a private guide

A private guide can help you read the site beyond its quiet appearance, by explaining the purpose of the cairns, their layout and their place in Scottish prehistory. At Clava Cairns, this perspective also makes it easier to understand the relationship between the monuments, the Inverness landscape and the funerary traditions of the period.