What can I see inside Midhowe Cairn?
Raised walkways let you look into Midhowe’s long Neolithic tomb and its twelve compartments from above, inside a protective building. The cairn is near Midhowe Broch on the coast. Getting there involves a steep descent from the roadside car park and an uphill return; check current visitor information before setting out.
The burial chamber
Midhowe is one of Rousay’s largest chambered cairns. Excavations in 1932–34 revealed twelve compartments divided by pairs of upright slabs. [1] [2]
At least 25 people were buried here, alongside pottery, worked flint and animal bones. Exactly how the cairn was used remains uncertain. [2]
Surviving stonework
A protective building covers the cairn. You can see the stone benches, chamber divisions and elaborate northern compartment from the raised walkways. [2] [3]
The coastal setting
The approach crosses steep agricultural ground, with an uphill return from the cairn. [3]
The neighbouring broch belongs to the much later Iron Age. Together, the two buildings span very different periods of Rousay’s history. [1] [3]
Find out more
- Midhowe stalled cairnNess of Brodgar Project
Excavation history, architecture and the wider setting.
- Midhowe Chambered Cairn: history and storiesHistoric Environment Scotland
The chamber divisions, burials and surviving stonework.
- Midhowe Chambered Cairn: plan your visitHistoric Environment Scotland
Visitor information and details of the approach.
Researched by Stay Rousay. Sources checked .