Vinquoy Chambered Cairn
Vinquoy Hill Cairn · Eday Cairn
Late Neolithic·Orcadian Neolithic·🇬🇧 Eday, Orkney, Scotland, United Kingdom
About
About Vinquoy Chambered Cairn
Maeshowe-type chambered cairn crowning Vinquoy Hill on Eday, the highest point of the island, built c.3200–3000 BCE. The cairn, excavated 1857 and restored by Historic Scotland, encloses a 14 m mound with cruciform chamber and four cells reached through a 6 m passage. Its prominent position commands views across the Orkney archipelago and links it to the wider stalled and Maeshowe traditions.
Why it mattersMaeshowe-type chambered cairn crowning Vinquoy Hill on Eday, the highest point of the island, built c.3200–3000 BCE. The cairn, excavated 1857 and restored by Historic Scotland, encloses a 14 m mound with cruciform chamb
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Hilltop placement versus valley cairns
Theories
- 01Intervisibility and maritime territorial claim
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 3200–3000 BCE
- Period
- Late Neolithic
- Culture
- Orcadian Neolithic
- Purpose
- Hilltop chambered cairn
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 3200–3000 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1343 CE
Abandonment
On the ground
Structures & features
59.2273° N · 2.7725° W · 30 m · 2 mapped features
Cruciform chamber and cells
chamberCentral chamber with four side cells in Maeshowe tradition
59.2273° N · 2.7725° WEntrance passage
passage6 m low passage from south, restored capstones
59.2273° N · 2.7725° W
Gallery