Wideford Hill Chambered Cairn, Orkney

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Wideford Hill Chambered Cairn is a Neolithic tomb built on an artificial terrace on the western side of Wideford Hill, Mainland, Orkney. It belongs to the classification of chambered cairn known as the ‘Maeshowe Group’, used for communal burial in the Neolithic.

It was excavated in 1849 by George Petrie, and by Kilbride-Jones in 1935, who revealed a long entrance passage leading to a corbelled central chamber and three side cells. The interior was deliberately in-filled with rubble in prehistory, and while there was no visible evidence for human burial, this function can be inferred by analogy with other chambered cairns. It contains examples of Neolithic art incised onto its interior stonework.

The chamber is now accessed through the roof via a modern hatch and ladder.

The site is in the care of HES. It’s open to the public and free to visit. For information on visiting, see our website. Discover more history of Wideford Hill in the HES Archives.