A visit to the Grey Cairns of Camster, Caithness

Visiting Camster Round and Camster Long with Richard Bradley and Ronnie Scott.

Above: Camster Round with Camster Long beyond (Photo: Aaron Watson)

I’ve explored the cairns on many occasions over the years, having first visited in the 1990s with the late Bob Gourlay. I subsequently went there many times with Richard during the years we were excavating at Balnuaran of Clava near Inverness.

Above: The distinctive profile of Camster Long, with two entrances leading to independent chambered cairns (Photo: Aaron Watson)

Above: Richard and Ronnie at Camster Long (Photo: Aaron Watson)

Camster Round played an important role in my early research into archaeoacoustics. This monuments had been sympathetically restored following excavation and was chosen as the first roofed monument where I undertook acoustic fieldwork. It was here that I first heard standing wave resonances within a Neolithic structure, as well as the impact of percussive drumming.

Above: From the archive, a rare photo of me using a Digital Audio Tape recorder to capture decibel levels within the chamber of Camster Round in 2006.