Cuween Chambered Cairn
Firth
Orkney
This Neolithic burial chamber is one Orkney's finest archaeological sites.
Cuween Chambered Cairn can be found perched high on the hillside above the Bay of Firth, just outside the village of Finstown.
It's around 5000-years-old and strikingly similar in style to Maeshowe. Once you crawl in through the small, one-metre-high entrance passage (be warned, your hands and knees will get dirty!), you'll find yourself in a spacious central chamber with four smaller chambers on each wall. Remember to take a torch so you can admire the beautiful stone-work inside.
The cairn was first excavated in 1901 and a number of human and animal skulls were found inside. It's thought the cairn could have played an important part in the surrounding Neolithic landscape too, with the Wideford Hill Cairn and evidence of settlements nearby.
Head slightly further up Cuween hill and you'll find newer cairns made by visitors over the years, as well as stunning views out over Orkney's north isles.
The cairn can be found just east of the village of Finstown on the Old Finstown Road. Follow the signposts to a small car park, then a track leading you towards the gated cairn.