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Cave of Oars is an Iron Age souterrain located 250 metres south-east of Raasay House in Inverness-shire, Scotland. Souterrains are underground stone-built chambers characteristic of Iron Age settlement in northern Britain, typically accessed via a sloping or stepped entrance passage. These structures served various purposes including food storage, refuge, or ritual functions within contemporary settlement complexes.
The monument sits upon Middle Jurassic bedrock comprising mudstone, sandstone and limestone, geology that would have influenced both construction methods and the natural drainage properties exploited in the souterrain's design. The presence of this monument near Raasay House indicates the area's significance during the Iron Age, forming part of the broader pattern of settlement and land use across the Inner Hebrides during this period.
Cave of Oars is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5626, recognising its archaeological importance as evidence of Iron Age occupation and settlement practices in the region.
Cave of Oars,souterrain 250m SE of Raasay House is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5626. View the official record →
Cave of Oars is an Iron Age souterrain located 250 metres south-east of Raasay House in Inverness-shire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5626.
Cave of Oars,souterrain 250m SE of Raasay House dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a souterrain 250m se of raasay house. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cave of Oars,souterrain 250m SE of Raasay House is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM5626.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Raasay House,St Maol-Luag's Chapel,110m NE of (0.3 km), Raasay House, cross-incised slab & battery 310m SW of, Raasay (0.4 km), Raasay House,cross slab NNW of (0.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cave of Oars,souterrain 250m SE of Raasay House's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Cave of Oars,souterrain 250m SE of Raasay House stands on Middle Jurassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Jurassic. The rock here is mudstone, sandstone and limestone.