© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Maes Howe is a Neolithic chambered cairn situated on the Orkney Mainland, dating to approximately 3000 BCE and representing one of the finest examples of megalithic architecture in northern Europe. The monument comprises a large earthen mound covering a stone-built passage tomb, with a corbelled central chamber accessed by a low passage aligned to the winter solstice sunset. The internal chamber, measuring approximately 4.5 metres square, is constructed with massive stone slabs and connected to the passage by orthostatic walls, demonstrating sophisticated architectural knowledge and labour organisation during the Neolithic period. The site acquired additional historical significance when Norse Vikings carved runes into the walls during the twelfth century, providing rare contemporary evidence of medieval Norse presence in the islands.
Maes Howe, chambered cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90209. View the official record →
Maes Howe is a Neolithic chambered cairn situated on the Orkney Mainland, dating to approximately 3000 BCE and representing one of the finest examples of megalithic architecture in northern Europe. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90209.
Maes Howe, chambered cairn dates from the neolithic period, and is classified as a chambered cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Maes Howe, chambered cairn 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 SM90209.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Little Barnhouse, mound, 160m NE of (1.9 km), Diamond Cottage,defended promontory N of (3.7 km), Knowe of Onston,or Unstan,chambered cairn (3.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Maes Howe, chambered cairn'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.
Maes Howe, chambered cairn stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.