Wideford and Cuween Hills

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Bay of Firth from Wideford Hill
Bay of Firth from Wideford Hill

We spent one morning finding holes for John to climb in and out of! The cairn half way up Wideford Hill is a communal tomb dating back to 3000 BC. There’s a box with a torch to help you down the ladder, but I didn’t like the idea of that trapdoor accidentally closing over me so stayed outside. Our intrepid explorer had no such worries:

Wideford Cairn
Wideford Cairn
Wideford Cairn

It’s not a very pleasant climb from the tomb to the top of the hill – lots of stumbling over huge clumps of heather – but the views are rewarding. It’s interesting that the hill was part of an ancient communication system – the site of one of a chain of beacons which would be lit to warn of attacks – and serves a similar function today (well, communication not the attacks). The engineer took a great interest in the different antennae at the radio transmitting station. I continued to enjoy the views.

Kirkwall from Wideford Hill
Wideford Hill
Wideford Hill

At the other side of Bay of Firth is Cuween Hill with another Neolithic chambered cairn. Again, I declined to enter – too low!

Bay of Firth from Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill Cairn
Cuween Hill Cairn
Cuween Hill Cairn

As we approached the hill, it had looked as though there were standing stones on the top. This seemed odd as we knew there weren’t any – it turned out to be a large number of modern cairns built behind the tomb. Who made them and why are they there? I have no idea – I can’t find an explanation online (though admittedly, I haven’t spent too long looking) or in any of the guidebooks.

Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill
Cuween Hill

In my next Orkney post I terrify myself with memories of 19 years ago.

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31 Comments »

  2. Pingback: April Squares: Wideford Hill – The Glasgow Gallivanter

  5. Breathtakingly beautiful. I would go at least a few steps down and close my eyes, try to imagine it all those years back. Not sure I’d make it all the way down. 🙂 Looks amazing.

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  7. What a gorgeous area!! I would want to stay there for a couple of days just to feel the clean air and see that green. Lovely.

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  9. I would be tempted to go into those holes and see what is around if my joints allow me. Your hubby is quite the explorer. Now you cued my interest in what happened 19 yrs ago:)

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  12. That place looks gorgeous. I can’t blame you for not wanting to go inside something like that; enjoy the view out in the fresh air!

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  14. Goodness that husband of yours does like his holes! I’m with you, I prefer to stay where I can see the sky! Having just done an uncomfortable hike on the Stiperstones I can empathise with the heather issue, although mine was rocks and heather. I was thinking how inaccessible a lot of our hikes are for people who aren’t fully mobile, even young children.

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