Clava Cairns (Balnuaran of Clava), near Inverness

Clava Cairns (Balnuaran of Clava), near Inverness: Bronze Age Tombs & the Outlander Stones

Overview

Tucked into a quiet stand of trees in the Nairn valley, a few miles east of Inverness and barely a mile from Culloden battlefield, the Clava Cairns — properly Balnuaran of Clava — are among the most atmospheric Bronze Age monuments in Scotland. Three great cairns in a row, each ringed by its own circle of standing stones, they were built around 2000 BC and are so distinctive that archaeologists named a whole class of monument after them: the “Clava cairn.” Mossy, dappled and usually peaceful, they have also become a place of pilgrimage for fans of Outlander.

What you’re looking at

  • Three big cairns set in a line. The two outer ones are passage graves — ringed cairns with a low passage leading in to a central chamber; the middle one is an enclosed ring cairn with no passage.
  • Each cairn is surrounded by a circle of graded standing stones, tallest to the south-west, shortest to the north-east.
  • Several stones carry cup marks — the small hollows pecked into the rock whose meaning is still debated.
  • This is the type site for around fifty similar monuments clustered across the Inverness and Moray Firth area.

The full history

The three main cairns were built in the Early Bronze Age, around 2000 BC, as tombs — the passages of the two outer cairns open to the south-west, towards the setting midwinter sun. Remarkably, the site was reused for burial around a thousand years later, showing how long it kept its power as a sacred place. Much of what we understand comes from survey and excavation by Professor Richard Bradley of Reading University in the 1990s, whose work confirmed the Bronze Age (not Neolithic) date and teased apart the phases of use. The cairns are cared for by Historic Environment Scotland.

The midwinter alignment

The two passage cairns are built so that their entrance passages point to the south-west — and on the winter solstice, the setting sun shines down the passage and into the chamber. It is one of the clearest astronomical alignments among Scotland’s prehistoric monuments, and a powerful reminder that these were not random piles of stone but carefully oriented places, tuned to the turning of the year and the movement of the dead towards the dying midwinter light.

The Outlander connection

Clava Cairns has become closely tied to Outlander: the fictional stone circle of “Craigh na Dun,” through which Claire travels back in time, was inspired by Clava-style monuments, and the real site sits right beside Culloden, which features heavily in the story. The show did not actually film here — but visitor numbers have soared regardless, so if you want the peaceful version, come early or out of season. Please treat the cairns gently: they are 4,000 years old and easily damaged by people climbing on them.

Seeing it

Clava Cairns is about 6 miles east of Inverness, signposted from near Culloden, with a small car park and free, open access at any reasonable time (Historic Environment Scotland). It is an easy, flat visit — a few minutes’ walk among the cairns — and pairs naturally with the Culloden battlefield visitor centre a mile away. The lane in is narrow; take care with a larger vehicle.

Nearby & linked

Sources

  • Historic Environment Scotland — Clava Cairns (history & visitor information).
  • R. Bradley, excavations at Balnuaran of Clava (1990s); Canmore / RCAHMS record.