Cairnholy II is a chambered cairn which stands in a majestic position on a hillside overlooking Wigtown Bay and is reputed to be the resting place of the mythical King Galdus.
The main feature of the cairn is a burial chamber topped off with a large capstone, giving the cairn an iconic silhouette against the surrounding landscape.
Next to the main chamber is a secondary chamber without a capstone.
The entrance to the cairn was flanked by a pair of tall portal stones, one of which is thought to have broken.
Originally the whole site would have been covered with smaller stones within the mound of a cairn but most of the cairn material was robbed for field walls and building in the 18th century. The complex dates back to the 4th millennium BC although it is reputed to be the burial site for King Galdus, a legendary king who is supposed to have driven the Romans out of Galloway but who was actually an invention of Hector Boece in the 16th century.
Around 200m further down the hill is a second chambered cairn, Cairnholy I.
Alternative names for Cairnholy II
Cairn Holy II; Cairn Holy 2; Cairnholy 2
Where is Cairnholy II?
Cairnholy II is in the parish of Kirkmabreck and the county of Wigtownshire.
Grid reference: NX 51820 54045
Lat / long: 54.859185, -4.310041
OS Map for Cairnholy II
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Weather at Cairnholy II
max 5°C / min 5°C
1022mb
83%
100%
08:21 15:53
Overcast clouds
Weather observed at Gatehouse of Fleet at 11:59
