Cracknie souterrain

Looking after archaeological sites that are more than 2000 years old isn’t easy... especially when they are underground. Cracknie souterrain is in Borgie Forest in the far north-west of Scotland.

A souterrain is an underground stone-lined cellar, usually dating from the Iron Age. The word comes from the French sous terrain, which means ‘under ground’.

The souterrain at Cracknie is a particularly good example. It leads from a narrow entrance on the surface and curves for more than 13 metres underground to an end chamber. It is thought to have been used to store food – most likely meat and cheese.

Take a 3D journey through the Cracknie souterrain.

With no architects’ drawings to help, state-of-the-art survey techniques have allowed us to create a detailed record of its construction. The modern laser scan survey shows the well-preserved walls and roof lintels – a tribute to the Iron Age builders, who built the roof from large overlapping slabs without using mortar

Similar laser scans, 3D graphics, photographs and written statements help us look after similar structures on land we look after across Scotland.