A round cairn on Bellshiel Law, one of a group of round barrows, some partly destroyed by road makers, was excavated in September 1935. It was 175 yards downhill from the artillery post, a mound of earth and stones, bounded by a good kerb of large stones, set on end and sloping in on the body of the cairn. A straggling tail, lower than the rest, on the uphill side, contained the crescentic setting, which closed the entrance to the circle. The maximum height of the cairn was 1ft 15ins. When excavated it was found to contain an entrance passage, with a sill stone. A neat round thumb scraper was found sticking in the natural soil in the centre of the site. There was no ditch to the cairn. (1)

A thumb scraper of grey flint, found at the Belshiel Round Cairn in 1935 and donated to the Society of Antiquaries Newcastle, in November 1935, by Miss Nancy Newbigin. (2)

Thumb scraper now in Blackgate Museum, Newcastle. (3)

Several round cairns on Bellshiel Law. (Symbol on map shows cairns to be south or slightly south-east of the long cairn at Bellshiel). (4)

Centred NT 814 010. Six small round cairns were identified to the south-east of the long cairn (NT 80 SW 8). They vary from 2m to 5m in diameter and from 0.2m to 0.7m in height. All have suffered mutilation to some degree. Other stony scatters in the area may also be the remains of cairns but they could not be identified with certainty. The cairn excavated in 1935 is referred to by authority (1) as 'one of a group of round barrows'. It would therefore appear almost certain that it formed one of the group identified. The excavated cairn is described by authority (1) as being '175 yards downhill from the artillery post'. The latter would appear to refer to the metal beacon on the summit of Bellshiel Law (Trig 1068), but this is some 350m uphill from the nearest of the six cairns. Perambulation revealed no trace of a cairn within a radius of 175 yards. The term 'artillery post' may refer to an iron post with star-shaped head, apparently associated with the artillery range, embedded in the east end of the long cairn. This post is approximately 150m uphill from Cairn 'A' (NT 8141 0103). This cairn, the largest of the group, with a diameter of 5m and a maximum height of 0.7m, has some large stones set on edge on or near its perimeter. Although badly mutilated it is the one that most resembles the description by authority (1), and being the largest would be more likely selected for excavation.
It is concluded that the excavated cairn is one of the group identified, possibly cairn 'A'. (5)

The majority of the cairns identified by Fl are small clearance heaps plainly associated with fragmentary field banks, and the result of comparatively recent agricultural activity.
Cairn 'A' is more substantial (see photograph) and could be a denuded round cairn with some overlying clearance material. Surveyed at 6" scale. (6)

Situated at NT 8142 0104 (not on Bellshiel Law summit but a good 400m to the south east on a south facing grass-covered hill slope) is an irregular shaped pile of outcrop rock covered by boulders and stones. It measures about 11.5m east-west by 8m transversely and is about 0.7m maximum height.
This is without doubt the feature referred to by Authority 1. Its position though not prominent would be acceptable for a cairn but little else about it is. The stones appear to be unconsolidated and several large boulders around the south west (described by Authority 1) as 'a good kerb') are not earthfast or particularly contiguous, show no signs of having continued around the perimeter and give the impression of being more a possible natural rock formation than a kerb. It may possibly have been a round cairn as suggested but if so it has been severely robbed, mutilated and destroyed and there is nothing evident now to confirm it as a cairn.
There are no traces of 'field banks' or 'recent agricultural activity' (referred to by Authority 6) though there are several small irregular-shaped stony mounds (as described by Authority 5) in the area, some of which have the appearance of possible clearance heaps but these, in lack of other evidence, are very doubtful. No survey action. (7)

Scheduled. (8)

Survey by Border Archaeological Society in 2000, located a number of features in this area, including three cup marked stones, cairns and linear mounds. (9)

Cairnfield surveyed and found to be covered in surface stone and unlikely to have ever been ploughed. Some 17 probable cairns identified here are thought more likely to be burial cairns, rather than the result of agricultural clearance. (10)

NT 8143 0105. Cairn group 330m SE of Bellshiel Law. Scheduled RSM No 20933. A discrete group of six cairns visible as low grassy mounds measuring between 0.3m and 0.5m across and between 0.2m and 0.7m high. One cairn , more substantial than the others, is irregularly shaped and measures 11.5m E-W by 8.0m and stands 0.7m high. This cairn was the one excavated in 1935. Historic accounts suggest that there were formerly more round cairns but some were destroyed for road metalling earlier this century. (11a)