These penitential cairns, aligned north to south, form part of St. Columbkille’s turas, a traditional pilgrimage route that winds through this corner of County Donegal. The southern cairn measures roughly 3 metres across and rises just under a metre high, whilst its northern companion is the larger of the pair at 4.2 metres in diameter and standing 1.12 metres tall. Both structures maintain their subcircular shape despite the passage of time.

What makes these cairns particularly significant is their role as Station 11 on the turas, marked by a stone slab that rests atop the northern cairn. This modest marker, measuring 42cm by 22cm and 14cm thick, serves as a focal point for pilgrims following the ancient route associated with St. Columbkille (also known as St. Columba), the 6th-century Irish abbot who founded the monastery at Iona and whose name graces the valley itself.

These monuments were documented as part of the Archaeological Survey of County Donegal, a comprehensive cataloguing effort completed in 1983 that recorded field antiquities from the Mesolithic period through to the 17th century. The cairns remain accessible to visitors exploring the valley’s rich spiritual heritage, offering a tangible connection to centuries of devotional practice in this atmospheric landscape where pilgrimage traditions continue to this day.