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Armadale Bay, cairn 30m E of Faoilinn Cottage is a Bronze Age burial cairn situated on the Inverness-shire coast. The monument rests on bedrock of the Lewisian Complex, ancient gneiss formed during the Proterozoic, some of the oldest rock in Britain. This durable metamorphic foundation would have provided a naturally prominent location for the construction of a funerary monument, with outcrops potentially visible in the surrounding landscape.
The cairn lies 30 metres east of Faoilinn Cottage in Armadale Bay, positioned within the dramatic Highland coastal terrain. Bronze Age communities regularly selected elevated or distinctive landscape features for burial monuments, exploiting both the natural topography and the symbolic endurance of such ancient rock formations. The substantial Lewisian bedrock underlying the site would have influenced both the construction method and the visibility of the monument within its bay setting.
The cairn is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM13725, reflecting its archaeological significance as evidence of prehistoric settlement and burial practice along the northern Scottish coast. Such monuments are invaluable for understanding Bronze Age funerary customs and the territorial organisation of ancient communities in the Scottish Highlands.
Armadale Bay, cairn 30m E of Faoilinn Cottage is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM13725. View the official record →
Armadale Bay, cairn 30m E of Faoilinn Cottage is a Bronze Age burial cairn situated on the Inverness-shire coast. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM13725.
Armadale Bay, cairn 30m E of Faoilinn Cottage is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM13725.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Caisteal Camus or Knock Castle, on site of Dun Horavaig (5.9 km), Knock,dun 1200m NE of (7.3 km), Dun Scaich,castle,Tokavaig (9.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Armadale Bay, cairn 30m E of Faoilinn Cottage's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Armadale Bay, cairn 30m E of Faoilinn Cottage stands on Lewisian Complex, bedrock that formed in the Proterozoic. The rock here is gneiss.