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Auchvaich is a Neolithic chambered cairn located in Inverness-shire, Scotland, situated approximately 650 metres west of the settlement from which it takes its name. Like other chambered cairns of its type, it would have served as a communal burial monument during the Neolithic period, constructed to contain one or more stone-built chambers beneath a substantial mound of stone. The monument is now protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4744.
The cairn sits upon bedrock composed of Lower Old Red Sandstone, formed during the Early Devonian period. This foundation comprises conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone, the latter materials indicating a depositional environment subject to periodic water flow and sediment settling. The local geology would have provided the builders with readily available stone resources for constructing both the cairn's outer structure and its internal chambers.
As a chambered cairn in the Highlands, Auchvaich represents an important element of the Neolithic funerary landscape of northern Scotland. These monuments typically date from between approximately 4000 and 2500 BC, marking a period when farming communities first became established in Britain and invested considerable labour in monumental architecture to house their dead. The site's survival to the present day contributes to our understanding of Neolithic settlement patterns and ritual practices in the region.
Auchvaich,chambered cairn 650m W of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4744. View the official record →
Auchvaich is a Neolithic chambered cairn located in Inverness-shire, Scotland, situated approximately 650 metres west of the settlement from which it takes its name. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4744.
Auchvaich,chambered cairn 650m W of dates from the neolithic period, and is classified as a chambered cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Auchvaich,chambered cairn 650m W of 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 SM4744.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tom na Croiseige, stepped mound (1.4 km), Lochlait,settlement & field systems 400m N of (4.9 km), Cnocbreac, hut circle and field system 745m NW of (5.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Auchvaich,chambered cairn 650m W of'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.
Auchvaich,chambered cairn 650m W of stands on Lower Old Red Sandstone, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.