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Balenduin Cairn is a prehistoric monument located in Perthshire, Scotland, and is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. The cairn sits on bedrock of the Southern Highland Group, a geological formation comprising psammite and pelite rocks that date to the Middle Cambrian period. This solid foundation of metamorphic stone would have provided a stable base for the monument's construction.
Like other cairns of its type, Balenduin was built as a burial monument or ritual structure, its stones carefully stacked to create a substantial mound visible across the surrounding landscape. The specific location in Perthshire places it within a region rich in prehistoric archaeology, where such monuments served important ceremonial and commemorative functions for early Bronze Age or earlier communities.
The monument's survival into the modern era, despite centuries of potential disturbance, reflects both the robust construction typical of cairn-building societies and the protection afforded by the remote terrain of Perthshire. Today it remains a tangible link to the material culture and settlement patterns of prehistoric Scotland, accessible to those interested in understanding the monumental achievements of early Scottish communities.
Balenduin, cairn 80m SE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4318. View the official record →
Balenduin Cairn is a prehistoric monument located in Perthshire, Scotland, and is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4318.
Balenduin, cairn 80m SE 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 SM4318.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cup and ring marked stone, dun and farmstead 70m SW of Brae of Cultullich (4.4 km), Castle Dow,hut circles 1150m SSW of,950m S of & 1300m SSE of (4.8 km), Creag Eilid,settlements,field system and cairn 1000m ESE of (5.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Balenduin, cairn 80m SE 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.
Balenduin, cairn 80m SE of stands on Southern Highland Group, bedrock that formed in the Middle Cambrian. The rock here is psammite and pelite.