© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Balnacraig is a Neolithic long cairn situated in Aberdeenshire, approximately 260 metres north-north-west of the settlement from which it takes its name. The monument lies upon bedrock of the Argyll Group, a complex of metamorphic rocks formed during the Neoproterozoic, comprising psammite, semipelite and pelite. These hard metamorphic deposits would have presented considerable challenges to the Neolithic builders who constructed the cairn, requiring the extraction and transport of stone from surface sources or nearby quarries to raise the characteristic elongated burial mound.
Long cairns of this type represent the earliest monumental architecture in Britain, typically dating to the Neolithic period and serving as communal burial places. The form and orientation of such cairns often reflect both practical building methods and cosmological beliefs of their constructors. Balnacraig exemplifies this tradition in the North-East of Scotland, a region rich in Neolithic monuments.
The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM4683, ensuring its preservation for future study and public benefit.
Balnacraig,long cairn 260m NNW of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4683. View the official record →
Balnacraig is a Neolithic long cairn situated in Aberdeenshire, approximately 260 metres north-north-west of the settlement from which it takes its name. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4683.
Balnacraig,long cairn 260m NNW of dates from the neolithic period, and is classified as a long cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Balnacraig,long cairn 260m NNW 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 SM4683.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Blue Cairn, long cairn 750m ESE of Tillyduke (1.3 km), Knockenzie,settlement and field system W of (1.5 km), Ferrar,hut circle and field systems 300m SSE of to 550m E of (2.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Balnacraig,long cairn 260m NNW 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.
Balnacraig,long cairn 260m NNW of stands on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.