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Bell Knowe is a cairn situated near Rhynie in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The monument stands on Lower Old Red Sandstone bedrock, predominantly conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone laid down during the Early Devonian period. This geological foundation characterises the landscape of the Rhynie area, where such Devonian rocks form the underlying strata across the region. The cairn is a prehistoric funerary or ceremonial monument, typical of Bronze Age construction methods, comprising a mound of stones raised over a burial or ritual deposit.
The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM11575, reflecting its archaeological significance within the wider cultural landscape of Aberdeenshire. Cairns of this type were commonly built across northern Scotland during the Bronze Age, serving as enduring markers of burial sites or significant gathering places. The Rhynie locality has yielded evidence of prehistoric settlement and activity, establishing this cairn within a landscape of longstanding human occupation and ritual practice.
Bell Knowe, cairn, Rhynie is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11575. View the official record →
Bell Knowe is a cairn situated near Rhynie in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11575.
Bell Knowe, cairn, Rhynie 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 SM11575.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rhynie, three symbol stones 60m SE of Manse (0.2 km), Craw Stane, symbol stone and enclosure 575m E of Mains of Rhynie (0.2 km), Nether Wheedlemont,stone circle 80m NNE of (1.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Bell Knowe, cairn, Rhynie'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.
Bell Knowe, cairn, Rhynie stands on Lower Old Red Sandstone, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.