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Braidenoch Hill cross slabs is a Caradocian wacke monument group in Kirkcudbrightshire. The cross slabs lie upon bedrock of the Portpatrick and Glenwhargen formations, undifferentiated, part of the ancient greywacke deposits that underlie much of the southern Uplands. This hard, competent stone provided a stable geological foundation for the carved monuments, though the wacke itself is notably difficult to work and suggests the cross slabs represent considerable labour by their makers.
The monument consists of incised stone crosses typical of early medieval Scots-Gaelic Christian practice, a tradition that spread through Argyll and the western Lowlands from the 6th century onwards. Such carved slabs commonly marked burial grounds, monastic sites, or other sacred locations within the landscape. The specific positioning of these stones upon Braidenoch Hill may reflect both the prominence of the location and the availability of suitable stone.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1105, recognising its importance to the archaeological and cultural heritage of Kirkcudbrightshire. The survival of these carved stones depends upon the stability of the underlying wacke bedrock and careful management of the moorland setting in which they stand.
Braidenoch Hill,cross slabs is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1105. View the official record →
Braidenoch Hill cross slabs is a Caradocian wacke monument group in Kirkcudbrightshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1105.
Braidenoch Hill,cross slabs 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 SM1105.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cairn Avel,cairn 800m S of Carsphairn (2 km), Polmaddy,medieval and post-medieval settlement (3.6 km), Holm of Daltallochan,cross slab (3.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Braidenoch Hill,cross slabs'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.
Braidenoch Hill,cross slabs stands on Portpatrick Formation And Glenwhargen Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Caradocian. The rock here is wacke.