Scheduled MonumentsScotlandCairn, 1.2km NNE of Whitecairn
1.2km nne of whitecairn

Cairn, 1.2km NNE of Whitecairn

Scotland
HES SM1915
Site type
1.2km nne of whitecairn
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Cairn, 1.2km NNE of Whitecairn is a prehistoric burial monument situated on the rolling terrain of Wigtownshire in south-west Scotland. The cairn stands on bedrock of the Shinnel and Glenlee Formations, tough wacke sandstones of Ashgill age that underlie this upland landscape. These ancient gritstones provided both the geological foundation and likely the building material for the stone heap that would have marked the grave of an important individual or community in the Bronze Age or earlier.

The monument occupies a characteristic position within the prehistoric settlement pattern of the region, positioned to be visible across the surrounding moorland. The specific geology of Wigtownshire—with its exposures of hard, knappable stone—shaped the character of burial practices here, as cairn-builders worked with the readily available local rock rather than importing materials from elsewhere.

The site is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Scotland's designation SM1915, reflecting its value to our understanding of prehistoric funerary practices and settlement in south-west Scotland. The cairn survives as evidence of Bronze Age communities who inhabited this landscape and marked the graves of their dead with enduring stone monuments.

Cairn, 1.2km NNE of Whitecairn is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1915. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cairn, 1.2km NNE of Whitecairn?

Cairn, 1.2km NNE of Whitecairn is a prehistoric burial monument situated on the rolling terrain of Wigtownshire in south-west Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1915.

Who is responsible for protecting Cairn, 1.2km NNE of Whitecairn?

Cairn, 1.2km NNE of Whitecairn 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 SM1915.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cairn, 1.2km NNE of Whitecairn?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Glenluce Abbey (3.8 km), Castle of Park, castle, Glenluce (4.5 km), Glenluce Roman camp, 380m W of Corsehead (4.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Cairn, 1.2km NNE of Whitecairn

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cairn, 1.2km NNE of Whitecairn's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Cairn, 1.2km NNE of Whitecairn

Cairn, 1.2km NNE of Whitecairn stands on Shinnel Formation And Glenlee Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is wacke.