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Cairn Geddes is a cairn situated in Perthshire, Scotland, standing on bedrock formed from ancient mafic lavas and tuffs laid down during the Devonian period. The dark volcanic stone underlying the site provided the raw material for cairn construction, making this monument a direct expression of its geological setting. Such monuments typically served as burial markers or territorial markers in prehistoric Scotland, though the precise date and purpose of Cairn Geddes cannot be determined without excavation.
The cairn represents a form of monumental construction widespread across Scotland from the Bronze Age into the Iron Age, built by heaping stone into a substantial mound. The Devonian volcanic bedrock would have offered readily available stone, with broken rock from the underlying extrusive formations used to construct the visible cairn structure. The dark mafic composition of the local geology gives the monument's stones their characteristic appearance.
The cairn is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM9459, reflecting its archaeological significance within the Scottish heritage record. The monument remains an important surviving example of cairn construction in Perthshire, contributing to our understanding of prehistoric and protohistoric settlement patterns and ceremonial practice across the region.
Cairn Geddes, cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM9459. View the official record →
Cairn Geddes is a cairn situated in Perthshire, Scotland, standing on bedrock formed from ancient mafic lavas and tuffs laid down during the Devonian period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM9459.
Cairn Geddes, cairn 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 SM9459.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Balvaird Castle (5.2 km), Nether Tillyrie, souterrain 490m W of (7.1 km), Nether Tillyrie, settlement and souterrain 550m W of (7.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cairn Geddes, cairn'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.
Cairn Geddes, cairn stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Silurian To Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.