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Cairn Hill is a medieval burnt mound situated near the head of Castle Geo on the island of Stroma in Caithness. The monument comprises accumulated burnt stone, a characteristic feature of these structures which date from the later medieval period onwards. The site lies on bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone formed during the Middle Devonian period, comprising conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone that has weathered into the challenging landscape of the Pentland Firth.
Burnt mounds such as Cairn Hill are believed to have served industrial or domestic thermal purposes, possibly connected to food processing or textile production. The accumulation of heat-fractured stones represents episodes of repeated burning and quenching, activities that would have left tangible traces in the archaeological record. This particular monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM9765.
Stroma itself lies at the intersection of significant sea routes, and the presence of such structures testifies to settlement and sustained activity on the island during the medieval period. The burnt mound at Cairn Hill remains an important record of past land use and the practical activities that supported island communities in northern Scotland.
Cairn Hill, burnt mound near head of Castle Geo, Stroma is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM9765. View the official record →
Cairn Hill is a medieval burnt mound situated near the head of Castle Geo on the island of Stroma in Caithness. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM9765.
Cairn Hill, burnt mound near head of Castle Geo, Stroma dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a burnt mound near head of castle geo, stroma. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cairn Hill, burnt mound near head of Castle Geo, Stroma 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 SM9765.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Girnieclett, mound 300m ESE of Mell Head, Stroma (1.8 km), Castle Mestag, fortified sea-stack, Stroma (2 km), Stroma Lighthouse,chambered cairn SW of,Island of Stroma (2.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cairn Hill, burnt mound near head of Castle Geo, Stroma'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 Hill, burnt mound near head of Castle Geo, Stroma stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.