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Cairn Ley is a cairn located on Glaschul Hill in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The monument sits upon bedrock of the Argyll Group, a Neoproterozoic formation composed of psammite, semipelite and pelite, which provides the stony substrate characteristic of the upland terrain in this region. Cairns of this type typically served as burial monuments or territorial markers during the Bronze Age, though the specific date of Cairn Ley remains undetermined without archaeological investigation.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the designation SM10, reflecting its archaeological significance within the Scottish heritage landscape. The Argyll Group geology beneath the site would have provided ready access to stone suitable for cairn construction, a practical advantage that likely influenced the choice of this hilltop location. The psammite and semipelite strata, with their naturally friable character, would have yielded workable stone for the cairn's construction without requiring elaborate quarrying techniques.
Cairn Ley, cairn, Glaschul Hill is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM10. View the official record →
Cairn Ley is a cairn located on Glaschul Hill in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM10.
Cairn Ley, cairn, Glaschul Hill 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 SM10.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including West Davoch, cairn 490m WNW of (7.4 km), Sunnybrae, cairn 160m N of (7.7 km), Milton of Migvie,souterrain 400m SW of (8.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cairn Ley, cairn, Glaschul Hill'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 Ley, cairn, Glaschul Hill stands on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.