Scheduled MonumentsScotlandCairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists
Neolithic · Chambered cairn, cairns and cists

Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists

Scotland
HES SM90048
Period
Neolithic
Site type
Chambered cairn, cairns and cists
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Cairn of Get is a Neolithic chambered cairn located in Caithness in the far north of Scotland. The monument sits upon bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a formation of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone dating to the Middle Devonian period. This local geology would have provided suitable stone for construction and helps characterise the landscape in which the cairn's builders chose to site this funerary structure.

Chambered cairns represent a significant class of Neolithic monument in northern Scotland, typically constructed as stone mounds covering internal burial chambers. These communal tombs served ritual and funerary purposes over extended periods. Cairn of Get belongs to this tradition of monumental architecture, which flourished across the region during the Neolithic.

The cairn is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under scheduled monument reference SM90048, ensuring the long-term preservation of this important archaeological resource. The site contributes to our understanding of Neolithic settlement patterns, burial practices and stone construction in the far north of Britain during the fourth and third millennia before the present.

Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90048. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists?

Cairn of Get is a Neolithic chambered cairn located in Caithness in the far north of Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90048.

What period does Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists date from?

Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists dates from the neolithic period, and is classified as a chambered cairn, cairns and cists. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists?

Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists 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 SM90048.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Broughwhin, cairn and stone row 190m NW of Groat's Loch (0.2 km), Watenan,fort 100m SSW of,Ulbster (0.4 km), Groat's Loch, cairn 225m WSW of (0.4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists'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 of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists

Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.