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Cairn of Shiels is a cairn situated in Kincardineshire, Scotland, and is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. The monument lies upon bedrock composed of mafic lava and tuff dating to the Devonian period, geological foundations that have supported human activity in this landscape for thousands of years. This underlying geology of ancient volcanic rock shaped both the physical character of the site and the availability of stone for cairn construction.
Cairns of this type were typically erected during the Bronze Age, serving as burial monuments or territorial markers across the Scottish Highlands and lowlands. The stone mound that constitutes the Cairn of Shiels would have been laboriously gathered and assembled by hand, a significant undertaking reflecting the importance placed upon the site by its builders. The monument's survival into the modern era, despite weathering and land management practices, testifies to the durability of such structures.
Today the Cairn of Shiels remains a visible reminder of prehistoric settlement patterns in Kincardineshire. Its scheduled monument status recognises the archaeological and historical significance of the site within Scotland's wider heritage landscape. The monument contributes to understanding how early communities utilised and marked the Deeside region, their relationship to the land evident in stone and placement.
Cairn of Shiels, cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5315. View the official record →
Cairn of Shiels is a cairn situated in Kincardineshire, Scotland, and is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5315.
Cairn of Shiels, 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 SM5315.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Erskine's Knap,burial mound 600m SE of Scotston (1.9 km), Tower of Johnston,cairn and tower (3.3 km), Cairn of Arthurhouse, 260m W of Thornylea (3.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cairn of Shiels, 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 of Shiels, cairn stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Silurian To Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.