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Carlunie Hill is a cairn situated in Angus, Scotland, protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. The monument stands upon bedrock composed of mafic lava and tuff of Silurian to Devonian age, volcanic rocks that were formed during the Devonian period when intense igneous activity shaped this region. This geological foundation, itself the product of ancient volcanic processes, provided the natural platform upon which the cairn builders constructed their monument.
As a cairn, the structure represents a form of communal burial or ceremonial monument typical of prehistoric Scotland. Built from stone gathered from the surrounding landscape, such monuments served multiple purposes for the communities that created them, functioning as burial places, territorial markers, and focal points for ritual activity. The specific character of Carlunie Hill's construction and its current condition reflect the survival of this ancient structure across millennia.
The monument's protection under the Historic Environment Scotland schedule recognises its archaeological and historical significance. The volcanic geology of the site—the very bedrock upon which the cairn rests—forms an integral part of the monument's landscape context, connecting it to the dramatic geological history of the Angus region and the ancient volcanic episodes that shaped the physical terrain surrounding this Bronze Age or earlier construction.
Carlunie Hill, cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6449. View the official record →
Carlunie Hill is a cairn situated in Angus, Scotland, protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6449.
Carlunie Hill, 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 SM6449.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Martin's Stone, cross slab, Balkello (5.8 km), Unenclosed settlement 300m SW of Westwood (6 km), Dundee and Newtyle Railway,embankment SW of Balbeuchly House (6.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Carlunie Hill, 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.
Carlunie Hill, cairn stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Silurian To Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.