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Carn Liath is a Neolithic chambered cairn situated 380 metres south-west of Kensaleyre Church in Inverness-shire, Scotland. The monument stands on bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks, comprising mafic lava and mafic tuff that formed during volcanic activity millions of years ago. This dark, volcanic geology is characteristic of the Inner Hebrides landscape and would have been familiar to the Neolithic communities who constructed the cairn.
The cairn belongs to the tradition of communal burial monuments that flourished across northern Britain during the Neolithic period, typically serving as burial chambers and ceremonial centres for local populations. Chambered cairns were constructed by stacking stones into substantial mounds, with internal passage and chamber arrangements designed to facilitate repeated use for interment over generations.
Carn Liath is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3514, recognising its significance as a scheduled monument. The site contributes to understanding Neolithic settlement and ritual practice in the Inner Hebrides, where the density of such monuments reflects sustained occupation and social organisation among early farming communities during the third millennium BCE.
Carn Liath,chambered cairn 380m SW of Kensaleyre Church is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3514. View the official record →
Carn Liath is a Neolithic chambered cairn situated 380 metres south-west of Kensaleyre Church in Inverness-shire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3514.
Carn Liath,chambered cairn 380m SW of Kensaleyre Church dates from the neolithic period, and is classified as a chambered cairn 380m sw of kensaleyre church. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Carn Liath,chambered cairn 380m SW of Kensaleyre Church 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 SM3514.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kensaleyre Church,two cairns 320m & 180m SW of (0.1 km), Kensaleyre Church, cairns and standing stones 1200m SSE of (1 km), Dun Cruinn,fort,Kensaleyre (1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Carn Liath,chambered cairn 380m SW of Kensaleyre Church'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.
Carn Liath,chambered cairn 380m SW of Kensaleyre Church stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.