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Carnethy Hill cairn is a funerary monument situated on the Pentland Hills near Silverburn in Midlothian, Scotland. The cairn rests upon Silurian to Devonian bedrock of felsic lava and tuff, geological formations that underlie much of this elevated moorland landscape. These ancient igneous rocks, formed during volcanic activity hundreds of millions of years ago, have shaped the terrain where Bronze Age communities chose to establish this burial site.
The monument is a substantial stone cairn, a burial form characteristic of prehistoric Scotland. Such cairns served as communal or individual burial places and typically contained cremated remains, sometimes accompanied by grave goods. The Pentland Hills location would have offered a prominent and visible resting place for the deceased, commanding views across the surrounding country.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1152, recognising its archaeological significance and antiquity. The cairn represents a record of ritual practice and landscape use during the Bronze Age, when cairn construction was widespread across upland Scotland. Today it remains an important monument to this prehistoric period of settlement and funerary custom in the Scottish Borders region.
Carnethy Hill,cairn,Silverburn is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1152. View the official record →
Carnethy Hill cairn is a funerary monument situated on the Pentland Hills near Silverburn in Midlothian, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1152.
Carnethy Hill,cairn,Silverburn 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 SM1152.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Camp Hill, fort 300m N of Braidwood Bridge (2.5 km), Ravensneuk Castle (3.5 km), Brunston Castle (3.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Carnethy Hill,cairn,Silverburn'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.
Carnethy Hill,cairn,Silverburn stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Silurian To Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is felsic lava and felsic tuff.