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Ceann a'Gharaodh is a Bronze Age stone circle and cairn situated in Ross-shire, Scotland, approximately 250 metres north of the settlement it is named after. The monument stands on bedrock of Lewisian Complex gneiss, ancient metamorphic rock formed during the Proterozoic and amongst the oldest geological material in Britain. This underlying foundation of grey banded gneiss is characteristic of the far north-west Highlands and shapes the landscape in which the circle was erected.
The site comprises both a stone circle and an associated cairn, typical of Bronze Age ritual and ceremonial monuments constructed across northern Scotland during the second millennium BCE. Such monuments often served as places of gathering, burial, or astronomical observation, reflecting the beliefs and social organisation of their communities. The combination of circle and cairn suggests sustained activity and investment at this location during prehistory.
Ceann a'Gharaodh is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5433, recognising its archaeological significance and ensuring its preservation. The monument remains a tangible record of Bronze Age settlement and ceremonial practice in Ross-shire, situated within a landscape shaped by some of Scotland's most ancient rock formations.
Ceann a'Gharaodh,stone circle and cairn 250m N of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5433. View the official record →
Ceann a'Gharaodh is a Bronze Age stone circle and cairn situated in Ross-shire, Scotland, approximately 250 metres north of the settlement it is named after. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5433.
Ceann a'Gharaodh,stone circle and cairn 250m N of dates from the bronze age period, and is classified as a stone circle and cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Ceann a'Gharaodh,stone circle and cairn 250m N of 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 SM5433.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cnoc Fillibhir Bheag,stone circle and stone settings (0.3 km), Calanais or Callanish Standing Stones (1 km), Sron a'Chail,stone circle and cairn 450m SSE of Ceann Hulavig (2.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Ceann a'Gharaodh,stone circle and cairn 250m N of'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.
Ceann a'Gharaodh,stone circle and cairn 250m N of stands on Lewisian Complex, bedrock that formed in the Proterozoic. The rock here is gneiss.