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Collessie Cairn is a prehistoric stone monument situated 390 metres north-west of Collessie Mill Farm in Fife, Scotland. The cairn stands on bedrock composed of Silurian to Devonian extrusive rocks, specifically mafic lava and mafic tuff formed during the Devonian period. This volcanic geology, with its dark, heavy stone, would have provided the primary material for cairn construction in this locality.
Cairns of this type typically served as burial monuments or territorial markers during the Bronze Age, though some may have earlier origins. The surviving structure represents the accumulated work of a prehistoric community, with stones gathered from the immediate landscape and piled to create a substantial mound. The specific positioning on this volcanic bedrock reflects the monument builders' practical knowledge of their surrounding terrain.
The cairn is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3950, recognising its archaeological and heritage significance. Despite the passage of millennia, it remains a tangible record of prehistoric settlement and ritual practice in Fife, contributing to our understanding of early Scottish communities and their relationship with the land they inhabited.
Collessie,cairn 390m NW of Collessie Mill Farm is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3950. View the official record →
Collessie Cairn is a prehistoric stone monument situated 390 metres north-west of Collessie Mill Farm in Fife, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3950.
Collessie,cairn 390m NW of Collessie Mill Farm 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 SM3950.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Myreside, enclosure 100m S of (6 km), Kettlebridge, barrows SW of Back Park (6.5 km), Glenorkie, barrows 300m SSE of (6.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Collessie,cairn 390m NW of Collessie Mill Farm'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.
Collessie,cairn 390m NW of Collessie Mill Farm stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Silurian To Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.