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Craighead is a platform settlement located in Lanarkshire, Scotland, approximately 1200 metres west-north-west of the village centre. The monument sits upon bedrock of the Kirkcolm Formation, a hard, fine-grained wacke of Caradocian age that rises through the landscape of this upland region. This geological foundation would have provided a naturally well-drained location suitable for settlement, with stone readily available for construction purposes from the surrounding rocky terrain.
Platform settlements represent a distinctive form of prehistoric settlement, typically dating to the Bronze Age, where structures were built on artificially levelled or naturally elevated ground. At Craighead, the platform arrangement offered practical advantages for habitation in the undulating Lanarkshire countryside, protecting residents from damp ground conditions whilst affording views across the surrounding landscape. The wacke bedrock at this location would have weathered to produce workable building stone.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Scotland's national record, reference SM4485. This designation recognises Craighead's archaeological significance as evidence of prehistoric settlement patterns and land use in south-central Scotland. The monument contributes to understanding how early communities exploited the upland resources and terrain of Lanarkshire during the Bronze Age period.
Craighead, platform settlement 1200m WNW of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4485. View the official record →
Craighead is a platform settlement located in Lanarkshire, Scotland, approximately 1200 metres west-north-west of the village centre. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4485.
Craighead, platform settlement 1200m WNW 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 SM4485.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Lettershaws,platform settlement 1000m NE of (2.9 km), Waterhead,platform settlement 900m N of (5.3 km), Boghead,platform settlement 500m SW of (5.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Craighead, platform settlement 1200m WNW 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.
Craighead, platform settlement 1200m WNW of stands on Kirkcolm Formation, bedrock that formed in the Caradocian. The rock here is wacke.