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Culburnie Ring Cairn and Stone Circle is a Bronze Age ceremonial monument situated in Inverness-shire, standing on bedrock of Lower Old Red Sandstone formed during the Early Devonian period. The underlying geology comprises conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone typical of this ancient riverine depositional system. The monument combines two distinct Bronze Age traditions: a ring cairn—a circular mound of stones with a hollowed centre—alongside an associated stone circle, reflecting the ritual practices of upland communities in the Scottish Highlands during the second millennium BC.
Ring cairns are relatively uncommon monuments in the British archaeological record, making Culburnie a significant example of Bronze Age funerary or ceremonial practice. The juxtaposition of both cairn and stone circle suggests this was a location of considerable ritual importance, where multiple generations may have gathered for ceremonies or interred their dead. The moorland location on the higher ground of Inverness-shire would have been a conspicuous landmark in the ancient landscape.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2425, reflecting its national importance as a well-preserved Bronze Age ceremonial complex. The survival of both stone structures provides valuable archaeological evidence of the spatial organisation and spiritual beliefs of Bronze Age Highland communities, whose monumental building practices adapted to the upland terrain and available local stone resources.
Culburnie,ring cairn & stone circle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2425. View the official record →
Culburnie Ring Cairn and Stone Circle is a Bronze Age ceremonial monument situated in Inverness-shire, standing on bedrock of Lower Old Red Sandstone formed during the Early Devonian period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2425.
Culburnie,ring cairn & stone circle dates from the bronze age period, and is classified as a ring cairn & stone circle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Culburnie,ring cairn & stone circle 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 SM2425.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tom na Croiseige, stepped mound (2.1 km), Belladrum, chambered cairns 250m NNE of Brockie's Lodge (2.3 km), Belladrum Home Farm,chambered cairn WNW of (2.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Culburnie,ring cairn & stone circle'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.
Culburnie,ring cairn & stone circle stands on Lower Old Red Sandstone, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.