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Dalcross Castle is a Neolithic chambered cairn and stone circle located in Inverness-shire, Scotland, situated 200 metres north-east of Dalcross Castle itself. The monument occupies bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, formed during the Middle Devonian period and composed of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone. This geological foundation has supported human ritual activity for nearly five thousand years.
The site comprises two distinct components: a chambered cairn and an adjacent stone circle. The chambered cairn represents a communal burial monument typical of the Neolithic period across northern Britain, when communities constructed substantial stone monuments to house their dead and serve as territorial markers. The accompanying stone circle indicates the site's continued ritual significance, possibly extending into the Bronze Age, when circles became focal points for ceremonial gatherings.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under statutory designation SM4853, recognising its national importance as an archaeological resource. The combination of chambered cairn and stone circle at this location provides evidence of sustained ceremonial practice across multiple millennia on this Inverness-shire landscape. The specific local geology of sandstone and conglomerate would have influenced both the construction methods available to prehistoric builders and the monument's preservation into the modern era.
Dalcross Castle,chambered cairn and stone circle 200m NE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4853. View the official record →
Dalcross Castle is a Neolithic chambered cairn and stone circle located in Inverness-shire, Scotland, situated 200 metres north-east of Dalcross Castle itself. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4853.
Dalcross Castle,chambered cairn and stone circle 200m NE of dates from the neolithic period, and is classified as a chambered cairn and stone circle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Dalcross Castle,chambered cairn and stone circle 200m NE 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 SM4853.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Milton of Clava, cairn 215m SSW of (5.2 km), Milton of Clava, chapel and standing stone 255m SSW of (5.3 km), Ballaggan, mound 420m WNW of (5.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dalcross Castle,chambered cairn and stone circle 200m NE 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.
Dalcross Castle,chambered cairn and stone circle 200m NE of stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.