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Dalvaird Cairn is a Bronze Age burial monument located in Kirkcudbrightshire, southwestern Scotland, situated 320 metres north-north-east of Dalvaird. The cairn stands upon bedrock of the Portpatrick and Glenwhargen Formations, Caradocian wacke deposits that dominate the local geology of this region. This stone foundation would have provided a stable base for the monument's construction, though the substantial effort required to build such a structure reflects the importance placed upon marking and commemorating the dead during the Bronze Age.
Cairns of this type typically date to the second millennium BC and served as burial monuments, often containing cists or cremation deposits. The choice of location on this wacke bedrock, combined with local stone availability, would have determined the monument's form and durability. The site has been protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland, recognising its archaeological and historical significance.
Today, the cairn remains a physical testimony to Bronze Age burial practices and social organisation in southwestern Scotland. Its survival in the Kirkcudbrightshire landscape provides valuable evidence for understanding prehistoric settlement patterns and ritual practices in this region during the early metal-working period.
Dalvaird, cairn 320m NNE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1015. View the official record →
Dalvaird Cairn is a Bronze Age burial monument located in Kirkcudbrightshire, southwestern Scotland, situated 320 metres north-north-east of Dalvaird. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1015.
Dalvaird, cairn 320m NNE 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 SM1015.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cordorcan, cairn 750m NE of (1.3 km), The Thieves, standing stones, Blair Hill (1.4 km), Napper's Cottage,chambered cairn (1.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dalvaird, cairn 320m NNE 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.
Dalvaird, cairn 320m NNE of stands on Portpatrick Formation And Glenwhargen Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Caradocian. The rock here is wacke.