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Dunfallandy Bell Cairn is a Neolithic funerary monument located in Perthshire, Scotland, and is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. The cairn sits upon bedrock of the Southern Highland Group, formed during the Middle Cambrian period from alternating layers of psammite and pelite that underlie much of this region. Bell cairns are distinctive monuments of the fourth millennium BC, characterised by a broad mound of stone with a steep-sided central cist or burial chamber. This particular example represents an important archaeological resource for understanding Neolithic burial practices in the Scottish Highlands.
The monument's position within the Perthshire landscape reflects the settlement patterns of Neolithic communities who favoured upland areas with access to varied resources. The underlying geology of metamorphic rock would have provided suitable material for monument construction and tool-making. Bell cairns typically contained single or multiple inhumations, though the preservation of human remains depends largely on soil chemistry and local conditions.
Dunfallandy Bell Cairn remains a significant Bronze Age heritage site, contributing to our understanding of early monumental burial traditions in Scotland. Its protected status ensures preservation for future archaeological study and historical interpretation.
Dunfallandy,bell cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2259. View the official record →
Dunfallandy Bell Cairn is a Neolithic funerary monument located in Perthshire, Scotland, and is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2259.
Dunfallandy,bell cairn 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 SM2259.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cairn 30m NW of Sunny Bank, Balnaguard (5.2 km), Logierait Churchyard,cross slab (5.4 km), Castle Dow,fort (6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dunfallandy,bell cairn'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.
Dunfallandy,bell cairn stands on Southern Highland Group, bedrock that formed in the Middle Cambrian. The rock here is psammite and pelite.