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Earls Knoll is a Neolithic long cairn situated on Orkney's gently undulating terrain, where bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone from the Middle Devonian period underlies the monument. The Orkney islands contain some of Britain's finest Neolithic monuments, and this cairn represents a significant example of the long chambered tombs constructed during the third millennium BC, when communities used such structures for collective burial and ritual purposes over extended periods. The site's location reflects the pattern of Neolithic settlement across Orkney, where access to productive land and maritime resources shaped the placement of ceremonial monuments.
Today the monument survives as an earthwork cairn whose original stone structure, typical of Orkney long cairns, may remain partially preserved beneath vegetation. A windmill erected at a later date SSW of East House now stands near the ancient monument, creating a landscape that layers different periods of human activity and land use.
Earls Knoll is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM1260, recognising its significance as a surviving example of Orkney's remarkable Neolithic heritage.
Earls Knoll,long cairn & windmill SSW of East House is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1260. View the official record →
Earls Knoll is a Neolithic long cairn situated on Orkney's gently undulating terrain, where bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone from the Middle Devonian period underlies the monument. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1260.
Earls Knoll,long cairn & windmill SSW of East House dates from the neolithic period, and is classified as a long cairn & windmill ssw of east house. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Earls Knoll,long cairn & windmill SSW of East House 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 SM1260.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Papa Stronsay, burnt mound 500m E of Mill (0.3 km), Papa Stronsay, kelp kiln 120m N of Mill (0.7 km), Doocot Knowe,broch,Papa Stronsay (0.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Earls Knoll,long cairn & windmill SSW of East House'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.
Earls Knoll,long cairn & windmill SSW of East House stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.