Scheduled MonumentsScotlandGarheugh,cairn 1050m NW of
Cairn

Garheugh,cairn 1050m NW of

Scotland
HES SM4679
Site type
Cairn
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Garheugh is a cairn situated in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland, approximately 1050 metres north-west of Garheugh. The monument stands on bedrock of the Gala Group, a sequence of wacke deposits laid down during the Telychian period of the early Silurian, around 435 million years ago. This geology is characteristic of the Southern Uplands, where ancient marine sediments now form the foundation of the landscape.

The cairn comprises a mound of stones, a common funerary or ceremonial monument type of Bronze Age date found throughout Scotland. Such structures typically functioned as burial monuments or territorial markers, and often contain cists, chambers or cremated remains, though the internal structure of this example is not documented. The surrounding terrain of Wigtownshire, with its moorland and pastoral character, would have been broadly similar in the Bronze Age, though forest coverage may have been more extensive.

The cairn is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4679, recognising its importance as a surviving element of Bronze Age ritual and burial practice in the region. Despite its exposed position on ancient wacke bedrock, it remains a substantial physical reminder of prehistoric settlement and ceremony in south-west Scotland.

Garheugh,cairn 1050m NW of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4679. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Garheugh,cairn 1050m NW of?

Garheugh is a cairn situated in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland, approximately 1050 metres north-west of Garheugh. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4679.

Who is responsible for protecting Garheugh,cairn 1050m NW of?

Garheugh,cairn 1050m NW 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 SM4679.

What other scheduled monuments are near Garheugh,cairn 1050m NW of?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cairn Buy,cairn 720m NW of Garheugh (0.4 km), Craignarget, cairn 800m ENE of (0.6 km), High Gillespie,long cairn 475m SSE of (1.7 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Garheugh,cairn 1050m NW of

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Garheugh,cairn 1050m NW of's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Garheugh,cairn 1050m NW of

Garheugh,cairn 1050m NW of stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.