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Hillock of Garth is a cairn located 900 metres south of Garth on the Orkney Islands. The monument sits upon bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, formed during the Middle Devonian period, comprising conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone deposits. This geological foundation is typical of Orkney's underlying geology and would have been exposed or near-surface when the cairn was constructed during the prehistoric period.
The cairn represents a form of funerary or ceremonial monument common throughout northern Scotland during the Neolithic and Bronze Age. Its placement on slightly elevated ground reflects the prehistoric practice of building such monuments in visually prominent locations within the landscape. The Orkney islands contain numerous examples of cairns, demonstrating the sustained use of these islands for burial and ritual purposes across many centuries.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the reference SM1277, recognising its significance as part of Orkney's archaeological heritage. The cairn survives as evidence of prehistoric settlement patterns and ritual practices in these northern islands, contributing to understanding of ancient Scottish communities.
Hillock of Garth, cairn 900m S of Garth is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1277. View the official record →
Hillock of Garth is a cairn located 900 metres south of Garth on the Orkney Islands. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1277.
Hillock of Garth, cairn 900m S of Garth 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 SM1277.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Hillocks of Garth, burial mounds 70m SW of (1 km), Burrody's Hill, enclosed settlement (2.9 km), Broch of Lingro, broch (4.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Hillock of Garth, cairn 900m S of Garth'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.
Hillock of Garth, cairn 900m S of Garth stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.