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King's Seat is a cairn situated in Perthshire, Scotland. The monument stands on bedrock composed of mafic volcanic rocks from the Silurian to Devonian period, formed during the Devonian epoch when intense volcanic activity shaped this region of central Scotland. This geological foundation of ancient lava and tuff has weathered over hundreds of millions of years to create the landscape in which the cairn was constructed.
The cairn itself belongs to a widespread tradition of stone burial mounds built across Bronze Age Britain and into later periods. Such monuments typically served as communal or individual burial sites, often marking significant locations in the Bronze Age landscape. The name King's Seat suggests historical or legendary importance attached to the site, a pattern common to Scottish monuments that may have acquired such titles through local tradition or folk memory.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7259, recognising its archaeological significance and its place within the heritage of Perthshire. The cairn survives as a physical record of prehistoric burial practice and settlement patterns in central Scotland, its stone construction ensuring preservation of this Bronze Age legacy within the dramatic landscape of the Tay valley region.
King's Seat, cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7259. View the official record →
King's Seat is a cairn situated in Perthshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7259.
King's Seat, 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 SM7259.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kilspindie, unenclosed settlement N of Mill House (7.3 km), Evelick Castle (7.5 km), Pole Hill, cairn (7.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of King's Seat, 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.
King's Seat, cairn stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Silurian To Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.