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Linga Holm is a pair of cairns situated in Orkney, Scotland. The monuments rest upon Middle Devonian sandstone bedrock, with underlying deposits of siltstone and marl typical of this geological period. The site is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1374.
The two cairns represent a form of burial monument common throughout Orkney during the Bronze Age and Iron Age periods. Their construction utilised stone readily available from the local landscape, built up into substantial heaps that would have been visible markers across the Orkney terrain. The sandstone geology of the site provided suitable material for cairn construction, though the softer siltstone and marl bedrock beneath would have influenced drainage and ground conditions around the monuments.
Like many Orkney cairn pairs, these structures may have served distinct purposes within their contemporary society, whether as burial sites, territorial markers, or ritual monuments. The survival of both cairns into the present day reflects both their robust construction and the relative stability of the Orkney landscape, allowing these ancient monuments to endure as evidence of prehistoric settlement and burial practices in the northern islands.
Linga Holm,two cairns is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1374. View the official record →
Linga Holm is a pair of cairns situated in Orkney, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1374.
Linga Holm,two cairns 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 SM1374.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Linga Holm,mound (0.3 km), Lochend,chambered cairn 450m NW of,Stronsay (2.5 km), Oram's Fancy,two cairns 250m NW of Sandybank (3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Linga Holm,two cairns'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.
Linga Holm,two cairns stands on Middle Devonian sandstone, bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is major:{sandstone}, Minor{siltstone,marl}.