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Little Barnhouse is a mound situated 160 metres north-east of the settlement of Little Barnhouse in Orkney, Scotland. The monument stands on bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a sequence of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone laid down during the Middle Devonian period. This geological foundation is characteristic of much of Orkney's underlying geology, which has influenced settlement patterns and land use across the islands for millennia.
The mound itself represents a significant archaeological feature within the Orkney landscape, though its precise origins and chronology require further investigation. Mounds of this type in Orkney may derive from various periods and purposes, ranging from prehistoric ceremonial sites to later domestic or agricultural features. The local topography and proximity to arable land would have made this location suitable for habitation or activity in antiquity.
The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the statutory designation SM10233, reflecting its archaeological importance within the regional context. Its survival to the present day, despite Orkney's intensive agricultural use over many centuries, indicates the monument's resilience and continued significance as a physical record of the islands' past occupation and use.
Little Barnhouse, mound, 160m NE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM10233. View the official record →
Little Barnhouse is a mound situated 160 metres north-east of the settlement of Little Barnhouse in Orkney, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM10233.
Little Barnhouse, mound, 160m NE 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 SM10233.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Barnhouse Stone, standing stone (1.2 km), Knowe of Onston,or Unstan,chambered cairn (2 km), Diamond Cottage,defended promontory N of (2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Little Barnhouse, mound, 160m NE of'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.
Little Barnhouse, mound, 160m NE of stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.