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Mainslaughter Law is a cairn situated in Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders. The monument stands on bedrock of the Gala Group, a formation of wacke laid down during the Telychian period of the early Silurian. The name Mainslaughter, recorded in historical sources relating to this locality, suggests a site of considerable antiquity within the settled landscape of the Borders uplands.
Cairns of this type typically date to the Bronze Age, built as burial monuments or ceremonial markers. The Gala Group wacke bedrock underlying the site is characteristic of the Borders geology, weathering to provide substantial stone suitable for cairn construction. The monument's survival on this exposed moorland location demonstrates the durability of such structures when built from locally available material.
The cairn is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM4919, recognising its archaeological significance. Its position within Berwickshire places it among numerous prehistoric monuments recorded across this region, contributing to the archaeological heritage of the eastern Borders and the broader understanding of Bronze Age settlement and ritual practice in southern Scotland.
Mainslaughter Law,cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4919. View the official record →
Mainslaughter Law is a cairn situated in Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4919.
Mainslaughter Law,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 SM4919.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Fort, 690m SW of the summit of Wrunk Law (2.2 km), Rathburne House, tower house 180m NNW of (3.8 km), Byrecleugh, farmstead and cultivation remains 300m SSW of (4.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Mainslaughter Law,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.
Mainslaughter Law,cairn stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.