© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
North Bilbster is a Bronze Age standing stone situated in Caithness, Scotland, standing 120 metres west of the settlement from which it takes its name. The monument rises from bedrock composed of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a formation of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone dating to the Middle Devonian period. This geological foundation typical of the area would have been familiar to the Bronze Age communities who erected the stone, between approximately 2000 and 700 BC.
Standing stones of this type are among Scotland's most enigmatic Bronze Age monuments. Their precise function remains debated by archaeologists, though they commonly marked territorial boundaries, burial sites, ritual spaces or astronomical alignments across the landscape. The Caithness region contains numerous examples, suggesting it was an area of significant Bronze Age activity and settlement.
North Bilbster stone is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the reference SM8484 as a scheduled monument of national importance. Its survival in the northern Scottish landscape testifies to the enduring legacy of Bronze Age monument construction and the cultural values that motivated communities to create these permanent markers across their territories.
North Bilbster, standing stone 120m W of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM8484. View the official record →
North Bilbster is a Bronze Age standing stone situated in Caithness, Scotland, standing 120 metres west of the settlement from which it takes its name. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM8484.
North Bilbster, standing stone 120m W of dates from the bronze age period, and is classified as a standing stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
North Bilbster, standing stone 120m W 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 SM8484.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Strath,cairn & hut circles 1070m S of (3.8 km), Scouthal Burn,chapel & The Clow (5.2 km), Carn A' Chladha, broch (5.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of North Bilbster, standing stone 120m W 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.
North Bilbster, standing stone 120m W of stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.