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North Wood, Dunfermline, is a cairn located 140 metres north-north-west of Dunfermline Crematorium in Fife, Scotland. The monument is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM8556. Dating to the Iron Age, it represents an important funerary structure from Scotland's pre-Roman period.
The cairn sits on bedrock of the Clackmannan Group, a Westphalian sedimentary formation that characterises much of Fife's geology. This solid stone foundation would have provided stable ground for the construction of the monument, with builders selecting materials suited to the local landscape. The location in North Wood places the cairn within a wooded area, though ancient land use in the vicinity may have differed considerably from the modern setting.
As an Iron Age burial cairn, the monument would originally have served a ceremonial and commemorative purpose for the local community. Such structures were typically composed of stone heaped over a burial or cremation deposit, and often held ritual significance beyond their primary funerary function. The survival of this cairn contributes to understanding Iron Age settlement patterns and burial practices in the Fife region.
North Wood, Dunfermline, cairn 140m NNW of crematorium is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM8556. View the official record →
North Wood, Dunfermline, is a cairn located 140 metres north-north-west of Dunfermline Crematorium in Fife, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM8556.
North Wood, Dunfermline, cairn 140m NNW of crematorium dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a dunfermline, cairn 140m nnw of crematorium. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
North Wood, Dunfermline, cairn 140m NNW of crematorium 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 SM8556.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including North Queensferry, St James' Chapel (5.4 km), Inch Garvie,Firth of Forth,defensive installations (6.4 km), Abercorn Castle, remains of (7.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of North Wood, Dunfermline, cairn 140m NNW of crematorium'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 Wood, Dunfermline, cairn 140m NNW of crematorium stands on Clackmannan Group, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is sedimentary rock cycles, clackmannan group type.