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Raven Craig is a cairn located in Linlithgowshire, Scotland. Constructed from stone heaped over a burial or ceremonial purpose, this monument belongs to a tradition of cairn-building that spans thousands of years of Scottish prehistory. The site sits upon bedrock composed of mafic lava and tuff from the Dinantian period, geological formations laid down during the Mississippian epoch when volcanic activity dominated this region. This dark, ancient stone provided the local building material for the cairn's construction.
The monument's name, combining the local landscape feature "Raven" with "Craig" (meaning rock or crag), reflects its position within Linlithgowshire's varied topography. Cairns of this type served communities as enduring markers across the landscape, visible monuments to the dead or significant gathering places. The specific geological character of the site, built upon volcanic bedrock, is typical of much of central Scotland's geology.
Raven Craig is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7571, recognising its archaeological significance and historical value. This protection ensures the cairn's preservation for future study and understanding of Scotland's prehistoric heritage.
Raven Craig, cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7571. View the official record →
Raven Craig is a cairn located in Linlithgowshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7571.
Raven Craig, 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 SM7571.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Gala Braes,standing stone (0.8 km), Windywa's Silvermine, silvermine 300m SW of Wester Tartraven (1 km), Cairnpapple Hill, prehistoric ceremonial complex (1.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Raven Craig, 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.
Raven Craig, cairn stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Dinantian, bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.