© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Ring Hillock is a cairn located 280 metres south of Breezy Brae in Caithness, Scotland. It is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. The monument stands upon bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a mixed sequence of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone deposited during the Middle Devonian period. This distinctive geology characterises the landscape of northern mainland Scotland, where such stone-built monuments sit integrated within their natural geological setting.
Cairns of this type typically date to the Bronze Age, though some may be earlier. Ring Hillock takes its name from a ring-like feature visible in its construction or form. As a burial or ceremonial monument, it would have served a significant function within prehistoric communities, marking an important location in the landscape.
The cairn represents part of the broader pattern of ritual and burial monuments distributed across Caithness. Such structures provide insight into how prehistoric populations organised their settlement and sacred geography. The protection afforded to Ring Hillock ensures that this element of Scotland's archaeological heritage remains preserved for future study and public engagement.
Ring Hillock, cairn 280m S of Breezy Brae is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM474. View the official record →
Ring Hillock is a cairn located 280 metres south of Breezy Brae in Caithness, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM474.
Ring Hillock, cairn 280m S of Breezy Brae 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 SM474.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Stone Lud, standing stone, recumbent stone and cairn 240m WSW of Ludstone Cottage (4.8 km), Sinclair's Sithean,long cairn 1300m NW of Stemster (4.8 km), Sordale Hill,Cnoc na Ciste,chambered cairn (5.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Ring Hillock, cairn 280m S of Breezy Brae'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.
Ring Hillock, cairn 280m S of Breezy Brae stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.