Scheduled MonumentsScotlandSouth Cairnweil,standing stone 180m ESE of
Bronze Age · Standing stone

South Cairnweil,standing stone 180m ESE of

Scotland
HES SM1948
Period
Bronze Age
Site type
Standing stone
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

South Cairnweil is a Bronze Age standing stone located in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. The monument stands on bedrock of the Gala Group, a wacke formation dating to the Telychian period, which provides the underlying geology of this upland region. The stone is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1948.

Standing stones of this type were erected during the Bronze Age, typically between 2500 and 1000 BC, and often served ritual, territorial or commemorative purposes within prehistoric communities. Their distribution across the Scottish landscape reflects the pattern of Bronze Age settlement and land use. The precise original function of South Cairnweil remains unknown, though its survival to the present day indicates its significance within the local Bronze Age landscape.

The monument's location on the solid geology of the Southern Uplands reflects the Bronze Age use of upland areas, and its preservation allows study of prehistoric monument distribution across Wigtownshire. The stone represents an important surviving element of the region's archaeological heritage from the second millennium BC, contributing to our understanding of Bronze Age society and ritual practice in south-west Scotland.

South Cairnweil,standing stone 180m ESE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1948. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is South Cairnweil,standing stone 180m ESE of?

South Cairnweil is a Bronze Age standing stone located in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1948.

What period does South Cairnweil,standing stone 180m ESE of date from?

South Cairnweil,standing stone 180m ESE 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.

Who is responsible for protecting South Cairnweil,standing stone 180m ESE of?

South Cairnweil,standing stone 180m ESE 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 SM1948.

What other scheduled monuments are near South Cairnweil,standing stone 180m ESE of?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Craigencroy,cairn 270m SSE of West Ringuinea (2.1 km), Float Bay,fort SE of (2.6 km), Little Float,fort 630m SW of (2.9 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about South Cairnweil,standing stone 180m ESE of

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of South Cairnweil,standing stone 180m ESE of's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under South Cairnweil,standing stone 180m ESE of

South Cairnweil,standing stone 180m ESE of stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.