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The Cloch is a cairn situated 1700 metres west of Mains of Brotherton in Kincardineshire, Scotland. This Bronze Age burial monument stands on bedrock composed of Silurian to Devonian extrusive rocks, specifically mafic lava and tuff formed during the Devonian period. The underlying geology of hard igneous stone would have presented a formidable challenge to those constructing the cairn, who needed to gather stones from surface deposits and transported material rather than excavate into the bedrock itself.
The cairn represents a type of funerary monument widespread across Bronze Age Scotland, typically constructed over a burial deposit and often serving as a focus for ritual activity. The specific location on the exposed upland terrain west of Brotherton reflects patterns of Bronze Age settlement and burial practice in this region of Aberdeenshire. The monument was already established as a significant archaeological feature by the time of modern antiquarian interest.
The Cloch is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5143, recognising its importance as evidence of prehistoric settlement and funerary practices in Kincardineshire. Although no detailed excavation records are available, the cairn remains a tangible link to Bronze Age communities who inhabited this landscape over three thousand years ago.
The Cloch,cairn 1700m W of Mains of Brotherton is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5143. View the official record →
The Cloch is a cairn situated 1700 metres west of Mains of Brotherton in Kincardineshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5143.
The Cloch,cairn 1700m W of Mains of Brotherton 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 SM5143.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bridgeton Hill,cairn 900m ENE of Mains of Bridgeton (0.5 km), Kaim of Mathers Castle (3.5 km), St Cyrus, Old Parish Church (4.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The Cloch,cairn 1700m W of Mains of Brotherton'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.
The Cloch,cairn 1700m W of Mains of Brotherton stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Silurian To Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.