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The Ring is an enclosed cairn situated 750 metres south-east of Arnbarrow in Kincardineshire, Scotland. This Bronze Age monument comprises a rubble mound enclosed within a stone wall or kerb, a form characteristic of upland cairn construction in north-east Scotland. The site rests on bedrock of the Strathmore Group, Emsian sandstone interspersed with conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone, typical geology of the Mearns landscape. The surrounding terrain and soil conditions would have influenced both the monument's construction and subsequent preservation.
The Ring's protective enclosure distinguishes it from simple burial cairns, suggesting ritual or territorial significance beyond individual interment. The rubble composition would have been gathered from local stone sources, a common practice in areas where suitable material lay readily available across the moorland surface. Such monuments frequently contained cremated remains or burials within their structure, though The Ring's specific contents remain undocumented.
The cairn is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Scotland reference SM4967, reflecting its importance as an archaeological record of Bronze Age settlement patterns and monumental construction in the eastern Highlands. Its position on exposed upland ground demonstrates how communities of this period utilised the higher landscapes of Kincardineshire.
The Ring,enclosed cairn 750m SE of Arnbarrow is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4967. View the official record →
The Ring is an enclosed cairn situated 750 metres south-east of Arnbarrow in Kincardineshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM4967.
The Ring,enclosed cairn 750m SE of Arnbarrow 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 SM4967.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kincardine Deer Dyke and settlements N of Burn of Garrol (0.6 km), Green Castle,earthwork (1 km), Arnbarrow,farmstead and field system 900m NW of (1.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The Ring,enclosed cairn 750m SE of Arnbarrow'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 Ring,enclosed cairn 750m SE of Arnbarrow stands on Strathmore Group, bedrock that formed in the Emsian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone.