© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
The Shean is a cairn situated 500 metres west-north-west of Achanarras in Caithness, Scotland. The monument stands on bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, formed during the Middle Devonian period, where conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone compose the underlying geology. This stratum has shaped the landscape of northern Caithness for over 370 million years and would have provided the stone materials available to those who constructed the cairn in prehistoric times.
Cairns of this type typically served as burial monuments or territorial markers within Bronze Age or earlier communities. The Shean's positioning in the undulating terrain of Caithness reflects the settlement patterns of these ancient peoples, who chose locations visible across the surrounding moorland and farmland.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under scheduling reference SM475, recognising its archaeological significance and ensuring its preservation for future study and public access.
The Shean, cairn 500m WNW of Achanarras is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM475. View the official record →
The Shean is a cairn situated 500 metres west-north-west of Achanarras in Caithness, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM475.
The Shean, cairn 500m WNW of Achanarras 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 SM475.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cnoc Donn, broch 600m ESE of Dale Farm, Halkirk (2 km), Dale Farm,broch 800m SE of (2.2 km), Ballone,broch 360m NE of,Spittal (3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The Shean, cairn 500m WNW of Achanarras'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 Shean, cairn 500m WNW of Achanarras stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.