Scheduled MonumentsScotlandToftgun,cairn and shieling 1950m SSE of
Cairn and shieling

Toftgun,cairn and shieling 1950m SSE of

Scotland
HES SM5799
Site type
Cairn and shieling
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Toftgun is a cairn and shieling located in Caithness, in the far north of mainland Scotland. The monument sits on bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, formed during the Middle Devonian period, comprising conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone. This geological foundation is characteristic of the interior plateau and rolling moorland that define the Caithness landscape.

The shieling represents a seasonal pastoral structure, typical of Highland land use where livestock were moved to upland summer grazing. The associated cairn may serve practical or commemorative purposes common to such upland sites. Together, these features document the historical exploitation of this remote terrain for pastoral economy and settlement.

The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the designation SM5799, recognising its significance as evidence of traditional Highland land management and settlement patterns. Its position in the moorland interior reflects the seasonal movement of people and animals that characterised Highland pastoral life in the pre-modern period.

Toftgun,cairn and shieling 1950m SSE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5799. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Toftgun,cairn and shieling 1950m SSE of?

Toftgun is a cairn and shieling located in Caithness, in the far north of mainland Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5799.

Who is responsible for protecting Toftgun,cairn and shieling 1950m SSE of?

Toftgun,cairn and shieling 1950m SSE 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 SM5799.

What other scheduled monuments are near Toftgun,cairn and shieling 1950m SSE of?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Green Hill,broch,Roster (2.1 km), Cairn Hanach,chambered cairn S side of Warehouse Hill (2.5 km), Groat's Loch, cairn 225m WSW of (2.6 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Toftgun,cairn and shieling 1950m SSE of

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Toftgun,cairn and shieling 1950m SSE 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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Toftgun,cairn and shieling 1950m SSE of

Toftgun,cairn and shieling 1950m SSE of stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.