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Tulach Lochain Bhraseil is a cairn situated 310 metres west-north-west of Bridge of Westerdale in Caithness, northern Scotland. The monument stands on bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a sequence of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone laid down during the Middle Devonian period some 390 million years ago. This geological foundation has shaped the local landscape and the materials available to those who constructed the cairn in prehistoric times.
The cairn is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM496, reflecting its archaeological significance within the Caithness region. Such monuments typically served as burial structures or ceremonial markers for prehistoric communities, though the specific circumstances of this site's construction and use remain to be fully understood through archaeological investigation.
The monument forms part of the broader archaeological heritage of Caithness, an area rich in prehistoric remains. Its survival to the present day, despite the passage of millennia and the weathering of northern Scotland's climate, testifies to the durable construction methods employed by its builders and to the protection now afforded by its scheduled status.
Tulach Lochain Bhraseil,cairn 310m WNW of Bridge of Westerdale is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM496. View the official record →
Tulach Lochain Bhraseil is a cairn situated 310 metres west-north-west of Bridge of Westerdale in Caithness, northern Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM496.
Tulach Lochain Bhraseil,cairn 310m WNW of Bridge of Westerdale 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 SM496.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tulach an Fhuarain,cairn 310m NW of Bridge of Westerdale (0.1 km), Cairn Merk,broch 800m SSE of Bridge of Westerdale (1.1 km), Dale Farm,broch 800m SE of (1.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Tulach Lochain Bhraseil,cairn 310m WNW of Bridge of Westerdale'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.
Tulach Lochain Bhraseil,cairn 310m WNW of Bridge of Westerdale stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.