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Upper Latheron is a Neolithic chambered cairn located in Caithness, Scotland, approximately 530 metres east-south-east of Latheron. The monument dates to the Neolithic period, when such communal burial structures served as focal points for early farming communities across northern Britain. Chambered cairns typically comprised stone chambers accessed by passages, all covered beneath substantial stone mounds. These monuments represent significant investment of labour and reflect complex ritual practices around the treatment of the dead.
The site rests upon bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, formed during the Middle Devonian period. This geology comprises conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone, the characteristic sedimentary deposits that underlie much of Caithness. The local stone resources would have been available to the cairn's builders, shaping both the construction methods and the physical character of the monument as it stands within its moorland landscape.
Upper Latheron is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5311, ensuring its preservation and restricting unauthorised works upon the site. The monument contributes to the archaeological record of Neolithic settlement and burial practice in the far north of Scotland.
Upper Latheron,chambered cairn 530m ESE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5311. View the official record →
Upper Latheron is a Neolithic chambered cairn located in Caithness, Scotland, approximately 530 metres east-south-east of Latheron. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5311.
Upper Latheron,chambered cairn 530m ESE of dates from the neolithic period, and is classified as a chambered cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Upper Latheron,chambered cairn 530m ESE 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 SM5311.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Knockinnon,broch (1 km), Inver,fort,post medieval house and look-out post 570m SE of (2.6 km), Ballachly,chapel and graveyard 90m SW of (3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Upper Latheron,chambered cairn 530m ESE of'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.
Upper Latheron,chambered cairn 530m ESE of stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.