Scheduled MonumentsScotlandWaterhead, two standing stones 800m ENE of
Bronze Age · Two standing stones

Waterhead, two standing stones 800m ENE of

Scotland
HES SM2719
Period
Bronze Age
Site type
Two standing stones
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Waterhead is a Bronze Age standing stone monument comprising two stones situated on high ground near Stirlingshire. The pair stands approximately 800 metres east-north-east of the settlement from which they take their name. The site is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Scotland's record SM2719.

The stones rise from bedrock composed of an igneous intrusion of Permian age, a pyroclastic formation dating to around 280 million years ago. This ancient volcanic geology forms the natural foundation upon which the Bronze Age builders selected their location, likely chosen for its elevation and prominence within the surrounding landscape. The monument's siting reflects typical Bronze Age practice of positioning ritual stone settings on commanding ground.

As a two-stone monument, Waterhead belongs to a distinctive class of Bronze Age ritual sites found across Scotland and northern Britain. Such paired standing stones are thought to have served ceremonial or territorial functions within Bronze Age communities. The survival of both stones and their protected status ensures this important record of prehistoric settlement and belief remains safeguarded for future study and public understanding of Stirlingshire's deep archaeological heritage.

Waterhead, two standing stones 800m ENE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2719. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Waterhead, two standing stones 800m ENE of?

Waterhead is a Bronze Age standing stone monument comprising two stones situated on high ground near Stirlingshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2719.

What period does Waterhead, two standing stones 800m ENE of date from?

Waterhead, two standing stones 800m ENE of dates from the bronze age period, and is classified as a two standing stones. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Waterhead, two standing stones 800m ENE of?

Waterhead, two standing stones 800m ENE 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 SM2719.

What other scheduled monuments are near Waterhead, two standing stones 800m ENE of?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Woodhead House (7.5 km), Antonine Wall, 855m WSW to 605m ENE of Wester Shirva (9.1 km), Antonine Wall, N of Alexander Avenue, Twechar (9.1 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Waterhead, two standing stones 800m ENE of

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Waterhead, two standing stones 800m ENE 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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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Waterhead, two standing stones 800m ENE of

Waterhead, two standing stones 800m ENE of stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Carboniferous To Permian, bedrock that formed in the Permian. The rock here is pyroclastic-rock.