© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
White Cairn is a cairn and hole stone situated 400 metres north of Crows in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. The monument stands on bedrock of the Gala Group, a formation of wacke deposited during the Telychian period of the Ordovician, which provides a foundation of hard, graywacke stone typical of this upland region. The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM1952.
The cairn represents a Bronze Age burial tradition, whilst the associated hole stone—a stone with a natural or worked perforation—suggests ritual or ceremonial significance. Such paired features are characteristic of prehistoric monuments in south-west Scotland, where stone circles, cairns and standing stones mark sacred landscapes. The wacke bedrock would have provided ready material for cairn construction, and its presence shaped settlement patterns in the district.
The monument's survival in the modern landscape reflects the relative remoteness of this part of Wigtownshire. Its scheduled status recognises the archaeological importance of Crows and its surrounding hinterland as evidence of prehistoric activity and belief systems in the region. The site contributes to understanding Bronze Age burial practices and ritual landscapes in south-west Scotland.
White Cairn,cairn & Hole Stone 400m N of Crows is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1952. View the official record →
White Cairn is a cairn and hole stone situated 400 metres north of Crows in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1952.
White Cairn,cairn & Hole Stone 400m N of Crows 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 SM1952.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mains of Torhouse, laird's house and farmstead (2.2 km), Dounan Moor,depopulated village,Corsemalzie Forest (2.6 km), Doon Hill,fort (4.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of White Cairn,cairn & Hole Stone 400m N of Crows'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.
White Cairn,cairn & Hole Stone 400m N of Crows stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.