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Woods of Cairnie, burial mounds is a Neolithic or Bronze Age cemetery located in Aberdeenshire, comprising two substantial earthworks positioned approximately 410 metres south and 400 metres south-south-west of Hatton. The mounds are situated on bedrock of the Argyll Group, metamorphic rocks of psammite, semipelite and pelite formed during the Neoproterozoic era, which underlie the rolling landscape of this region of northeast Scotland.
These burial monuments represent the funerary practices of early prehistoric communities in the area. The two mounds likely contained inhumations or cremations, practices typical of their period, with the landscape chosen for its visual prominence and accessibility to local populations. The proximity of the two structures suggests they form a related funerary group rather than isolated monuments.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Scotland designation SM6077, recognising its archaeological significance and the irreplaceable evidence it contains for understanding prehistoric settlement and ritual practice in Aberdeenshire. The mounds remain visible features in the landscape, preserving evidence of communities who inhabited this region several millennia ago.
Woods of Cairnie,burial mounds 410m S & 400m SSW of Hatton is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6077. View the official record →
Woods of Cairnie, burial mounds is a Neolithic or Bronze Age cemetery located in Aberdeenshire, comprising two substantial earthworks positioned approximately 410 metres south and 400 metres south-south-west of Hatton. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6077.
Woods of Cairnie,burial mounds 410m S & 400m SSW of Hatton 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 SM6077.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Little Eddieston Cottage, hut circle 155m NE of (3.3 km), Little Eddieston Cottage, farmstead 235m E of (3.4 km), Tillyorn, moated homestead 130m E of (5.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Woods of Cairnie,burial mounds 410m S & 400m SSW of Hatton'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.
Woods of Cairnie,burial mounds 410m S & 400m SSW of Hatton stands on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.