Scheduled MonumentsScotlandWorm Hill,cairn
Cairn

Worm Hill,cairn

Scotland
HES SM2768
Site type
Cairn
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Worm Hill is a cairn situated in Peeblesshire, Scotland. The monument stands on bedrock of the Shinnel and Glenlee formations, undifferentiated wacke deposits laid down during the Ashgill period. These ancient sedimentary rocks form the geological foundation across much of the Southern Uplands landscape in this region.

The cairn represents a Bronze Age funerary or ceremonial monument, constructed from stone gathered across the surrounding upland terrain. Such monuments typically served as burial markers or territorial markers for prehistoric communities, and their elevated positions often commanded views across river valleys and passes. The specific location and geological substrate would have been significant to those who built it.

Worm Hill is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Scotland's designation SM2768, recognising its archaeological importance and requiring that any works affecting the site receive prior consent. The cairn survives as a physical record of prehistoric land use and burial practice in the Borders region, contributing to understanding of Bronze Age settlement patterns in southern Scotland.

Worm Hill,cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2768. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Worm Hill,cairn?

Worm Hill is a cairn situated in Peeblesshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2768.

Who is responsible for protecting Worm Hill,cairn?

Worm Hill,cairn 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 SM2768.

What other scheduled monuments are near Worm Hill,cairn?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Menzion Farmhouse, two enclosed cremation cemeteries 400m NNW of (7.1 km), Menzion Farm,enclosed cremation cemetery 600m WSW of (7.7 km), Weird Law, platform settlement 550m S of summit (8.1 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Worm Hill,cairn

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Worm Hill,cairn'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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Worm Hill,cairn

Worm Hill,cairn stands on Shinnel Formation And Glenlee Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is wacke.