A cairn is a human-made pile of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word cairn comes from the Scottish Gaelic: càrn.
Banchory is a burgh or town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is about 18 miles (29 km) west of Aberdeen, near where the Feugh River meets the River Dee.
Archaeology and geology continue to reveal the secrets of prehistoric Scotland, uncovering a complex past before the Romans brought Scotland into the scope of recorded history. Successive human cultures tended to be spread across Europe or further afield, but focusing on this particular geographical area sheds light on the origin of the widespread remains and monuments in Scotland, and on the background to the history of Scotland.
Blà Bheinn or Blàbheinn, also known as Blaven, is a mountain on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is usually regarded as an outlier of the Black Cuillin range. It is a Munro with a height of 929 metres (3,048 ft). North of the summit is the ridge of Clach Glas, which leads to the peaks of Garbh-bheinn and Sgùrr nan Each. It is mainly composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineers and scramblers.
Trotternish is the northernmost peninsula of the Isle of Skye in Scotland, spanning in length from Portree to Rubha Hunish. The Trotternish escarpment runs almost the full length of the peninsula, some 30 kilometres, and contains landmarks such as the Old Man of Storr and the Quiraing. The summit of The Storr, overlooking the Old Man, is the highest point of the peninsula at 719 m above sea level. The north-eastern part of the peninsula around Quiraing is designated as a National Scenic Area and the entire escarpment is a Special Area of Conservation.
Carloway is a crofting township and a district on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The district has a population of around 500. Carloway township is within the parish of Uig, and is situated on the A858.
Steinacleit is a prehistoric archeological site on the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
The Calanais Stones are an arrangement of standing stones placed in a cruciform pattern with a central stone circle, located on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland. They were erected in the late Neolithic era, and were a focus for ritual activity during the Bronze Age. They are near the village of Callanish on the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
Maud is a village in the Buchan area of the Scottish county of Aberdeenshire, with a population of 780. Located 13 miles (21 km) west of Peterhead on the South Ugie Water, Maud rose to prosperity after 1863 as a railway junction of the Formartine and Buchan Railway that ran through Maud to Fraserburgh and Peterhead, but has always been the meeting place of six roads. It has had a variety of names:
There are many large stones of Scotland of cultural and historical interest, such as the distinctive Pictish stones.
Clach Chairidh, alternatively named Clach Biorach, is a Class I Pictish stone located in a field near the village of Edderton in Easter Ross.
Clach an Trushal is said to be the tallest standing stone in Scotland. Above ground it stands approximately 5.8 metres tall, is 1.83 m wide and at its thickest point is 1.5 m thick, with a girth at its base of 4.75 m. The stone is sited in the village of Ballantrushal on the west side of Lewis. Local legend says that it marks the site of a great battle, the last to be fought between the feuding clans of the Macaulays and Morrisons. However it is actually the solitary upright stone remaining from a stone circle built about 5,000 years ago. It occupied a place within the circle, although its placement was not central. The second last standing stone was removed in 1914, and used as a lintel.
The Hebrides were settled early on in the settlement of the British Isles, perhaps as early as the Mesolithic era, around 8500–8250 BC, after the climatic conditions improved enough to sustain human settlement. There are examples of structures possibly dating from up to 3000 BC, the finest example being the standing stones at Callanish, but some archaeologists date the site as Bronze Age. Little is known of the people who settled in the Hebrides but they were likely of the same Celtic stock that had settled in the rest of Scotland. Settlements at Northton, Harris, have both Beaker & Neolithic dwelling houses, the oldest in the Western Isles, attesting to the settlement.
Ballantrushal is a village on the Isle of Lewis in the West Side district, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Ballantrushal is within the parish of Barvas, and is situated on the A857. The standing stone Clach an Trushal is beside the village. and was the site of the last battle between the Lewis Macaulays and Morrison clans.
West Linton is a village and civil parish in southern Scotland, on the A702. It was formerly in the county of Peeblesshire, but since local government re-organisation in the mid-1990s it is now part of Scottish Borders. Many of its residents are commuters, owing to the village's proximity to Edinburgh, which is 16 miles (26 km) to the north-east. West Linton has a long history, and holds an annual traditional festival called The Whipman Play.
Port of Ness is a village on the Isle of Lewis in the community of Ness, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Port of Ness is within the parish of Barvas. Port of Ness is situated at the end of the A857, which runs from Stornoway. In 2014, the Ness Fishery Memorial was erected to celebrate the fishing heritage in the area and to commemorate the 96 people who lost their lives in the industry between 1835 and 1900.
Knockaird is a village on the Isle of Lewis in the parish of Ness, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It is the highest point in Port of Ness and is home to Dùn Èistean an ancient ruined fort on a small island that is joined by a bridge. Dùn Èistean is traditionally known as a stronghold of the Clan Morrison of Lewis. Knockaird is within the parish of Barvas. The B8014 travels through the settlement, between Port of Ness and Eoropie. The Clach Stein standing stones are situated between Knockaird and Port of Ness.
Clachnaharry is a former fishing village, now part of the city of Inverness in the Highland council area of Scotland. Clachnaharry is situated on the south shore of the Beauly Firth, about 2 miles (3 km) west of the city centre.
Kilbride is a small township in Strath Swordale, Isle of Skye, Scotland.
The Cat Stones of Scotland are natural prominent rock features or standing stones around Scotland that are often linked to battles or burials. The English term cat applied to such stones derives from the Gaelic cath. Clach a'Chait would be the Gaelic for "Stone of the Cat".
