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Henge and cairns at Cairnpapple Hill, West Lothian
The henge (a circular or sub-circular enclosure of middle to late Neolithic date, defined by a ditch and external bank) and cairns (a monument featuring a bank or mound constructed primarily of stone) on Cairnpapple Hill cover almost three thousand years of use. The hill itself has one of the most impressive views in central Scotland and it is obvious why its summit was chosen as a ritual and burial site.
This is a plan of the site from the 1947-8 excavation by Professor Piggott. Earliest were seven burial pits with three stones. An oval stone henge was built with a ditch and bank. Over this was built a cairn with two graves. This was later enlarged. There are four later rectangular cist burials (a cist is generally a rectangular structure normally used for burial purposes; formed from stone slabs set on edge and covered by one or more horizontal slabs or capstones. Cists may be built on the surface or sunk into the ground).
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Reconstruction by Professor S Piggott of the henge phase at Cairnpapple Hill, West Lothian.
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This aerial view shows the excavated henge site at Belhie, Perth & Kinross, photographed in 1988. It was discovered as a crop mark in an area of arable ground.
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This henge monument at Culboki, Ross and Cromarty, Highland, survives as an earthwork in the north-east corner of a cultivated field. This photograph was taken in 1997.
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Henge and stone circle known as The Stones of Stenness, Orkney, photographed in 1970s. Several stones were destroyed in the 19th century, but due to restoration work done in the early 20th century, four of the 12 stones still remain.
