north mains hill

west lothian

NT 018 737
PRIVATE LAND

Introduction

The cairn on North Mains Hill is situated in the Riccarton Hills to the East of Cairnpapple, just South-east of Beecraigs Deer Park, and slightly West of the hillfort at Peace Knowe.

The Cairn on North Mains Hill, Looking North

The Cairn on North Mains Hill, Looking North

Click here for a location map provided by StreetMap.

The Cairn

This cairn measures approximately ten yards in diameter and stands around two yards high, with a modern mini-"cairn" at its summit constructed of small stones, presumably derived from the rubble lying around the site itself.

The Cairn, Looking East

The Cairn, Looking East

It appears to have eroded heavily due to its high and exposed position on the hill, and, so far as is known, has never been professionally excavated.

Looking North

Looking North

Around the perimeter of the cairn, a number of kerbstones survive, which are the most obvious features defining the earth mound as a cairn rather than a natural object.

Southern Kerbstones, Looking South-East

Southern Kerbstones, Looking South-East

Around ten kerbstones seem to still be in place, but on the Western end of the cairn, several large stones exist which could be displaced kerbstones, perhaps from some attempt to rob the remains.

Kerbstones and Possible Kerbstones, Looking North-East

Kerbstones and Possible Kerbstones, Looking North-East

The cairn is similar in size and style to the nearby cairn at Raven Craig, and both of these seem to form part of a network of sites around the major focal-point of Cairnpapple.