Publication Account
Date 1985
Event ID 1016651
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1016651
The cairn on the summit of Tinto Hill (712m OD) is one of the largest bronze-age round cairns in Scotland, measuring 43m in diameter by almost 6m in height It is a prominent local landmark, being visible for many miles and, on a clear day, the stiff Ish walk to the summit is more than handsomely repaid by the magnificent view to be gained of the valley of the Clyde and the Southern Uplands.
Although the majority of round cairns are to be found at lower levels, there are a small number of these, rather remote, hilltop cairns in southern Scotland. They are frequently large and must have held a special place in the minds of the builders, being more than simple burial-places for the dead. In fact, they are reminiscent of the hilltop memorials erected in the 18th and 19th centuries by local landowners to commemorate their ancestors. For other examples of hilltop cairns see, Auchensaugh Hill (NS 853272); Cairn Kinny (NS 784214; Cairn Table (NS 724242).
Information from ‘Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: The Clyde Estuary and Central Region’, (1985).
