The Cairnpapple Burial Mound and Chamber is located near the summit of Cairnpapple Hill and is one of the most fascinating neolithic sites in the UK. The original cairn is believed to date back to around 1600BC and was related to the bronze age descendents of the Beaker People who lived in the region. It is part of a larger and older Neolithic landscape dating back to at least 3000BC. What makes Cairnpapple most interesting is that the site shows clear evidence of continuous use and archaeologists believe there are even very early Christian graves as part of the central site. Artefacts found include pottery bowls, stone axe heads, bone skewer pins and Bronze Age burial cists. The burial sites have been enclosed in a modern dome to protect them from the elements and can be visited during the summer months. The name Cairnpapple has stimulated much debate and etymologist still do not agree – some claiming it refers to the Cairn of the Eye while others feel it means Cairn of the Tent or People. It has been featured in the 2009 novel – The Caverns Of Cairnpapple by Henry Docherty.
Camping in the Forest Campsite
Station Road, Gartmore
Stirlingshire, Scotland, FK8 3RR
+44 (0)1877 382 392
- Address: (Bathgate Road), Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom, EH48 4NW
- GPS: 55.92799167,-3.622516667
- Phone: 0044(0) 1479 810 930
- Part of UK: Scotland
- Sat Nav Postcode: EH48 4NW
- Entrance Fees: Free Entrance
- Disabled Access: Poor / Many steps with no wheelchair ramp.
- Visibility from Road: None