Circles of Stone field guide
Clava Cairns
Highland, Scotland
Before you go
The site is free and normally open year-round, with a dedicated car park off the B9091 about 300 metres east of Culloden Battlefield. Paths are short but can be uneven; protect the monuments by keeping off the cairns and never moving stones.
Postcode caution: IV2 5EU is a useful navigation reference, not a guarantee of legal or available parking.
- Grid reference
- NH 752 439
- Useful postcode
- IV2 5EU
- Monument coordinates
- 57.47350, -4.07320
Pack and plan
- Charged phone and a paper map or saved offline map
- Water, layers and footwear suited to the terrain
- Current weather, daylight and access information checked
- Someone told where you are going on remote walks
What you are looking for
A remarkable Bronze Age cemetery where passage graves, ring cairns and circles of standing stones form one carefully ordered complex.
Two passage graves and a central ring cairn are each surrounded by standing stones. The monuments share a north-east to south-west alignment, and their passages and tallest stones focus attention toward the midwinter sunset. Reused stones bearing cup marks preserve traces of still earlier activity.
Field notes
Weather and light: ______________________________________________
First feature spotted: ___________________________________________
Something the map did not show: _________________________________
Walk gently
- Check current access and weather before setting out.
- Keep dogs under close control around livestock.
- Do not climb, move stones, light fires or leave offerings.
- Take all litter home and protect fragile ground.
If something goes wrong
In an emergency call 999 or 112. Give the grid reference or coordinates above, describe your approach route, and do not put yourself at further risk.