Nether Largie Mid Cairn
Bronze Age burial cairn at the heart of Scotland's most significant prehistoric landscape, carved with rare axehead symbols.
A Bronze Age burial cairn standing at the heart of Kilmartin Glen's remarkable linear cemetery. Dating back approximately 4,000–5,000 years, this 30-metre-wide monument features two internal cists decorated with cup marks and a rare axehead carving, offering a tangible connection to Scotland's prehistoric ritual landscape. Free to visit year-round, it forms part of one of the world's most significant concentrations of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains.
A brief summary to Nether Largie Mid Cairn
- Lochgilphead, GB
- +441316688600
- Visit website
- Duration: 0.5 to 2 hours
- Free
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Outdoor
- Mobile reception: 3 out of 5
Local tips
- Visit in sequence with the other cairns in the linear cemetery—Nether Largie North and South—to fully appreciate the scale and intentionality of Bronze Age burial practices across the landscape.
- Examine the kerbstones marking the cairn's boundary and look closely at the southern cist for the faint but remarkable axehead carving, a symbol of the high status of the person buried here.
- Combine your visit with Temple Wood stone circles and the Kilmartin Museum to gain deeper context about the ritual landscape and the artefacts recovered from these monuments.
- Visit during clear weather to fully appreciate the panoramic views along the linear cemetery and to see the other cairns in the alignment from this central vantage point.
- Allow time to walk the entire linear cemetery route; the journey between the cairns is as meaningful as the monuments themselves, revealing the intentional geography of Bronze Age ritual.
For the on-the-go comforts that matter to you
- Information Boards
- Seating Areas
- Trash Bins
- Parking
Getting There
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Car from Lochgilphead
Drive north from Lochgilphead on the A816 towards Oban for approximately 8 kilometres. Turn right onto the B8025 towards Kilmartin. Continue for 2 kilometres and turn left at the signposted car park for Lady Glassary, located 1 kilometre south of Kilmartin village. From the car park, follow the well-marked walking route to Nether Largie Mid Cairn, approximately 15–20 minutes on foot. Parking is free and available year-round. The route is suitable for most abilities, though terrain is uneven.
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Bus from Oban
Take the Citylink or local bus service from Oban towards Lochgilphead, a journey of approximately 45–60 minutes. Request the driver to stop at Kilmartin or Nether Largie. From the village or bus stop, follow the B8025 south and turn into the Lady Glassary car park. The walk to the cairn is approximately 15–20 minutes. Bus services operate several times daily; check local timetables for current schedules. This option requires good walking fitness.
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Walking from Kilmartin village
From Kilmartin village centre, head south on the A816 for approximately 1 kilometre, then turn right onto the B8025. Continue for a further 1 kilometre to the Lady Glassary car park on your left. From the car park, follow the signed walking route to Nether Largie Mid Cairn, approximately 15–20 minutes. The terrain is open countryside with field paths and some uneven ground. Allow 1–2 hours total if visiting multiple cairns in the linear cemetery. The walk is accessible year-round.
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Guided tour from Kilmartin Museum
Kilmartin Museum, located in the village, offers guided walks and self-guided trail information that includes Nether Largie Mid Cairn. Museum staff can provide detailed directions, maps, and contextual information about the monument and the broader linear cemetery. The museum is open year-round and charges admission; guided tours may incur additional fees. This option is recommended for visitors seeking deeper archaeological and historical context.
Nether Largie Mid Cairn location weather suitability
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Any Weather
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Clear Skies
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Mild Temperatures
Discover more about Nether Largie Mid Cairn
A Monument at the Heart of Ancient Ritual
Nether Largie Mid Cairn stands as one of the most evocative monuments within Kilmartin Glen's extraordinary linear cemetery—a 2-kilometre-long alignment of five burial cairns stretching across the landscape. Built between 5,000 and 3,500 years ago during the Bronze Age, this cairn originally measured approximately 30 metres in diameter and rose to a height of 3 metres, though centuries of stone robbing for roadbuilding and agricultural walls have reduced its stature. Today, the kerbstones that once formed the boundary of the mound remain visible, marking the perimeter of what was once a far more imposing structure. The cairn's position within the linear arrangement is not arbitrary; it occupies a central location from which visitors can peer both northward toward Kilmartin village and southward along the entire ceremonial landscape, offering a profound sense of the scale and intentionality of Bronze Age burial practices.Secrets Carved in Stone
The interior of Nether Largie Mid Cairn reveals the sophistication of prehistoric craftsmanship and belief. Two cists—stone burial chambers constructed from carefully fitted slabs—lie within the mound, their grooved joints demonstrating precision stonework. The southern cist bears faint but unmistakable carvings: cup marks and a carving of an axehead, symbols of power and status that suggest an individual of considerable importance was interred here. These axehead carvings are exceptionally rare in Scottish archaeology, appearing on only a handful of monuments and indicating that the person buried beneath this stone held a position of authority or ritual significance within their community. Remarkably, despite the cairn's clear function as a burial site, no human remains were recovered during excavations in 1929—a phenomenon attributed to the acidic Scottish soil, which dissolves bone over millennia, leaving only the stone monuments as testimony to the dead.Archaeology and Discovery
The excavation of Nether Largie Mid Cairn in 1929 occurred at a critical moment in the monument's history. By that time, much of the cairn's stone had already been quarried and repurposed in local roadbuilding projects, a common fate for prehistoric monuments in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The excavation, conducted by professional archaeologists, revealed the internal structure and the decorated cists, providing invaluable data about Bronze Age burial practices. The presence of approximately 40 cup and ring marks on the capstone of the adjacent Nether Largie North Cairn raises intriguing questions about whether stones were reused from earlier sites, suggesting layers of ritual activity spanning thousands of years. This palimpsest of use and reuse reflects the enduring sacred significance of Kilmartin Glen across multiple prehistoric periods.The Linear Cemetery and Landscape Meaning
Nether Largie Mid Cairn is inseparable from its context within the linear cemetery, a phenomenon unique to Argyll and representing one of the most important concentrations of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in the world. The five cairns—Kilmartin Glebe to the north, Nether Largie North, Nether Largie Mid, Nether Largie South, and Ri Cruin to the south—form a deliberate processional alignment that may have served ceremonial, territorial, or genealogical purposes. Nether Largie South, the oldest monument in the alignment, dates to the Neolithic period (circa 4000 BC) and was rebuilt and reused during the Bronze Age, suggesting continuity of sacred practice across two millennia. The linear arrangement transforms the entire glen into a ritual landscape, with each cairn marking a point in an ancient geography of memory and power.Setting Within Kilmartin Glen's Prehistoric Tapestry
The cairn exists within a landscape crowded with prehistoric wonders. Nearby Temple Wood stone circles, dating to approximately 3000 BC, lie within walking distance to the northwest. The Nether Largie Standing Stones, arranged in an X-pattern with cup-marked surfaces, stand to the southeast. Rock carvings at Achnabreck, created over 4,000 years ago, depict animals, people, and geometric forms. To the south, Dunadd Fort—an Iron Age stronghold and the capital of the ancient kingdom of Dalriada—overlooks the Moine Mhòr, a vast estuarine raised bog. This density of monuments, with over 350 ancient sites within a six-mile radius of Kilmartin village, creates an immersive prehistoric environment where visitors can trace the evolution of human belief and social organization across five millennia.Visiting and Experiencing the Monument
Access to Nether Largie Mid Cairn is straightforward and free, with a well-marked walking route from nearby car parks. Information boards at the site provide context and interpretation, though the monument itself—a weathered mound of stone with visible cists and carved surfaces—speaks most powerfully to those who stand before it. The experience is enhanced by the open landscape, which allows visitors to see the other cairns in the linear cemetery and to understand the monument not in isolation but as part of a vast ceremonial geography. The atmosphere is contemplative and atmospheric, particularly in low light or mist, when the ancient stones seem to emerge from the landscape as if from time itself.Iconic landmarks you can’t miss
Nether Largie Mid Cairn
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Bronze Age burial cairn at the heart of Scotland's most significant prehistoric landscape, carved with rare axehead symbols.
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Unmissable attractions to see
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Essential places to dine
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The Oystercatcher
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Inver Restaurant & Rooms
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Tigh An Truish
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The Barn Bar
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Samphire
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Cottage Restaurant
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Ocho Inveraray
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The Anchorage Bistro
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Marine Bistro
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Food From Argyll at the Pier
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Taste of Argyll Kitchen
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EE-USK
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Markets, malls and hidden boutiques
Ardfern Village Store
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Bluestone Gift Shop
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The Square Peg Gift Shops
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Argyll Gift Co
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Tayvallich Village Shop
14.2 km
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Bonnie Argyll - Bespoke gifts and crafts from Scotland
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Sid’s Vintage
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The House Of Scotland
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The Argyll Gift Co
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Kames Village Store
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McCaig's Warehouse
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Highland Experience
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The Modern Croft
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Bolliwood to the Smiddy
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Essential bars & hidden hideouts
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The Oyster Bar
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The Corner House
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Cellar Bar
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The Tartan Tavern
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Markie Dans
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The Anchor Tavern & Hub
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Craignure Inn
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The Burgh Bar
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Sinbad's
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The Clansman Bar
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Nightclubs & after hour spots
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Word Up
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Red
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Desire Nightclub
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DUFFIE'S BAR
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The Lochside Hotel & Restaurant
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Cruize Bar Brasserie
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Ormidale Hotel
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Mishnish
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Auld Mull Bar
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Bellachroy Hotel
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For the vibe & atmosphere seeker
- Scenic
- Tranquil
- Unique
- Adventurous
For the design and aesthetic lover
- Rustic Designs
- Minimalist Designs
For the architecture buff
- Historic
- Sacred Sites
- Landmarks
For the view chaser and sunset hunter
- Panoramas
- Iconic Views
For the social media creator & influencer
- Architectural Shots
- Photo Spots
- Aesthetic Corners
For the eco-conscious traveler
- Protected Area
- Leave-No-Trace Critical
- Locally Managed
For the kind of experience you’re after
- Cultural Heritage
- Myth & Legends
- Photowalk
- Nature Escape
- Day Trip
For how adventurous you want the journey to be
- Easy Access
- Requires Hike
Location Audience
- Family Friendly
- Senior Friendly
- Solo Friendly
- Couple Friendly
- Wheelchair Access
