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What Are Rock Cairns – A Deep-Rooted Scottish Tradition

Donna Kaytlyn by Donna Kaytlyn
March 2, 2023
in Scotland
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What Are Rock Cairns? – A Deep-Rooted Scottish Tradition

Cairns are carefully built piles of stones that rise up into the sky like a game of Jenga. They can be found in all kinds of wild places. But they are more than just a clever way to balance things.

Table of Contents

  • What are cairns of rocks? Why do people stack rocks?
  • Historical significance
  • Scotland and Cairns
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  • Climbing culture
  • The problem
  • The way out

What are cairns of rocks? Why do people stack rocks?

A cairn is a pile of stones that has been put together carefully. Since prehistoric times, these man-made mounds have been used in a number of ways. They have protected different landscapes from the harsh elements and the test of time for thousands of years.

What Are Rock Cairns? - A Deep-Rooted Scottish Tradition
Cairn Gorm Summit Cairn, Scotland | © Nick Bramhall / Flickr

They can be found on mountain tops, ledges, river banks, moorlands, uplands, the desert, and other places where there are no trails. Derived from the Scots Gaelic word ‘càrn’, meaning ‘heap of stones’, cairns are ancient markers with Scottish roots found across the globe. But the word “cairn” is flexible and can be used to talk about both natural and man-made hills and piles of stones.

Historical significance

Cairns have been used as landmarks and places to bury people since prehistoric times. Some experts say that many of these old stone stacks were also built for astronomical, religious, and hunting purposes. Native people in Alaska and Greenland have used these kinds of markers for hundreds of years. Before lighthouses were invented, sailors used cairns to find their way.

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What Are Rock Cairns? - A Deep-Rooted Scottish Tradition
The Shetland island of Shetland has a cairn that looks north over the entrance to Grutness.

Scotland and Cairns

With its maze of Neolithic, Pictish, and Viking sites, Scotland is full of rock cairns from the past and the present. The many burial cairns and megaliths that have been there for a long time show how long the practice has been going on. Clava Cairns, a group of ancient burial mounds with stone decorations near Inverness that are thought to be about 4,000 years old, may be the most well-known.

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What Are Rock Cairns? - A Deep-Rooted Scottish Tradition
Clava Cairns, Scotland | © Shadowgate / Flickr

In Scottish legend, each member of the Highland Clan would put a stone on a pile before a battle. The remaining warriors would then take their stones away, leaving the rest to be used to build a memorial cairn for the dead. Putting a small stone on top of a cairn, especially on the top of a hill, is a long-standing Scottish tradition that shows respect. By putting this rock on the monument, you are helping to keep it in good shape and protect it from bad weather.

When the cairn marks a grave, the old Scots Gaelic blessing “Cuiridh mi clach air do chàrn” or “I’ll put a stone on your cairn” comes into play. The action is a way to say, “I’ll never forget you” and “you won’t be forgotten.”

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What Are Rock Cairns? - A Deep-Rooted Scottish Tradition
Nether Largie South Cairn, Kilmartin Glen, Scotland | © Christian Hacker / Flickr

Climbing culture

Along with their Celtic roots, rock cairns are used by serious alpinists, rock climbers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts to find their way. Most mountains around the world have a network of cairns to help adventurers get to the top and get back down. Some of these cairns may have “beaks” that point in the right direction or to short cuts.

Summit cairns point out the highest peak, and some of them can also be used as wind shelters. Almost all will protect the summit register, which is a book where climbers can write about their trip and let others know if there are any problems with the route. Cairns can also be found on desert trails, near bodies of water, and in wild areas.

What Are Rock Cairns? - A Deep-Rooted Scottish Tradition
Gleouraich Summit Cairn, Scotland | © Nick Bramhall / Flickr

The problem

Unfortunately, cairns are often becoming more of a problem and less of a way to find your way. Their original purpose has been misunderstood and abused at some point. This is partly because people who don’t know what they’re doing build stone stacks along different routes without knowing what they mean. Some people even ruin old cairns so they can build a new one that they don’t know much about. Even experienced adventurers can get lost or go in the wrong direction if the cairns are moved. Once again, the growing number of cairns is an eyesore and is seen as littering, vandalism, and a threat to the environment in some national parks.

What Are Rock Cairns? - A Deep-Rooted Scottish Tradition
Assemblage of rock cairns | © Andrei Dumitrescu / Unsplash

Adding fuel to the fire, places in the west have seen a rise in stone-balancing artists and people who see it as a spiritual act. Even though it’s creative and maybe even spiritual, this can cause pointless cairns to get in the way of adventurers and purists. It can also hurt the environment and upset ecosystems by destroying places where animals and bugs live.

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What Are Rock Cairns? - A Deep-Rooted Scottish Tradition
Balancing stone stacks | © David Clode / Unsplash

The way out

At the end of the day, building cairns for fun can be relaxing and fun, but as a general rule, people should follow the “leave no trace” rule so they don’t mess up the natural environment, change the path, or risk taking credit for an ancient and sacred art form.

What Are Rock Cairns? - A Deep-Rooted Scottish Tradition
Summit Cairn, Creag Garbh, Scotland | © Neil Williamson / Flickr

Topic: What Are Rock Cairns? – A Deep-Rooted Scottish Tradition

Join the “I Left My Heart in Scotland” in Our Community on Facebook. A place where members can be honest with each other, share their stories and travel photos, and try out a new way to see Scotland together.

By: Travel Pixy

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Donna Kaytlyn

Donna Kaytlyn

I have visited more than 50 countries, as well as lots of towns and villages all around the world. Our website is full of tips, reviews and travel deals to help you plan your next trip away.

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