Cairnpapple Hill
| Cairnpapple Hill | |
|---|---|
Burial mound on Cairnpapple Hill | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 312 m (1,024 ft) |
| Prominence | c. 173 metres (568 ft) |
| Coordinates | 55°55′41″N 3°37′21″W / 55.92806°N 3.62250°W |
| Geography | |
Cairnpapple Hill in Scotland Cairnpapple Hill in West Lothian | |
| Location | West Lothian, Scotland |
| OS grid | NS987718 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 65 |
Cairnpapple Hill is a hill with a dominating position in central lowland Scotland with views from coast to coast. It was used and re-used as a major ritual site for around 4,000 years, and in its day would have been comparable to better known sites like the Standing Stones of Stenness. The summit lies 312 meters above sea level, and is about 2 miles (3 km) north of Bathgate. In the 19th century the site was completely concealed by trees, then in 1947–1948 excavations by Stuart Piggott found a series of ritual monuments from successive prehistoric periods. In 1998, Gordon Barclay re-interpreted the site for Historic Scotland. It is designated a scheduled ancient monument.