Cairnpapple Hill - Bathgate Hills

For my first outing and blog here I thought I'd go back to the start. One of the most important prehistoric sites in Scotland dating back 5,000 years.

Cairnpapple Hill is located in the Bathgate Hills, West Lothian.  Being from the local area myself, it's not hard to find and is well signposted.  Several twisty, often steep back roads lead you to the area and you catch a glimpse of the site before dipping back down to an area which I've been told used to be a silver mine.  Parking is quite limited at the site but there are a few car parks nearby if you don't mind walking a little.

As I climbed the stairs at the entrance of the site, I could feel a sense of why this area was so important to the tribes when the henge was constructed.  The sun was shinning on this very chilly January day with an extra nip supplied by the gusty wind but the views during the ascent were excellent.  The Pentland Hills over my left shoulder, Fife on my right and the top of the mound popping up as I got closer.

Several visitors were already walking around taking in the sights while exploring the ancient site when I arrived, even though the mound is not open to the public during the winter months.  Take time to read the information boards and imagine the people who used this area possibly as a meeting area as well as a resting place for their dead.  The dome itself is a reconstruction providing cover for the graves inside and shelter for visitors.

The last thing I want to do with this blog is give complete descriptions or define every detail.  That's for you to discover and put your imagination to use at this ancient monument.