Scotland
Cairn Table
593M
1946FT
About Cairn Table
Rising prominently above the village of Muirkirk, this accessible Marilyn offers a straightforward but rewarding ascent through classic Southern Uplands moorland. The summit is defined by its massive cairns, including a significant war memorial, which provide wide-reaching views across the Douglas Valley and towards the distant peaks of Arran.
Key Statistics
Rank
81st Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Uplands
Prominence
?
323m
Nearest Town
East Ayrshire
Geology
You are walking upon the Kinnesswood Formation, a foundation of solid sandstone that makes up the bulk of this fell.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NS724242
Latitude
55.4951°N
Longitude
4.0209°W
Did You Know?
- •The name combines the Scots term for a heap of stones with the English 'Table,' accurately describing the hill’s distinctively flat summit plateau.
- •The summit is crowned by two enormous structures: a prehistoric burial mound and a massive, meticulously built memorial cairn erected in 1920 to honour the local men of Muirkirk who fell in the Great War.
- •The slopes are steeped in the history of the 17th-century Covenanters; the nearby village was a stronghold for the movement, and the surrounding moors contain several 'Martyr’s Graves' from the Killing Times.
- •From the top, the view stretches over the Ayrshire landscape to the Firth of Clyde, where the granite peaks of Arran and the Paps of Jura are often visible on the western horizon.
- •Despite the name, the 'Table' is an exposed spot that offers very little in the way of hospitality; the wind coming off the Douglas Valley is usually enough to clear any thoughts of a leisurely summit lunch.