Local Colour: Megalithic Architecture and Colour Symbolism in Neolithic Arran

Recent approaches to megalithic architecture have emphasised the importance of considering monuments in relation to the experience of place. Such approaches have taken two forms: emphasizing the relationship between experience and the internal architecture of the monument, or the nature of the experience evoked by the presence of the monument within the landscape. This paper argues that the importance of stone colour in relation to the construction of megalithic monuments contributes to an understanding of place and landscape as well as providing evidence of the symbolic and aesthetic aspects of colour in the past.