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The Western Isles: Latest Posts |
Previous 10 | Showing 21-30 of 2,766 posts. Most recent first | Next 10 
Loch Kildonan (Stone Circle) — Fieldnotes |
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5 stones make up the stone circle situated to north of the minor road after crossing the causeway to the west site of Loch Chill Donnain (Kildonan). From the museum / Flora MacDonald memorial on the A865, head north and take the first minor road heading west. Gorgeous setting, the loch is also a favourite for anglers both local and visiting. Visited 08/08/2023. |
Posted by drewbhoy2nd January 2024ce |
Kildonan (Crannog) — Fieldnotes |
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In July 2022 Kildonan was re-classified as a crannog as Neolithic pottery. It sits just over 45 meters from the west bank of Loch a' Mhuilin, being connected by a surviving. Water levels were slightly higher on my visit so getting onto the crannog was impossible as the last 10m of causeway were below water and I'd on the wrong footwear. The 20m wide crannog now houses its fallen walls. Easy to find, I parked at the nearby museum and walked south back down the A865, a small track heading east leads to the causeway. Bring correct footwear. Visited 08/08/2023. |
Posted by drewbhoy 2nd January 2024ce |
Callanish (Standing Stones) — Folklore |
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West of Stornoway an avenue of stones leads across the moors to a circle of thirteen pillars around a chambered cairn about 4,000 years old. Fir Bhreig, 'The False Men, is the gaelic name for the group. In Ireland, many standing stones are known as far-bhreaga or 'false man', these are usually being solitary menhirs which from a distance look like people, their 'falseness' lies in their not being human as they appear. the Lewis pillars are said to be giants who refused to build a church for St Keiran and were therefore turned into stone. Such retributory legends are common in folk tradition, and the meta-morphosed beings may be believed to recover their power of motion at certain times, becoming able to walk or even to dance. The sin which they were petrified is often that of having danced on the Sabbath. A second account of Callanish is that the stones were brought to Lewis in ships by a priest-king and set up there by black men under the guidance of priests in feathered robes, and another belief was that 'The Shining One' appeared there on mid-summer morning to walk the length of the avenue, heralded by the cry of the cuckoo, the bird of the Celtic land of youth Tir-nan-Og. It used to be the custom for local families to visit the stones on that day and on May Day at first openly and then in secret when such practices were condemned by the Kirk. It is said that once during famine on the island a woman was so desperate that she went to sea intending to drown herself, but saw a white cow which appeared from the waves and told her that she and all her neighbours should bring their milk pails to the stones of Callanish that night. When they did so, the cow provided them with a pailful of milk, and this bounty continued until a witch brought a sieve instead of a pail. as the cow could not fill it however hard she tried, she was milked dry, and was never seen again on the island. The power of witches to get abnormal supplies of milk from cows, whether ordinary animals or magical ones, was well know. The Lore Of Scotland : A Guide To Scottish Legends Westwood & Kingshill |
Posted by drewbhoy 2nd January 2024ce |
Dun Ruadh (Stone Fort / Dun) — Fieldnotes |
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When parking the car at the Cladh Hallan Graveyard, returning from Eriskay, car park I noticed a mound, which I presumed was once upon a time an island. It turned out to be the scant remains of a dun, from the car park look east and walk in a straight line, we had returned from the roundhouses and simply kept going a short distance further. It would be wrong to say all traces have been removed - several stones remain as well as the mound. One thing I did notice was the level of water in the nearby Loch Hallan - it was very low. Answers to that would explained during a visit to another site. Visited 07/08/2023. |
Posted by drewbhoy 1st January 2024ce |
Cladh Hallan Round Houses (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) — Fieldnotes |
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Most people will now find the now well sign posted Cladh Hallan Round Houses and excellent they are. Walk to the north west and look for a gap in the dunes. Situated in this gap is another roundhouse gradually appearing or vanishing. A double course of stonework remains on the southside and a single course of stonework marks the rest of the site. In nearby dunes stones are poking out so it would come as no surprise that other sites might one day discovered. Further up the coast, a site has vanished. Visited 07/08/2023. |
Posted by drewbhoy 1st January 2024ce |
Ben Scrien (Kerbed Cairn) — Fieldnotes |
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A short walk north from the Balla Cairns is the cairn at Ben Scrien. It is over 3m wide and is almost 0.75m high. 3 kerbs are visible and more are under the vegetation. In the centre of the site three stones might well be on edge, the remains of the cist perhaps. A good look for a capstone revealed nothing, but it could well grown over. With that it was a soggy walk back to the car, nothing treacherous, wear wellington boots. Visited 07/08/2023. |
Posted by drewbhoy 31st December 2023ce |
Balla (Cairn(s)) — Fieldnotes |
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Ersikay has several cairns that overlook its famous uneven football pitch on the west flank of Ben Scrien. We parked near the shrine and climbed north east through marshy ground to reach the three small cairns situated near to each other. NF7902311391 is a small ring cairn no more that 2m wide, it is only 0.5 high. At least 6 kerbs are visible NF7902211405 is also a small ring cairn that is also 2m wide, 7 kerbs can be seen. NF7903311399 the largest cairn of the group being almost 5m in wide. Cairn material can be seen, Canmore suggests there are no kerbs but I spied at least 2. As with a lot of sites covered in heather and peat a proper excavation might reveal a lot more. Beautiful all round views, including Dun Sgurabhal on the north part of Barra. Visited 07/08/2023. |
Posted by drewbhoy 31st December 2023ce |
Askernish, Loch An Eilein (Stone Fort / Dun) — Fieldnotes |
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Another of these 'high cairn crannogs' is situated in Loch An Eilein. Askernish is the name of large house. The biggest island in the loch is home to a ruined dun which was said to have once had a causeway. Sadly the causeway has long vanished. Parking is available on the north side of the loch, a short walk back down the A865 takes you reasonably close to the island. Visited 07/08/2023. |
Posted by drewbhoy 31st December 2023ce |
Loch Nam Faoileann (Stone Fort / Dun) — Fieldnotes |
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Parking is available at a small industrial site to the south of Daliburgh, next to the B888, I headed west across a dried marsh following a fence to reach a small peninsula. This is the closest anyone can get to the well ruined dun, 5 miles of stones are visible. A supposed causeway sometimes appears when the water is low, but on my visit it remained hidden. Nice to see swans and ducks still using the site. Visited 07/08/2023. |
Posted by drewbhoy 30th December 2023ce |
Dun An Duichal (Stone Fort / Dun) — Fieldnotes |
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Loch Dun Na Cille has a much smaller neighbour to the west called Loch Dun an Duichal and like its much bigger neighbour it also has a crannog / dun. I couldn't see a causeway, Canmore haven't seen one but locals suggest that stones from the causeway were removed in the late 1800s. If so, the removed all trace of its existence. On the plus side the island still remains. I walked south on the slip of land between the two lochs, one or two boggy bits but nothing to worry about. The site is almost 23m wide and only scattered stones remain of the dun. Beautifully calm waters, and good to see the dun being used by local residents - ducks etc. Visited 07/08/2023. |
Posted by drewbhoy 28th December 2023ce |
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