Mid Gleniron I and II Chambered Tomb View all content for Mid Gleniron I and II

Now I read some time ago that Mid Gleniron possessed an excavated long cairn or two... so while I'm (finally) in the area I decide to go take a look. As you do. Passing Glenluce Abbey - worth a look if you're into such things, I guess - I arrive at the entrance to the Mid Gleniron farm access track to find that, if I wish to proceed further, it will have to be on foot. Fair enough, since the splayed access allows sufficient room to park the old Rover 45. So, in the searing heat of this Galloway morning (!!), off I go, prematurely freaking out at the large long cairns which soon materialise in the field to my left.... before realising they are, in fact, clearance cairns (this being later confirmed first hand by the farmer). However the 'real thing' is not long forthcoming, an open gate beckoning the traveller into a field of sopping wet grass, said traveller immediately wishing he'd elected to wear the Gortex lined boots... muppet. Incidentally there's also one of those 'wooden slat' stiles in the field wall a little further on should the gate be closed. I arrive first at Mid Gleniron II, a substantial long cairn, unfortunately lacking any sign of chambers and sporting a rather silly cairn - clearance, as opposed to 'walker's', as far as I can tell. Caffeine calls, and as I rest up with the coffee, the farmer passes by. I take the opportunity to go and have a chat and ask for permission to visit the striking round cairn across the way. He's only too happy to oblige - if I can handle the cattle - and we discuss many issues... bizarrely, it transpires that the man 'in the chair' at this farm is a chap named... Robert Gladstone... hell, there aren't many of us around, but we seem to have a 'thing' about prehistoric cairns. Moving on to Mid Gleniron I, it's immediately clear that this is a far superior monument, the long cairn retaining some orthostats of a facade and three chambers:- one (without capstone) at the facade end; another (with capstone) set behind this; and, to its right (looking from the facade, that is), a capstone-less lateral chamber. Good, nay great, stuff and a fine place to hang out in the sunshine, for the surrounding countryside is verdant in the extreme. I even notice a few 'cupmark-like' circular depressions in the chambers, although, being ignorant of the geological properties of the stone, these are most probably natural in origin. The one picture I manage to get in this respect, in the main chamber, has been posted. However I've a particular thing for round cairns, so Mid Gleniron's fine example is next on the agenda. Just not yet...

Posted by GLADMAN 5th June 2010ce Edited 5th June 2010ce

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