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Chambered Cairn
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Arrive here early afternoon... hot, bothered, late and in dire need of a good spot to chill out, following an unscheduled drive to Argyll Tyres in Lochgilphead to replace a tyre (obviously), duly punctured near Auchnaha, on the other side of Loch Fyne... I guess some may feel the location of said event is more than coincidental, bearing in mind what has befallen the chamber there? Hmm. No comment for the sake of my sanity. Wibble... the first puncture in 20-odd years, and it occurs there... wibble. Access to Achnagoul, as mentioned before, is excellent, the farm indicated upon the A83, with a large 'parking' area where the rough track veers left towards the farm. Hope over the fence, up the hill to the copse of trees and there you are.
Thankfully there can be few better places to relax in these Isles than here, perched upon a hillside near Achnagoul Farm, a splendid location overlooking the aforementioned Loch Fyne. Nice. No, it's much more than that and I heartilly concur with the previous two (very distinguished) gentlemen's comments... this has to be one of Scotland's finest long cairns. Some claim, indeed, in a country liberally blessed with such a rich seam of treasures.
The cairn itself is substantial, a longitudinal trench allowing the visitor to, unusually, walk the length of the monument from within. A large orthostat highlights a lateral chamber, but it is the main chamber, with superb capstone in situ, which, quite rightly, wins the plaudits. The narrow entranceway to the chamber is pretty impressive, too, with some nice stonework. A tight squeeze to enter, with condensation running down the inner faces of the orthostats, this chamber is just what the doctor ordered right now. Chilling out in all senses of the term, not just the most literal. Alright!
Time appears to stand still, but the watch all too soon indicates the passing of the afternoon and decision time.. do I head for another site, or have a look at the companion long cairn within the nearby forestry? I choose the latter, since, well, whatever schedule I had is now history following Stockie Muir yesterday and this morning's shenanigans. Trouble is I've left map and compass in the car, some woodland blunderings making it clear I can't blag my way out of this one. I must retrieve them...
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Posted by GLADMAN
10th June 2010ce
Edited 10th June 2010ce
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