We returned to West Loch Ollay from the standing stone at Crois Chnoca Breaca and took the car to Dun Altabrug.
Take the road that swings north, the road we came, and at the junction head west. Keep going, past a minor road, and as the road swings north east take the first minor road south, stopping at the road's end. We were given permission to park by the occupant at Peninerine.
Head south east up and over a wee hill and the dun will be clearly seen along with the causeway, the causeway being just over 30m in length.
Decent walls still exist on the 'high crannog' / dun with the entrance on the east. Most of the site is overgrown. The circular wall is over 1.2m, the island is slightly oval and measures 9.5m by 8m.
Once again it was explained that water levels are low here also, as they are over North and South Uist and Benbecula. The photos proved that when compared with photos taken from 5 years ago, vegetation had grown, the causeway is much more visible and the land from the farmhouse a lot les boggy.
Superb site.
Visited 10/08/2023.
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A weird and wonderful stone which could easily be mistaken as a ruined Celtic Cross. Parking is easy as there is a car park at the Ardmichael Cemetery but we headed towards the coast, from West Loch Ollay, to follow the Hebridean Way which gave us a easy walk heading north, and more importantly it led straight to the site.
It stands on a wee mound at just over 2m tall, almost giving a middle finger to time and, perhaps, modernisation. Hopefully a gentle straighten up will save this stone falling as it sits at an precarious angle.
Fantastic site / sight with fantastic scenery.
Visited 10/08/2023.
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The following I was up bright breezy and picked up my 'water expert' friend for the first of two site visits.
North of the road to An Carra, on the A865, take the first road heading west, the the next road heading south before stopping at the first farm track that leads north.
Jump the gate then head straight north. When you reach the shore the 'high crannog' will be in front of you. Not much is left of any buildings that existed, but the tumble down proves that once upon a time something was there. Something that still is exists is a line of stones heading west, a possible mini naust.
Canmore also have a photograph that show this line of stones clearly, on my photographs, grass and weeds are growing and much more of the site can be seen.
It was explained to me that West Loch Ollay was gradually getting lower, vegetation was growing on parts of the loch. This site just highlighted it more accurately with more rocks and bedrock beginning to appear.
Not a lot to look at but interesting given someone had a knowledge of climate change.
Visited 10/08/2023.
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Not to be confused with North Uist's standing stone ot the same name, near the Committee Road, this is a stunning stone. The Who sang you can see for miles and miles and miles, you certainly can, west, north and south.
It stands, like an old wizard, at over 5m tall with a slight angle unlike its northern counterpart's blind drunk angle.
Another reason to visit this stone was to meet up with a friend who works at the waterworks and asked the question about water levels. To my surprise I was told that the levels that summer were well down, this explained why a lot causeways were appearing that in previous years could not be seen. An example of which I'd be shown the following day.
A tremendous stone.
Visited 09/08/2023.
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An incredible 83m long by 1.5m to 2m wide S shaped causeway connects the dun at Loch Cnoc A' Buidhe, which itself is just over 13m wide. A spectacular view, south west, as I was hastily walking back to the car for a discussion about water levels at An Carra Standing stone.
Closer inspection next time.
Photographed 09/08/2023.
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The first impression that jumped into my head about Reineval was that it was 'this is Dun Bharpa's smaller relative'.
It is quite a bit smaller but equally impressive, being almost 23m wide and at its highest is over 3.5m. Like Bharpa it is surrounded by tall stones, 12 still stand, also like Barra's biggest cairn, standing on top of this only seems to encourage the wind to blow harder. However, from this vantage you can see that site has been well disturbed.
Very easy to find, it can be seen from the A865, I parked at the end of minor road and walked up the track past a couple of storage agricultural buildings to climb south up through soggy marshy ground.
It was a reasonably clear day so the views, as always, stunning!
Visited 09/08/2023.
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Situated next to the museum car park at Kildonan is a reconstruction of an outline of an Iron Age Wheelhouse. Originally it would have been situated at Cill Donnain, near the vanishing standing stone at Sligeanach. However this one didn't escape and was captured in 1990.
A nice addition to the museum.
Visited 09/08/2023.
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After the failed attempt to find the standing stone at Sligeanach, I headed north following the coastline to the Rudha Ardvule peninsula, the home to the broch / galleried dun Dun Vulan.
It must have been some place when built and would have been seen from afar. Despite being ruinous the 11m oval shape of the site can be seen, building work is best preserved in the North east arc which houses the entrance. A lot of work has occurred to clear stones from in and around the the site making it safer and easier to get around. A defensive wall has also been built to protect the broch from erosion.
Steel mesh gabions are also in place to offer further protection.
Impressive.
Visited 08/08/2023.
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After visiting the dun at Upper Loch Bornish I made my way back to minor road I'd left to continue westwards. Parking isn't a problem, St Mary's RC Church has a very handy carpark.
From the church head back to the track and keep going west to jump the gate. The cairn is small being 6m wide by 0.4 high. It is grass covered, as usual the local greenkeepers have done an excellent job, with two stones in the middle. These are probably what remains of a cist.
After a quick look round I decided to look for the standing stone at Sligeanach. Heading south I crossed over some sand dunes before heading across some very flat land. After looking around for ages I enlisted the help of two cyclists camping near the Hebridean Way. Even with their help it was a lost cause. The stone is probably hidden beneath the sands.
Nice to find the cairn, frustrating about the standing stone.
Visited 08/08/2023.
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After visiting the stone circle at Loch Kildonan I headed back to the A865 and headed north, then took the next minor road heading heading west. Take the first road heading south and park at the first corner.
The causeway has taken a bit of battering but I was able to make my way across quite safely. Enclosures or sheepfolds have completely ruined the dun which has its wall best preserved in the north. From this it can be seen that the wall would have been about 2.5m wide, this surrounds the island which would have made the dun close to 10m wide.
Beautiful location, pity about the rubbish at the nearby empty house.
Visited 08/08/2023.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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From the crossroads at North Boisdale, our base camp, head north until ruined barns / houses, plenty room to park. Cross the minor road heading east and Eilean Chreamh is straight in front.
Canmore also calls this a 'high cairn crannog'. A magnificent causeway connects the mainland to the site situated in Loch Dun Na Cille. (Nearby is the much larger Dun Na Killie, however this is considered to be medieval). The causeway is almost 37m in length and still can be used.
The island is over 24m wide and is partially overgrown. Remnants, or more likely stones from the dun can be seen on the outer edges. Bizarrely over a century ago it had been used as a garden.
Visited 07/08/2023.
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Still doing the music, following that team and getting lost in the hills! (Some Simple Minds, Glasvegas, Athlete, George Harrison, Empire Of The Sun, Riverside, Porcupine Tree, Nazareth, The Avalanches, Public Service Broadcasting on the headphones, good boots and sticks, away I go!)
Turriff, Aberdeenshire
https://www.thedeleriumtrees.com/
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