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After heading downhill and north west from Dun Chibbich I found progress impossible – the way being blocked by head high vegetation and bogs. Heading back up to Dun Chibbich and took a couple of photographs.

Later on I discovered there is a path that lead leads in from the north of Mill Loch, maybe next time.

Attempted to visit 06/08/2025.

After heading west just south of Drumyeonbeg and Gigha’s golf course through fields with a few fence junps I headed north to approach the lower slopes leading to Dun Chibhich, one of Gigha’s most famous sites. Certainly one of its highest as well.

The entrance is in the south being at least 1.5m in width. Massive outer defences still exist reasonably intact along with an inner wall which still stands at 1m high and in parts is over 3m wide. Bits missed by the residents, back then, were compensated by nature – it did a good job by providing natural defence.

Just outside the entance there is a sunken area also known as the “Giant’s Grave”. It is more likely to be a ‘sunken court’ as described by Trove.

The location is stunning with views to Jura, Islay and Kintyre. Also, slightly to the north but almost impossible to reach, the crannog in Mill Loch.

In a rare outbreak of common sense towards our prehistoric sites the powers that be have scheduled the area to be 70m in diameter. The site itself covers an area 37m by 25m.

Visited 06/08/2025.

Walk the short distance north from the standing stone at Carragh an Tarbert, keeping an eye west of the road you’ll see two cairns, 1 large and 1 slightly smaller. Despite being covered in vegetation they are recognisable as cairns.

NR65596 52426 is the larger of the two cairns being over 10m in width and approximately 1.5m tall.

NR6557952432, the smaller cairn is slightly over 7m in width and over 1m in height.

A very rural looking setting.

Visited 06/08/2025.

Situated right next to the road on the way to the north of the island from Ardminish. Tarbert in Gaelic means a narrow piece of land seperating two bodies of water. In ancient and later times a place to get various types of boat from one side to the other. Tarberts in Kintyre, Jura and Harris plus plenty of others are examples of this. In Jura two standing stones mark the narrowest park of the island likewise in Gigha the odd shaped stone marks its narrowest point.

Also known as the Giant’s Stone it maybe is apt that the stone looks like a hand. Legend has it that the giant pulled out a tooth, flung it away and it landed here.

Fortunately no teeth flying around today – just an excellent and peaceful view.

Visited 06/08/2025.

With legs already sore from a brave but untimately failed attempt on Achamhinish, I decided they hadn’t been punished enough and attempted to climb Dunan Buidhe, slightly to the north.

It was equally bad for climbing, more of the jabby stuff, more head high vegetation, a small swamp which I fell into and a fallen barbed wire fence which for a change didn’t cause any damage.

Slightly bigger than its neighbour it measures at almost 14m by 6m. being surrounded by walls almost 4m wide. The probable entrance being on the north east. Sadly, for me, I reached the bottom of the wall but could find no way through. I tried from the other side but once again no way through.

Best visited, along with its neighbour, on a nice winter’s day.

Visited or almost visited 04/08/2025.

A nightmare to try and reach. I tried several times and could find no way up through small trees, head high weeds and a bountiful mix of what I call ‘jabby stuff’.

Trove describes the site as being 12m by 6m with the entrance being on the North East. Walls have also been built but they are impossible to see let alone reach.

A hike for a nice winter’s day.

Visited or almost visited 04/08/2025.

Just to the south of houses, south of Ardminish on the west side of the road their is a track and if you follow Trove’s grid ref you’ll end up in a small wood and a bog. I walked straight into the moss covered bog.

With no luck in the wood I headed back to the track and discovered a large rock next to the aforementioned track. As described in Trove it has 15 very shallow cup marks.

Visited 05/08/2025.

After a good look at some mounds near the Kinerach cist I followed the grassy track heading north east towards the much disturbed but reasonably well known Carn Ban.

Sadly towards the end of the 18th century much of the cairn material was removed to make nearby walls, houses and possibly some met a stone grinder which enabled roads to be constructed.

What remains is a cairn nearly 18m wide, I spied at least 5 cists and there could well be more – difficult to locate because of all of the ferns, bracken, gorse – basically the ‘jabby stuff’. It is a pity, a good clean-up might reveal a lot more.

Photos from the ‘Antiquities Of Gigha’ show the much robbed site, some cists and a stone that once stood – it maybe still does.

Could be impressive!

Visited 04/08/2025.

On retracing my steps downhill from the cairn at Cnoc Nan Gobhar, I headed east towards Carn Ban hoping to find a cist or two along the way. I’d spied a few fern covered mounds from the top of Gobhar, slightly to the north of the path.

Luck and more curiosity (after searching several of these fern covered hillocks) was on my side and I found a cist situated at NR6634553636. The top covering stone measures at over 1.5m in length, two side slabs hold it up or stop it from being pushed over, the end slabs can also be seen. Seems weird that this might have been dislodged by agricultural purposes. However, it has done better than another nearby cist – it has vanished altogether.

It wouldn’t be the biggest surprise to learn if there are any more sites are hidden beneath the vegetation. A job for another day.

Visited 04/08/2025.

Now apparently this sizeable kerb cairn doesn’t appear to be listed and I stumbled upon it quite by accident and curiosity. Wanting to see Jura/Islay and various forts/duns on the mainland, to the east, I climbed the Cnoc Nan Gobhar – hill of goats, same as the nearby standing stone. Cross the road, there is a gate/path and up the hill slightly to the north. Reasonably easy climb. I was also hoping to spy the Kinerach cist to the east. I didn’t but I did spy several fern covered mounds, one of which housed the well hidden cist.

The cairn is at least 10m wide, over 1m tall, most of the kerbs have remained in place and a lot of cairn material remains in place possibly covering a small chamber or cist.

A decent cairn, situated fairly close to two of the island’s better known cairns.

04/08/2025.

Slightly to the north of the natural causeway to Eilean Garbh, popular with canoeists and campers, sits or has been re-seated is the standing stone ‘Cnoc Nan Gobhar’ – hill of goats. It stands a slightly over 1m tall, being much the same height as its near neighbour – a fence post.

The stone has been moved a few times apparently but luckily has been re-erected, a nearby hill with the same name has a cairn on its summit.

There are possible Ogham markings on the stone’s south side. Standing stones near the road seem popular on Gigha, I’d see a couple more later in the week.

Visited 04/08/2025.

After clambering back down from North Druimachro I followed the track past the entrance to farm of the same name, veered north east and left the track just before Gallochoille Cottage to head towards the coast. The dun is short distance south and has to be one of the most scenic places I’ve visited.

It was humid, thundery clouds and a calm sea all added to the atmosphere. No drenching for me as the rain headed east. Remnants of wall survive to the west, a gap of about 1m indicating the entrance. Bits of wall survive on the north, to the east the wall has been washed away, a few stones can be seen lying on the shore.

Measuring 17m by 12m, it is a bit of a ‘what was’ site, Gigha seems to be that kind of place as regards history.

Beautiful place!

Visited 03/08/2025.