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See NS88NE 10
Some good stuff here - all very clear. NS 85710 87969 on the GPS.
At the S end of the rock is a group of five motifs (including a 50 cm cup and five rings with a "budding" cup and two rings) and a further two are at the N end.
If approaching from the farm, they are roughy 100m from the gate on your right hidden behind a gorse bush on a shelf on the edge of the ridge. Just E of the telegraph wires.
Visited 28 November 2004
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There are two sites here
- NS88NE 9 which has a lightly-pecked (possibly partly finished) cup and one ring and
- NS88NE 53 (known as Castleton 2b) which has cup marks only.
They lie almost adjacent to each other at NS 85818 88303 on the far end of the first rocky ridge N of the farm. Under the telegraph wires. 2b is the easier to spot.
Visited 28 November 2004
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Although it's only 40 minutes away, I'd put off a visit to this site for some time. After all, if you're going to look at a relatively rare cup and nine rings (amongst other things), you want the conditions to be just right.
The weather looked good for the day so now was the time to go for it. Low sun and virtually cloud-free. Excellent.
The visit got off to a good start. I met the farm owner just as she was leaving. Yes I could wander around and it was ok to park up at the farm.
There are 10 main areas of rock art here. I've listed them under Miscellaneous. Many of the references are around 20 years old so we can expect vegetation and weathering to have taken its toll.
I did not try to visit all of them. I was able to find Castleton 2, Castleton 3 and Castleton 7 and have created sub-sites for these.
I searched for but could not find Castleton 1, 4 and 5. I'm sure there is a lot more to see here - even in the areas where my search drew a blank.
Visited 28 November 2004
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See NMRS NS88NE 30
This was the one I really wanted to find. Cup and nine rings - not many of them around.
My expectations were low. I had only a six-figure grid reference and the briefest of descriptions to go by and they were nearly 20 years old. Surely the site would be covered over by now.
However, I can confirm that is is there .... and looking wonderful. The rings and the seven radial grooves were very clear in the low sun. It measures 60 cm across.
Quite easy to find. It is in an open area between the gorse bushes at the far end of the ridge which runs NW from the farm. NS 85523 88185
This is site 7a in Canmore. All that you can see are the cup and nine rings and a cup and four rings. Their outer rings appear to be joined.
There should be a lot more here but it is probably covered and I was not going to start stripping the turf.
I could not locate the nearby 7b and 7c but I was happy. I'd found the main reason for the trip.
Visited 28 November 2004
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This is an attempt to tie up all the references to the Castleton sites.
It includes the Castleton series number where one exists. These were used by R W B Morris in The Prehistoric Rock Art of Southern Scotland [PRASS]. They also appear as alternative names in Canmore but, where they are not consistent with PRASS, I've used the PRASS number to help cross-referencing that publication. Castleton 7 is not in PRASS but it is referred to by this name in Canmore.
Morris also used a county or regional numbering series (like that used for chambered cairns). This does not seem to have caught on but is included here also, where appropriate. CEN = Central region.
The 10 figure grid references are from my GPS in the cases where I have found the site. The other references are from Canmore.
For each site, I have included the "best" motif; full details are in Canmore.
Sites NW of the farmhouse
Castleton 4 [CEN 4]; NS88NE 11; NS 8552 8816; cup and four rings.
Castleton 5 [CEN 5]; NS88NE 14; NS 8554 8811; cup and five rings.
Castleton 7; NS88NE 30; NS 85523 88185 (for 7a); cup and nine rings.
Sites NE of the farmhouse
Castleton 1 [CEN 1]; NS88NE 3 & 52; NS 8587 8840 & NS 8589 8839; cup and five rings.
Castleton 2 [CEN 2]; NS88NE 9 & 53; NS 85818 88303; cup and one ring.
Castleton 6 [CEN 6]; NS88NE 12; NS 8598 8825; cup and one ring.
Sites S and SE of the farmhouse
Castleton 3 [CEN 3]; NS88NE 10; NS 85710 87969; cup and five rings.
NS88NE 15 & 31; NS 857 878; cup and three rings.
NS88NE 25; NS 8615 8771; cup and one ring.
NS88NE 26; NS 8602 8771; cup and four rings.
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This massive stone - 2.6m high and about 4m circumference at the base - sits close to the River Irvine.
Not the most attractive standing stone I've seen!
Visited 19 November 2004
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At one end of the main square in Darvel sits the bust of local-boy-done-well Sir Alexander Fleming. At the other end sits this curious piece of work described below by Rhiannon.
Can't add much to her comments on the name except to say that I've read Dagon has been called the god of crop fertility and the inventor of the plough and that this is a very agricultural area.
Visited 19 November 2004
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Nicely proportioned standing stone 2.1m tall.
In a field just off the A71. Convenient parking spot and gate close by.
Visited 19 November 2004
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"Seen one, seen them all."
That's largely what Dr Johnson said of this Clava passage grave when he came here with Boswell in 1773.
At least, he probably got a good view of it - which is more than can be said now. On paper, this is a great site. Five stones of the surrounding circle remain upright.
But it is covered in vegetation making access and appreciation very difficult. "A visual disaster" - as Burl says.
Access. . Roadside parking then it's a case of finding the line of least resistance. Not easy.
Visited 2 November 2004
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Strange, is it not, that someone looking for a location for a family burial ground should choose an area incorporating the remains of a neolithic burial cairn. But that's what's happened here.
So it was largely curiosity (and the fact that the site is on the way to Heights of Brae) which led me here despite unpromising reports about access and surviving remains.
The burial ground was, as anticipated, surrounded by a wall, gated and padlocked but, in the corner where the cairn sits, you can just see over the wall.
As for the surviving remains, if you don't expect a lot, you won't be disappointed!
Access. Park in Contin village. Short walk.
Visited 31 October 2004
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"Progress was all right. Only it went on too long."
James Thurber
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