Another Orkney-Cromarty cairn in an elevated position - 240m. The most visible remains are four stones from a polygonal chamber standing 1 to 1.5m high. Look around and you can see some low surviving stones from a second, rectangular, chamber which adds to the interest.
Nice site with great views and reasonably accessible.
You are supposed to be able to see Balnacrae from here (4 km NNE) but we forgot to look!
Access. Easy. From the Dingwall/Strathpeffer road (A834) take the turning for the memorial to writer Neil Gunn and park at the memorial car park. Follow the farm track immediately E of the car park to the site. Several gates but all easily opened.
Visited 31 October 2004
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An unusual and interesting variation on the general Orkney-Cromarty plan.
The chamber here is at right angles to the passage - they are usually on the same axis. There is also clear evidence of a facade running to the SW.
Nice site with good open views and some tall stones (up to 1.5m).
Access. . Easy but we had to climb the gate into the field. Ask at Braedown. Room to park opposite their drive.
Visited 31 October 2004
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There are some really big stones at this Orkney-Cromarty cairn - large enough not to be dominated by the tree which grows out of the chamber.
Mostly chamber stones remaining with the hint of a facade.
Access. Easy. Ask at house. Cairn to W of the drive.
Visited 31 October 2004
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An attractive Orkney-Cromarty cairn sitting in an elevated position in a forest clearing with tremendous views over towards the Sgurr Mor mountains.
Most of the cairn material has gone but the chamber stones survive - the tallest being 1.75m high.
Access. There is a waymarked path into the forest through Beallachnagore Farm. If you come this way, turn left when you enter the forest then, a small distance up hill, look for the track to the stones on the right.
Unsure about parking, we came in from the E having parked at NH497562. I don't think we'd have found it without the GPS from this direction. Eventually, we joined up with the route above.
Visited 30 October 2004
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The scant remains of this site lie behind a barn and are covered in farm debris.
It is near the road and on the way to Muir of Conan and Cairn Irenan but, otherwise, hardly worth the trouble.
Visited 29 October 2004
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I wasn't sure what to expect here but it turned out to be good and bad news.
The last published account said that, in 1996, the site was covered in broom and brambles so the printed plan reverted to one made 40 years earlier. This showed quite substantial remains.
The good news is that the broom and brambles are no longer there. The bad news is that neither are the substantial remains - at least anything visible above ground.
Hardly worth a visit then unless it was en route to nearby Cairn Irenan. It's close to the road.
Visited 29 October 2004
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There are some massive stones here. It's not clear whether they are the remains of one chamber or two but it's fun trying to work it out.
It sits just outside the forest so there are splendid open views on three sides from its 250m OD position.
Access. You need to allow a bit of time to do this one - plan for a two hour round trip. Take the Swordale road out of Evanton and drive to the end of the metalled road near Milton Lodge - plenty of room to park.
Walk up past Fannyfield (stop sniggering!) then onto the forest track which is mostly through more open country than the map suggests. The last stage after the "ruin" was a bit wet underfoot but the final challenge comes as you reach the site.
A deer fence runs along the edge of the forest which looks unclimbable. Persist and you will come to a spot where a tree which has fallen onto the fence allows you to clamber over.
Visited 30 October 2004
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This splendid example of a Clava passage grave sits isolated amongst the Orkney-Cromarty cairns in the area. Probably the most northerly surviving example of this type of cairn.
It is in the corner of a croft. A little overgrown especially around the passage area but you can still clearly see the inner and outer edges of the cairn.
Four of the stones of the surrounding stone circle still remain upright, the tallest being nearly 2m high. Three have fallen.
Access. Ask at the croft. No Sunday visitors please.
Visited 29 October 2004
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Set in a forestry clearing, this is a good example of the features of a typical Orkney-Cromarty passage and chamber - not much of the cairn survives.
The less well preserved Scotsburn Wood East also sits in the forest at NH726768 but was not visited due to an outbreak of CBA.
Access. Several possibilities but we parked at NH733763, followed the Right of Way west for about 1 km then N up the rather wet forest track. Easy walking but two stiles to cross.
Visited 1 November 2004
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Not much to see here. A ruined Orkney-Cromarty cairn with only a couple of chamber orthostats visible in a cairn surrounded by a fence and topped with a telegraph pole.
Worth a visit though as part of a trip to the much more interesting Boath Long and Short.
Access. Across the road from the Boath cairns. Stiles into the field and over the cairn fence.
Visited 1 November 2004
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