The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

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Ballochmyle Walls (Cup and Ring Marks / Rock Art) — Links

Ancient Scotland


A great photo - includes a baldy geezer with a crackin shirt.

Fowlis Wester Standing Stones — Fieldnotes

October 2002.

Visited here with my 2 oldest friends Norie of the photos and George. We didn't tell George where we were going - but anyway.

Asked permission from the old couple at Crofthead Farm and went to the stones.

The higher up, north pair of standing stones sit quietly at the side of a stream. I read on the Ancient Scotland website that the tip of the tallest of these two stones may mirror a distant peak in the Lomond Hills on the Southern horizon above the Keillour Forest.

A hundred yards to the south, down the hill are two large boulder type stones which may be the remains of one stone which has been split.

The megalithic culture remained strong in this area - you can visit a giant pictish carved stone inside the church in the village - there is also a full sized replica of this stone which stands in the village.

We headed out towards Perth.

Fowlis Wester Standing Stones — Images (click to view fullsize)

<b>Fowlis Wester Standing Stones</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Fowlis Wester Standing Stones</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Fowlis Wester Standing Stones</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Fowlis Wester Standing Stones</b>Posted by winterjc

Dalchirla (Standing Stones) — Fieldnotes

We parked and asked permission at Dalchilra farm.

The stones sit low on the Machany Water Valley downstream from the Dunruchan Hill stones.

The solitary north-western stone stands proud about 12 feet from the level of the field although it's hard to judge it's true size as it looks as if it may be propped up by the pile of stones which surround it. This looks as if it might be a re-erection job although it's hard to say. If this is the original state of the monument then it's pretty unusual.

The two other stones sit in a nearby field to the south-east.
The larger of the two stones has weathered cup markings on it's east face near to the base of the stone.

Dalchirla (Standing Stones) — Images

<b>Dalchirla</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Dalchirla</b>Posted by winterjc

Dalchirla (Standing Stone / Menhir) — Images

<b>Dalchirla</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Dalchirla</b>Posted by winterjc

Ballochmyle Walls (Cup and Ring Marks / Rock Art) — Miscellaneous

We travelled from the North on the A76. Just after the town of Mauchline we turned right onto a minor road (it's the last right turn before the A76 crosses the River Ayr). We parked a couple of hundred yards down this road. At this point there is a style on the right hand side of the road and a path then takes you over a grassy field then into the woods. Just into the woods you cross a little wooden bridge and just after that there is a rough path which goes up an embankment from the right hand side of the main footpath. Follow this rough path and persevere for a couple of hundred yards until you get to the walls.

Ballochmyle Walls (Cup and Ring Marks / Rock Art) — Images

<b>Ballochmyle Walls</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Ballochmyle Walls</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Ballochmyle Walls</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Ballochmyle Walls</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Ballochmyle Walls</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Ballochmyle Walls</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Ballochmyle Walls</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Ballochmyle Walls</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Ballochmyle Walls</b>Posted by winterjc

Little Meg (Stone Circle) — Links

Megalithic Walks


Long Meg & Her Daughters (Stone Circle) — Links

Megalithic Walks


Amazing winter photos.

Mayburgh Henge (Circle henge) — Links

Megalithic Walks


Dunadd (Sacred Hill) — Links

Megalithic walks


Nether Largie Central (Cairn(s)) — Links

Megalithic Walks


Nether Largie South (Cairn(s)) — Links

Megalithic Walks


Templewood (Stone Circle) — Links

Megalithic Walks


Ri Cruin (Cairn(s)) — Links

Megalithic Walks


Achnabreck (Cup and Ring Marks / Rock Art) — Links

Megalithic Walks


Balfarg (Circle henge) — Links

Megalithis walks


Croft Moraig (Stone Circle) — Links

Megalithic Walks


Machuim (Stone Circle) — Links

Megalithic Walks


Some good photos and brief, personal descriptions.

Kinnell of Killin (Stone Circle) — Fieldnotes

8/6/02

We walked from the village car park, over the disused railway bridge over the Dochart and then into the estate. We got permission at the house and cautiously walked passed the cows and calves.

The sun was hot but the field the ground was heavy as it had been raining heavily the previous day.

What a place though. It's such a well preserved, compact little circle. The River, just a few hundred yards to the west of the circle, flows northwards towards Loch Tay.

I sat down in the middle of the circle and heard kids playing by the house, the peacock and a chainsaw up in the woods above the field with the rocky, Sron a Chlachain looking down from the west.

Machuim (Stone Circle) — Images

<b>Machuim</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Machuim</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Machuim</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Machuim</b>Posted by winterjc

Kinnell of Killin (Stone Circle) — Images

<b>Kinnell of Killin</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Kinnell of Killin</b>Posted by winterjc

The Caiy Stane (Standing Stone / Menhir) — Fieldnotes

I visited this site with an old friend who was doing the driving. We spent the best part of an hour driving around housing schemes in the rain and would never have found the stone without the directions of some helpful locals (should have checked out Martin's directions properly before setting out).

We found the stone standing, still proud at the side of the street - and what a presence it has!

And then you go round the back and there, along with some cup markings, is the paint. I dont know what cup markings are all about and I don't know what function graffitti serves - given the absence of young male passage and identity rituals in our small, small world, maybe it's the same!? And then again......

It could do with being cleaned up though.

The Auld Knowe (Stone Circle) — Miscellaneous

This former stone circle once consisted of up to six stones. The original site is still marked in the new OS Explorer map as being right next to the Auld Knowe. This totally threw us when we were looking for this place.
The Canmore website describes the original site as being 24 yards from the foot of the Auld Knowe. It seems that the remaining three stones were dumped at the edge of the field a further couple of hundred metres north of the original site closer to the banks of the river Teith. The Canmore site states that this stone circle was destroyed in 1980. It's now very difficult to appreciate the relationship between the original circle and the sacred Auld Knowe.

The Auld Knowe (Stone Circle) — Fieldnotes

Big mistake.

Myself and Norie visited this place during lambing season during post-foot and mouth paranoia. Norie's brother Robert, who can't walk too well, chose to sit in the car.

The lambs weren't bothered, in fact they kept wandering up to us with their families and bleating - loads of them - and that noise can be a bit scary. It bypasses all defences and goes straight to the soul.

We got to the stones eventually after some map confusion (see miscellanious section).

This is a sad remains and was surely something more grand before the farmers got thier hands on it. There are now 3 main stones which seem to have been dumped a couple of hundred metres away from the original stone circle site. However, it still sits in a beautiful place near the south bank of the Teith a few hundred metres south of the Auld Knowe. The Auld Knowe is a natural and no doubt sacred hillock which has iron age remains.

We climbed the knowe and enjoyed the view whilst having a smoke.

Then on the road below a pick up truck stopped and the guy driving started shouting at us from the bottom of his bastard soul about the lambs and how we should not be there. I thought he was going to kill us and we walked towards him, I was thinking "we come in peace" and Norie was muttering about how there were no signs up and how there are no tresspass laws in Scotland. With no solicitors present, try telling that to a rosy cheeked farming psycho! I feared a messy confrontation. It didn't happen though and the guy drove off still calling us all the bastards of the day.

Yup, we shouldn't have gone there and I'll maybe seek permission the next time I go into farmland. This was a couple of months ago now and those cute wee curious lambs are probably lying in bits in the refridgeration section in a supermarket somewhere far away (£6.00 per kilo).

With that in mind and with me being aware of my own bouts of greed, I think I now understand the anger.

We drove to Callander and chilled out with a couple of Guinness.

The Caiy Stane (Standing Stone / Menhir) — Images

<b>The Caiy Stane</b>Posted by winterjc<b>The Caiy Stane</b>Posted by winterjc

Tulloch Knowe (Cairn(s)) — Images

<b>Tulloch Knowe</b>Posted by winterjc<b>Tulloch Knowe</b>Posted by winterjc

The Auld Knowe (Stone Circle) — Images

<b>The Auld Knowe</b>Posted by winterjc<b>The Auld Knowe</b>Posted by winterjc<b>The Auld Knowe</b>Posted by winterjc
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