
We didn’t get to see the white lady at the stone tonight, but instead a band of ghostly celestial feral horses
We didn’t get to see the white lady at the stone tonight, but instead a band of ghostly celestial feral horses
A brooding stone at dusk
Film and Music by Matthew Shaw.
Filmed at Imbolc 2025
[Open access] This volume presents the result of three excavations and two field walking surveys in Aberdeenshire. They were intended to shed new light on the character, chronology and structural development of the distinctive recumbent stone circles which are such a feature of north-east Scotland. Although the monuments share certain elements with other traditions of prehistoric architecture, and, in particular, with the Clava Cairns of the inner Moray Firth, no excavations at these sites had been published since the 1930s and their wider contexts had not been investigated by field survey. The new project took advantage of techniques which had not been used before, including pollen analysis and soil micromorphology, in an attempt to interpret these monuments in their wider chronological and geographical contexts. In that respect this work was the sequel to an earlier investigation of the Clava Cairns.
In contrast to Carnwnda which we stopped at later on the day, this dolmen seems all about the structure, the suspension of a megalith openly and on purpose into an area of long range viewspace. If Carnwnda was a cave shelter metaphor, this one is a mountain. But perhaps it needs the outcrop next to it, which birthed it’s raw materials, to work...
Cummings and Whittle, in a detailed landscape based analysis of Neolithic monuments in Wales, undertook visual mapping of the views present when placing oneself at the monuments.
In the case of Ffyst Samson, they classed the views from the NE to the SE as closed. But if you stand on the outcrop, you get a full 360 panorama including the Preselis. And notably, the capstone is positioned on the horizon looking out to sea (Aber Mawr bay) where there is no outcrop or mountain in the panorama. Was it built to fill that view, and to reference the sea? The capstone even looks shaped like a chunky crescent with a scalloped edge, imitating the shape of the bay it ‘looks down on’ if you follow the sight line from the outcrop.
Wild speculation likely, but this one feels like the landscape around it was crucial to it’s siting, and the outcrop inextricably interwoven into whatever it’s builders were up to.
The long view towards Y Berwyn.
Looking west.
Looking southeast towards Y Berwyn.
The outcrop next door, which seems to be inseparable from the actual dolmen with regard to vibe and function? Dolmen down field on the horizon
Shamelessly breaks Kammer’s Law with regard to the image of the monument, but attempts to get away with it via the inclusion of dogs...
Visited at twilight on February 13th, 2025.
This monument is in such a great spot, cracking views all over Strumble Head and out to sea, including the lighthouse. Although it’s earth-fast/submegalithic/propped stone, it’s far from subtle in appearance when look you up at Carn Wnda....a massive horizontal slab lying contrary to all the vertical flats of the crags around it.
This one seems all about the creation of the chamber, for whatever purpose it was put to. Jack up a slab in situ, make a pit, then stone wall all around to make a chamber. The aesthetics of floating a stone don’t seem relevant here, as if the underpinning ideology or function was of a different kind to the dolmens.
The great evidence destroyer Fenton got to this one too, and noted in 1848:
‘From the quantities of red and black ashes mixed with portions of what seemed to be decomposed burnt bones and small fragments of rude pottery which I found...in the hollow below, I felt no hesitation in forming the conclusion that it had been a place of internment‘
The red ashes are interesting, although Fenton doesn’t say if they plant or animal?
Visited 08.02.25
This is an improvement on my previous route to Drumwhirn Cairn: Take the A75 turn off to Newton Stewart at the large roundabout. Follow the town centre to the end of Victoria Street & bear left across the Cree Bridge. Turn L about 50 yards from the end of the bridge into Minnigaff. After 0.5 mile you will see a war memorial on your R.
Take the next L turn after 100 yards. This is a narrow country lane headed to Cree Woods. Follow this lane past Minigaff Parish Church, Boreland Wood and Boreland Farm. Around 0.5 mile after Boreland Farm a green lane protected by a deer gate starts at NX 39089 68355 on the R. There is room to park up in a passing place at NX 39082 68352. Open the deer gate and walk N up the muddy green lane for c. 300 yards to reach a Y junction. Take the left boggy path into the forest for c. 70 yards to reach a gateway. Walk NE up the field for c. 100 yards then bear N up the slope for c. 250 yards heading for the visible stony cairn. My walking route is viewable on Drumwhirn Cairn.
The path to Drumwhirn Cairn is boggy in places so wellies are essential in all but dry summer conditions.