Stone lined grave, robbed out.
Large natural boulder has been cut flat along one edge and several upright flattened stones have been added, at right-angles to form a reasonable sized cist.
One of the ‘walls’ has slumped a little into the cavity between.
Upon a well worn pathway exists a large flat boulder, with many well defined cup marks.
If you think they are all ‘natural’, I would argue that such linear and equilateral triangular designs seem more man made.
50pence coin gives the scale, and also the possibility of more worn, possible older carvings – highlighted in yellow on the attached images
Cheers
Aron
Maybe there should have been a notice placed near the top of Court Hill saying ‘Move along now, nothing to see here’, but that wouldn’t be strictly true. Having conveniently parked at the little church at East Dean village we made our way up the track, past the ancient droving tracks descending from the Downs, and onwards to a copse which covers most of the hill top. The only evidence of the enclosure is a slight bank which comes around the South Eastern edge of the hill before disappearing through the fence into the copse. You can’t get into the copse because of a barbed wire fence and there seems to be a lot of stuff connected with the pheasant slaughtering industry in there, but you can definitely see evidence of the bank running through the trees (this is more evident if you look at a satellite image). Also from the top you get wonderful views along the valley towards Charlton, Goodwood Race Course and The Trundle (which has a Neolithic Causewayed Enclosure inside it’s Iron Age fortifications) and you’re also only about 3 miles from Halnaker Hill, another NCE.
Visited: September 11, 2015
A metalled road, which starts just north of the junction of the A850 with the B8036 at NG 423485, heads roughly west towards St Columba’s Isle and Burial Ground. At a junction after about 300 metres, take the road to the right for a further 700 metres, till it ends as a whitewashed cottage. Tote Chamberd Cairn lies on the foreshore of Loch Snizort Beag, immediately (about 30 metres) west-northwest of this cottage.
Just before the end of the road, make for the shore and follow it past the cottage. The cairn is plain to see.
Canmore states that this very large oval cairn, which measures 3.2 metres in height and 31 × 24 metres on the ground, is composed of loose stones and, though robbed, remains in good condition.
Today, the cairn is largely overgrown by dense gorse, and it proved impossible to make out any structure or attain its summit.
Local legend (incorrectly) claims that this cairn covers the slain of a battle between the Macleods and the Macdonalds in AD 1539. However, this legend correctly refers to a large cairn of stones that used to stand about 300 metres to the southwest, on the other side of the River Snizort, but which was ‘carted away to make room for the plough’ during the 19th century (Name Book 1877)
You can read more at Canmore
A large boulder with deep multiple cup marked upon it.
NOT nr. the traditional areas of rock art, quite distinct, but VERY obvious.
OS reference with-held currently in view of sensitive sites and many new areas of rock art I have discovered in Derbyshire of recent, being in areas potentially prone to vandalism and/or theft
20 pence coin to give scale
In the field next to the bus stop, just beyond is where we parked, the kerb cairn at Craggie is easily spotted sitting on top of a small hillock which is crowned with some nice looking trees.
A lot of damage has been to the west of the cairn but the kerbs are mostly in place in what was once another impressive site. It still survives at 11 meters wide is over 0.5 meters tall.
Another 3 cairns and Dun Davie will have to wait for another day as darkness was rapidly coming down. Also the lure of the nearby Clava Cairns had to be shown to ALC and the cairn finding dog.
Visited 4/1/2016.
Mid Craggie is a wonderful kerb cairn situated next to what is fast becoming an agricultural rubbish dump. This is a tragedy considering the beauty of the area, to the west the Dun Davie Hillfort with the fast flowing Craggie Burn to the north.
The cairn is overgrown with turf and gorse but it still stands at an impressive 13 meters wide being 1.5 meters tall. Several kerbs remain in place especially on the south facing side. A bit of howking on top does not detract from the site.
Heading north on the B9154, from Tomatin, stop at the bus stop near the first minor road heading north. There is plenty of parking space. Walk back to first track north which leads to Mid Craggie farm. Look over the unused machinery and cairn can be spotted in the field to the north.
Visited 4/1/2016.
Druim An Tuirc could mean Ridge Of The Boars or Ridge Of The Turkeys. Boars are believable but the thought of turkeys running up and down this hill is hard to believe.
From Banchor we headed back to the minor road and went north to the famous whisky village of Tomatin. Just as the village is entered take the minor road east, indicated Balvraid, going under the rail bridge and the A9 trunk road. Go as far as the second track that heads north westish, just after Inverbrough Lodge. Go down a slight dip to an interesting looking bridge crossing the Allt Bruchaig burn, more like raging torrent. The only real flooding we saw that day was on this narrow, scary metal bridge and after a few moments of thinking what to do I drove straight across and parked at the meeting place of several tracks.
From here we walked almost to Edinchat, then swung north walking past the trees (a pheasant rearing place and fenced) to the south heading to the top of the hill.
Drium An Tuirc is 9 meters wide and 0.4 meters high. Several kerbs encircle the cairn which has a hill climbers’ cairn plonked in its centre. Easy to see why this was built as the views are stunning. Less easy to imagine are turkeys running about.
After the a good look round we headed back down this time heading north of the trees where – surprise surprise!! – a track led down to the track heading east to Edinchat and west to the warmth of the car.
Visited 4/1/2016.
as well as the two cairns at Banchor (and the cairn at Dalarossie) there is a field system with nice a hut circle with the same outstanding views. The hut circle is to the east of the cairns.
Stones stand at width of 15 meters and has a possible front door on the north east side. A small pile of ancient, most likely, field clearance stands near the entrance.
There is an another hut circle further along what was once a road but the field it was in was somewhat submerged.
With that it was back to the car and a meeting with the local ghillie who just parked beside the great unwashed. This poor chap has a lot of worries to keep him occupied over the next few weeks, loss of livestock, buildings, winter crop, no deliveries, no road etc etc, in an area that had no news coverage at all.
Visited 4/1/2016.
Appears as Unyatank on the 1st 25” map, which sounds the more likely name. Even on 2nd 25” it is Unyatauk not Unyatuak. Only seen it from the road, but there appear to be two similar rises ‘behind’ this mound
ALC, assisted by the cairn finding dog, found this cairn by continuing to walk westwards following the deer fence. It sits at almost 11 meters wide and is almost 1 meter tall being situated next to the deer fence on the southern side. Cairn material can be seen poking through the turf with maybe a couple of stones being the remnants of a kerb, the centre has received the normal houking.
To get to the cairns I climbed the deer fence, however to west of Banchor 2 there is a gap which made the walk to Dalarossie much easier.
Visited 4/1/2015.
From the A9 take the first minor heading west north of The Slochd, the highest point of this road, signposted Tomatin. Take the first minor road, Carse is on the sign, heading west/south and keep going until.........Now this is a wonderful road following the River Findhorn retracing its flow west. On maps the minor road runs out but keep going and go thru the mud bath that is Easter Strathnoon. Here the tarred road is replaced by hardcore as it has been washed away in recent years. Soon it returns to tar until the Wester Strathnoon Burn. This burn must have been ferocious as the road has been washed clean away in recent days.
Still plenty room to park the car and on we walked over the washed away section until normal road returned. Look for Dalarossie Church, on the north side of the river, and jump the fence heading south.
Head to the top of the hill and on the other side of the deer fence the cairn can be seen. This is a magnificent monument situated amongst a field system. A short wall of 3 meters runs to west, probably built with cairn stones, might be a wind break or grouse butt. As usual the centre of the cairn has been houked. It still stands at 12 meters wide and is just over 0.5 meters in height. Superb views over the River Findhorn and surrounding mountains can be seen. Harder to see is the nearby cairn but ALC solved that problem.
Visited 4/1/2015.
Like Fitz, I like this site despite the houses being nearby and perhaps that is a good thing as it allows your imagination to take over which is probably the reason the henge was built in the first place.
From the A92 take the B969 heading west, then take the first road south, Huntsman’s Road, then the first street east, Kilmichael Road and finally the second street heading in a southerly direction fittingly called, ‘The Henge’.
Visited 30/12/2105.
Head north on the B9130, from Markinch, and take the first minor road east which leads straight to Markinch cemetery.
The cairn is situated in the cemetery on its southern side. Trees, reported in 1955, have gone and the cairn now rests (it is a graveyard) beneath a well looked after green turf. It still sits at about 20 meters wide and is 1 meter high. Nearby is Balgonie Castle which is well worth a look and to the west The Lomonds are clearly visible.
Visited 30/12/2015.
Excavations took place on the small hill at Newton Of Balbirnie during 2009 and an Iron Age fort was discovered as part of the Markinch Heritage digs.
Luckily, for me, I met the farmer at Newton who described the digs in detail. Various ditches, ramparts and entrances had been found. He also added that after ploughing he’d contact members of the group so that they could look for artefacts that may have been ploughed up. Several finds have been recorded thanks to this, some from World War 2 also.
From the circle at Balbirnie head back up to minor road and follow this as it heads south east. Newton Of Balbirnie can be found on the first minor road that heads east.
Good to learn that some people are genuinely interested in what’s on their land. All good stuff!!
Visited 30/12/2015.
Heading south on the A92 take the first minor road east south of the B969 junction. Take the first street south, called Tofthill, and at the first corner the circle can be found.
After wondering what it would have looked like in its original position I think this is a wonderful reconstruction and along with the nearby henge at Balfarg is a fantastic introduction to prehistory.
Glenrothes might be described as a new town but its fairly obvious that a settlement has been here for a long long time.
Visited 30/12/2015.
As Mr Brand says, this is a dangerous site to take photographs as drivers seem intent in breaking all sorts of speed records on the A911 east of Leslie. To north east and west both Lomonds can be seen from the standing stone. Nearby, to the east, once stood the Gallant Knowe rumoured to be a Four Poster stone circle. Strathendry could be the sole survivor from that site.
Still this stone remains perched on the bank on the south side of the road standing at over 1.5 meters in height. Park at the house just to the east of the site.
Visited 30/12/2015.
This is a difficult place to find thanks to the maze of roads to get there but here goes. From Cadham Road look for Huntsman’s Road (which heads east), then head north on Pitcoudie Road (which swings east), then look for Harris Way, (which heads north east) and at last find Sandray Place. At the end of Sandray Place the road stops and becomes a track heading into woods. After a few meters heading east look north, up the hill, and the cairn can be seen.
Pitcairn is was originally oval shaped and stood at 30 by 22 meters. It now stands at almost 3 meters in height. Unfortunately it has taken a battering, been houked and has had a dyke built through the east side. Nothing remains of the wall that once surrounded the monument. On the plus side it still remains, despite one report that it had been ploughed out, looking impressive amongst the winter trees despite the house being only a few meters to west. Houking has shown how the cairn was constructed. As well as larger stones, smaller stones can be seen amongst the earth. Urns in excavations have also been found.
This once had been an impressive site, it still is, and it appears that the locals aren’t aware of the prehistory on their doorstep.
Visited 30/12/2015.
I was going to post about Whitehawk more than a year ago after I volunteered for the dig which took place there in August 2014. I refrained from doing so at the time as I was supposed to be photographing (for Brighton Museum) the ‘more interesting artefacts’ which they hoped to uncover in the process of the dig. Sadly, despite intensive digging in 3 separate areas on Whitehawk Hill nothing particularly interesting was found. Geo-physics had shown up some anomalies on the Southern side of the hill which the archaeologists hoped might be a fifth outer ring, but this proved to be unfounded. Most of the very small things found were pieces of worked flints (possibly Neolithic), masses of broken glass, the inevitable willow-pattern ceramics shards and miscellaneous bits of ironware which were probably bits of broken gardening tools (most of the hill has been given over to allotments in the past and still is today). I personally found a 1945 farthing which back then would have bought you a whole house in Brighton. The other thing that was found in abundance were pieces of relatively modern cars and scooters which is quite interesting in itself. The practice of sacrificing expensive offerings to the gods on this site was still happening in the here and now, a clearly continuing tradition, except now they like to torch them first rather than burying them or flinging them into a watery place.
As stated in older posts there’s not much to suggest that you’re standing in a Causewayed Enclosure when you’re up there as most of it has been encroached upon by modern progress, allotments and the enlargement of Brighton Race Course, but here and there you’ll notice a slight undulation, a small squeak to remind you of the sheer scale of the site. The positioning of it too, is wonderful and a true focal point, commanding expansive views over the sea and South Downs of which it forms part. The panoramic images posted here were commissioned recently by Brighton Museum for educational purposes to highlight the importance of this truly ancient and wonderful place.
On the way up to East Lomond there is a rarely spoken about Iron Age hillfort on the small Purin Hill. Not much remains of the fort except changes of colour in the grass which represent the rampart. In my opinion it would have been quite similar to the nearby Maiden Castle. Luckily for me the farmer at Drums was in the field putting feed down for the sheep and said that he’d found several items including flints, an axe head, bits of pottery and handed them to the people at Falkland Palace. He also mentioned that ploughing churned up lots of stones in a circular shape around the small hill.
On a day of bad flooding for Scotland I somehow managed to tiptoe between the rain storms.
Visited 30/12/2015.
From the Maiden Castle we retraced our steps back to the main track heading west, all except one member of the party who was soon rounded up by the cairn finding dog.
When you get to the bottom of the climb to West Lomond there is a small quarry and two choices of path. One heads straight up and is very steep. The more sensible choice curves round the north and approaches from the north west. Being sensible for a change we chose the second route.
The cairn sits on top of the hill with a trig plonked on top it and has magnificent all round views. Sadly the site has taken an absolute battering and is scattered all over the place, much of the stones being used to make two enclosures or possibly massive wind breaks. However it is easy to imagine what it originally looked like and with the area full of prehistory what a setting.
People who played or have attended the T In The Park festival before its move to Strathallan will recognise the Lomonds as a spectacular backdrop.
To get back to East Lomond follow the path east. No climbing involved as the path leads to the south of the fort near some lime kilns and eventually heads back to the car parks.
Visited 18/10/2015.
From East Lomond head west following the path which is fairly steep and worn until it flattens out. After a couple of miles the path meets the minor road at Craigmead (toilets, marker boards etc). Keep heading west keeping an eye on the north looking for a small hill which can be seen after the woods. We headed north leaving the path after passing a small hillock and headed straight for the Maiden Castle, easily spotted thanks to the fantastic ramparts.
Conditions underfoot on the day of this visit were dry but I’d imagine this route would be a bit of a boggy mess after rains/snow.
The rampart is in tremendous condition with clear evidence of stonework beneath the turf. Entrances are easily identified at the east and west ends of the oval fort, with a well preserved causeway at the eastern end. However it remains to seen if this fort was ever completed as the rampart appears to be incomplete at northern and southern ends. Whatever the reason it almost looks as if this was deliberate as the remains are that good. I had a good look round the ramparts twice and from various heights/distances, deciding that whatever its condition it must have been a fort of strategic importance.
From the tops of East and West Lomond the Maiden Castle can be spotted. In my opinion it is a wonderful site and a privilege to have visited it.
Visited 18/10/2015.
The cairn is situated on top of East Lomond in the middle of the fort. Sadly it looks like it will be trampled flat and vanish in time. Still at the moment it survives and is 13 meters wide, 1 meter tall. Cairn material pokes thru but it has been given a good scattering. For good measure the usual trig has been planted on top.
Visited 18/10/2015.
Travelling south from Dundee on the A92 cut back north westish on the A912 Falkland road (also leads straight to Falkland Palace). Take the first minor road heading west, which is indicated East Lomond viewpoint, and go the end of the road where car parks can be found.
The climb up the east side of East Lomond is quite steep but nothing difficult and leads to the first of the defences. There appears to almost a maze of defences around the fort which on the three other sides is very steep. Various hut circles and enclosures have been found between the ramparts/ditches. This fort was built as the hill dominates the whole area which is stunning in beauty. Nearby cup and ring marked rocks have been taken to the Falkland Palace.
In the middle of the fort there is a cairn and to the west more prehistory.
Visited 18/10/2015.
Just north of the Sandwick war memorial take the road going east through the Midstowe and Netherstove. Before reaching Netherstove take the diagonal track up to the minor road and turn right. The Rossel Howe wall is plain to see two fields east of the road. I didn’t realise you can walk straight up to it (the fence is practically gone) and so came around the edge ofa field. Looking at the rise atop the hill the cairn sits on I woner if it isn’t man-made. At the southern end is a pile of stones that could be the remains of the second cairn, badly robbed for stone. Rossel Howe cairn is a rectangle with well rounded corners, feeling almost oval to me. There is another pile of stones at the other end of the cairn, buth this is obviously leftovers and parts that have come off the wall. The stones are very different from the two slabs, which are mostly white. It doesn’t come out well in my photos that the erect slab sticks out from the cairn material at an angle of, say, 45 degrees. It is said the two slabs could have been parts of a cell. But there must have been a reason why they are where they are, and given the angle of the slab it strikes me that whoever built the wall was surely marking for posterity the place where the entrance had been (in which case could it even be in its original position ?). Standing at Rossel Howe there is a grand view almost the whole way around, and the mound is easily seen coming up to Skail. Indeed, because this day the hill was distinctly multi-coloured I was ablt to see it as I walked several miles towards Twatt and retracing my steps several more going to Stromness. If you wish to avoid the roads the set of tracks going by the site of the ‘Snusgar’ excavations takes you to the Netherstove farm road.
