Latest Fieldnotes

Only one of the stones is still standing, one having fallen since the photos here were taken. The remaining upright is visible from the southern pair that can be got to easy enough from the lay-by on the main road. At the end of the field there are two fences, a tricky, boggy ditch and a steep bank to be negotiated. Make sure to take a stick and poke the ground to check how firm it is before attempting to cross the ditch. One wellie boot sunk into the mud though the ground had looked stable. Water got in over the top before it could be extracted. Fortunately spare socks were soon to hand. The experience was nearly repeated on the return as well. Watch out – but worth it.

Click on the streetmap link to check out the directions. You will see that the site lies on a semi circular little road with two entry points from the main road. Take the northern entry and drive along towards Barbreck House and park by the buildings at the end of the road. The stones are round the back of the old manor house. We asked a bloke we saw when we parked up if we could go round and have a look and permission was willingly given. Two nice stones but surely in the saddest setting of any. Probably once holding pride of place in the back garden of a grand house they now rub shoulders with abandoned vehicles and every conceivable sort of junk. They really needed that hug.

Leave the car park and head back to the road. Enter the field by the bridge by the gate with the sign warning of danger of death – to fly fishers from electric power lines. Head diagonally across this small field to the gate into the next field. Turn right along the inside of the fence and the stone is visible on the ground near the end of the fence. No distance.

A worthwhile stone to visit and a fair bit of an ‘extreme stonefeeling’ experience to get there. Barnashaig stone can be visited at the same time as they are only a couple of hundred yards apart. We parked on a small grass verge – be careful it’s tight – almost opposite the entrance to the track that starts from the road below. It’s easy enough getting up the track to the old sheds of Upper Frenoch if a bit muddy and slightly boggy in parts. From the buildings it is a steep uphill climb beside the fence line. There is a bit of a path but obviously no one had been for ages as big ferns obscured everything but keep near the fence and be careful with your footing and you should be fine. Keep following the fence along the top until it stops at a field gate. Turn left when through the gate and strike up to the top of the nearby ridge. To get to Upper Fernoch, descend the few yards to the lower ground in front of you, turn left (south) and skirt round the next ridge for a few steps and the stone should become visible a hundred yards away. To get to Barnashaig from the first ridge, go right (north) along the top for 20 yards or so to its end and the stone should become visible 50 yards-ish away on the lower ground.

A truly great stone to visit and a fair bit of an ‘extreme stonefeeling’ experience to get there. Upper Fernoch stone can be visited at the same time as they are only a couple of hundred yards apart. We parked on a small grass verge – be careful it’s tight – almost opposite the entrance to the track that starts from the road below. It’s easy enough getting up the track to the old sheds of Upper Frenoch if a bit muddy and slightly boggy in parts. From the buildings it is a steep uphill climb beside the fence line. There is a bit of a path but obviously no one had been for ages as big ferns obscured everything but keep near the fence and be careful with your footing and you should be fine. Keep following the fence along the top until it stops at a field gate. Turn left when through the gate and strike up to the top of the nearby ridge. To get to Upper Fernoch, descend the few yards to the lower ground in front of you, turn left (south) and skirt round the next ridge for a few steps and the stone should become visible a hundred yards away. To get to Barnashaig from the first ridge, go right (north) along the top for 20 yards or so to its end and the stone should become visible 50 yards-ish away on the lower ground.

We could not find anything as good as the photo here. The 9 years since greyweather’s visit has seen a moss carpet grow over everything. There were signs of other stone hunters having recently pulled up some moss here and there without success. We did eventually find a patch of rock with about 4 cup marks but only after pulling back quite a large section of moss carpet. We replaced it afterwards of course. This was down on the slope as described – and it is steep and tricky there. We poked about every other rock surface within 50 yards as well to no avail. Good luck.

Though the stone is visible up on the rise from the road we found that the easiest way to get to this big fella was to drive on into the hamlet and park legitimately by the bus stop under the hillock with the cist visible on its top – a bonus there – and walk back a couple of hundred yards to the field gate in the field adjacent to the field containing the stone which has another convenient gate just by the stone.

This excellent stone is now being surrounded by new build houses but a path to it has been retained and it has not been incorporated in someone’s garden. drive a few yards up the street off the ‘main’ road and look for the start of the fence in the photo. Park round the corner and the stone should be visible. The cross is on the side facing away from the house and you should be able to get all the way round it at a distance far enough away to take a full height photo. We could anyway.

Took us a while to find this one.. we parked in a street called Les Mimosas and were given directions by 2 very friendly locals. You walk behind the houses along a little cycleway. Once you get to some allotments on your left, the dolmen is on the right across a field. Depending on what is growing in the field it may be hard to spot. But its there and its smashing :-)

Get ready for this one if driving north. The parking place is directly opposite but out of sight just round a bend as the stone comes into sight. So if following a map slow down and start indicating before you get to the bottom of the hill so as not to surprise the inevitable car that will be right behind you – as luck will doubtless have it. The new kissing gate that Greyweather mentions is now old, broken and tied up and largely hidden behind some bushes. Enter via the adjacent field gate. Great site.

Great stone. You can park on the ‘main’ road at a field gate opposite the farm lane; there’s plenty of space. Stone is visible from the road but you have to cross a couple of easy fields – about 3 gates. Well worth it.

If you drive up to and park at the local cemetery and walk through to the back gate and turn left you will pass Stane Alane. The fallen stone is a hundred yards or so along the path in a field on the left with a pond. Easy to see and photograph from the fence.

Visited September 2013. Drove up the lane and parked at the cemetery. Walked through to the back gate, turned left and the stone was a few yards along. Well looked after by the local groundsman. A further hundred yards or so on the left in a field with a pond is the Achnabreck fallen stone. Easy to photograph from the fence.

Visited 1.8.13

Directions:
Near a minor road south of Dervaig – can’t miss it!

We parked on the minor road next to a field gate. The rest of the gang stayed in the car whilst I hopped over the gate and across the rough, bogy field of thistles towards the Hillfort. The surrounding landscape is fairly flat and the Hillfort occupies a prominent position.

The walk up to the site isn’t too far but it is steep. On the way up you pass several ruined stone building which are interesting – I can guess where they got the stone from to build them! Most of the buildings were overgrown by thistles, particularly the insides.

There isn’t a huge amount to see with the exception of a length of walling still standing to a height of about 1m which was a pleasant surprise. The views from the top are wonderful and makes the effort to climb worthwile in itself.

A site to recommend but only suitable for the fairly fit only. If you do visit take care when on top, the sides are very steep and it is a long way down!

Canmore states:
‘This fort stands (at a height of 46m OD) on the summit of a steep-sided, isolated ridge 900m SE of Torr a’ Chlachain farmhouse, close to the Salen – Dervaig road. It measures 70m by 32m within a single wall which has been so severely reduced by stone-robbing that virtually no traces now survive on the NE and SW sides. On the NW and SE, however, long stretches of the lowest course of the outer face remain in situ, consisting for the most part of massive boulders, the largest of them measuring 1.2m by 1m and 1.2m in height. the entrance faces NW and is 2.1m wide. Ploughing has encroached over almost the whole of the interior.’

Visited 1.8.13

From the Dervaig A stones follow the road west down the hill and keep an eye out for the ‘new’ cemetery on the left – not the ‘old’ cemetery a bit further down the road. Park in the car park and follow the path down towards the cemetery but then go to the left heading for the stone wall. Once you get to the wall you should be able to spot the standing stones without too much trouble.

This stone row comprises of 3 stones;
Stone 1 is about 0.5m high and is squarish / L shaped
Stone 2 is about 1m high
Stone 3 is about 2m high

All 3 stones are surrounded by ferns and are in close proximity to the wall.

There are no views from the stones themseves – I wonder why they errected here?
Near the stones is a small rocky knoll which does afford good views.
Just below the knoll is what looks like to be two Cairns but I don’t know if they are Cairns, field clearance or natural?

Dervaig B isn’t as good as Dervaig A to be honest but they make a good ‘joint visit’.

Visited 1.8.13

Despite being in a woodland setting (a place which usually means I fail to find what I am looking for) these stones are very easy to spot.

Park in the viewpoint car park and follow the obvious ‘path’ through the ferns. The stones are signposted and access is via a kissing gate. The stones are visible from the gate.

As we approached the stones the children who were climbing all over them decided to leave which meant we had the place to ourselves. I know I have said it before but there is ‘something’ about a woodland setting which often enhances the visitors experience – this is no exception. The weather was windy but sunny. Once in the plantation the wind ceased and the sunlight streamed through the tall pine trees – lovely!

The stone row consists of 2 standing stones (each about 2.5m tall) and 3 large fallen stones. The stones are covered in moss and are impressive. Pity the fallen ones haven’t been re-erected – perhaps one day?

This is a great place to visit, easy to access, impressive stones in a woodland setting.
What more could you want?
When on Mull this is a ‘must see’ site.

Visited 1.8.13

Directions:
On the western side of the main A848, near Ardnacross, opposite a farm.
Follow the track up towards a barn and then strike out to your right uphill.
The stones are not visible until you reach the brow of the hill.

This is a great site consisting of a row of 3 fallen stones. Next to the fallen stones are 2 Cairns, one Cairn has a stone kerbing going half way around and the other has kerbing going all the way around. The other side of the Cairns is a single standing stone and next to that another possible fallen stone. Not much going on here then!

To cap it off there are good costal views to be had. If you happen to be on Mull you could do a lot worse than visit this site although I suspect it would be best to ask permission first. I am quite surprised that these are the first fieldnotes for such a quality place.

Canmore states:
‘Three kerb-cairns and the remains of two flanking settings of standing stones are situated on a platform in the hillside 600m WSW of the farm.
The largest cairn is comparatively well preserved, it measures 5.5m in diameter and has a kerb of large boulders which are almost continuous. The cairn material is still about 0.4m in height on the south side. Several kerb stones of another cairn may be seen protruding through the turf 4.6m to the NW; it is about 4m in diameter and on the south side some 0.2m high. One metre to the N, 5 kerb stones of a further cairn, about 3m in diameter, are visible at ground level.
Both groups of standing stones appear to have been aligned NNE and SSW but only one stone is still upright. The SE group comprises one prostrate slab (2.3m long and 1.1m broad), a standing stone now leaning slightly to the south (2.4m high and 1.05m at the base), and a third slab, half of which is covered by turf, but at least 1.9m long and 1.25m broad.
The three stones of the NW group have all fallen and are partly obscured by turf, but the largest is at least 2.8m long, 1.4m broad and 0.35m thick’

Visited 1.8.13

Directions:
On the eastern side of the main A848, near Ardnacross, next to a wood.
You can park in a passing place and then over the usual metal field gate.

I followed the tree line down to where the Cairn is but I couldn’t see a thing due to the head high ferns. A non-summer visit required!

Canmore states:
‘The cairn is situated 500 SE of Ardnacross. It stands to a height of 1.3m above the surrounding field and measures about 8m in diameter. It is so overgrown that it is difficult to distinguish the edge of the cairn from the natural knoll on which it lies’.

Visited 1.8.13

Directions:
A short distance south east from the Kilninian Standing Stone. On the southern side of the B8073.

I viewed the Cairn from the roadside.
Easily seen as a large, grass covered, rocky mound.

Canmore states:
‘About 440m SW of Kilninian parish church is a large cairn measuring 15m in diameter and 2m in height. A series of large boulders forming the kerb can be seen intermittently around the perimeter, especially on the S side. A considerable amount of stones has been robbed from the top of the cairn and from its N half, but otherwise is relatively well preserved’.

Visited 1.8.13

Directions:
On the brow of a hill on the southern side of the B8073, about 1 mile west of Kilninian, near Tostary.

Stopped off to have a look for the stone on the way back from spending the afternoon at the wonderful beach at Calgary Bay.

Although there is access via a metal gate it is tough going to get to the stone.
Parking is also tricky on the narrow road.
I had to force my way through chest high ferns, bracken and thistles – all up a slope!

However, upon reaching the stone the effort seemed worthwhile.

The stone would be about 2m high if it were standing straight.
It is covered in white lichen and has a large boulder at its base.

There are great coastal views.
To top it off a double rainbow formed once the sun had come out.

Well worth a visit if you are ready to do battle with the undergrowth!

Visited 1.8.13

Directions:
On the northern side of the B8073, about 2 miles south of Achleck.

Despite the Cairn being right next to the road, I couldn’t see a thing due to the trees and head height bushes and ferns.
The site is completely overgrown.

Visited 1.8.13

We stayed the night in a lovely B+B near Mausoleum (SNT site – well worth a look) and once the children had been settled down I had the opportunity of going for a walk before it got too dark. Luckily I was only a short walk from several ‘old stone’ sites so as they say ‘jobs a good ‘un’!

I walked onto the B8035 and headed south.

Gruline standing stone is easily seen in the middle of a field from the roadside.
Access into the field is easy enough over a metal field gate. Although technically there is no public access, given the location and time of day this was never going to be an issue!

The stone is about 2m tall and has a nice backdrop of hills and even a waterfall in the distance.
A bird of prey shrieked overhead which added to the occasion.

Well worth a visit when in the area.

Failed visit 1.8.13

Another 4 years growth since Postie visited has no doubt made this stone even more difficult to locate / access.
(Well done by the way Postie for finding it!)

I tried to visit but the trees/bushes were impenetrable and it was starting to get dark so I decided to have a look at the nearby Cairns instead whilst there was still some light left.

Canmore states:
‘This impressive standing stone is situated within thick scrub and trees on the West side of the road from Salen to Kinloch. Now leaning to the ESE, it is aligned NNE and SSW at its base, which measures 1.2m by 0.4m: the stone stands to a height of 2.45m and tapers towards a pointed top’.

Directions:
At the southern end of the field immediately south of the Gruline Standing Stone.

The light was starting to fade and as I crossed the field towards the Cairn I was delighted to see two deer near the Cairn. One next to its base and the other half way up its side. They were startled by my presence and ran off – wonderful!

The Cairn looks huge as you approach – about 8m high. But this is due to the natural mound it stands on and on its opposite side it is ‘only’ about 2m high.

The Cairn has trees all-around its base and is covered with tree stumps.
The top of the Cairn is capped with ferns. There are lots of stones sticking out of the surface.

On the walk back to the B+B I spotted another 5 deer in a field before they ran off into the trees. What a great way to end the day!

Canmore states:
‘A prominent knoll known as Carn Ban is surmounted by a grass-covered cairn measuring about 26m in diameter and 2.2m in height. Its original shape and size has been mutilated by robbing, clearance and fallen trees’.

The other Cairn is a little distance to the east which Canmore has named the Gruline Cairn. It is located in trees and as it was now pretty much dark I didn’t try to investigate.

Canmore states:
‘This cairn is situated 400m west of Gruline House. Measuring about 18m in diameter and 1m in height it has been severely robbed of stone and is overgrown by shrubs’.

Visited 14th August 2013

On the way to the Wasdale crannog we spotted this mound from the path, which struck me as looking suspiciously like a barrow. A quick check of the O.S. map whilst relaxing on the crannog confirmed it was a ‘cairn’, and since we were passing it seemed rude to to visit.

As I’ve posted before I’m never really satisfied with viewing a site from afar, and feel a strange compulsion to connect to the place by actually physically being there or touching it. Maybe it’s the same thing that drives me to ‘bag’ lonely mountain summits, but I’d be deeply unsatisfied by just taking a photo from the path, and not letting a little thing like a complete lack of any visible access to the site stopping me, I look for a way to reach the mound.

Finding a spot where the dry stone wall was a little lower I hop over into a field choked with gorse. The thick bushes are so dense I have to pick my way through veritable maze of spiny branches as I struggle uphill, before working my way around the barbed wire fence which partitions off the field containing the mound. Handily though a gate right by the mound allows access without having to circumvent the fence and then I’m there.

While I’m sure some people would be incredulous as to lengths I’d go through just to visit a small green mound, when I’m there I’m glad I did, as Howe Harper is actually rather good. Firstly the surrounding ditch is still clearly visible and well preserved, and secondly the views from atop the mound are fantastic. Each way you turn gives a new and fine aspect, to the north the loch of Wasdale twinkles below you, whilst west the hills of Hoy loom over the horizon, dominating the skyline as they do all across west Mainland. To the south the mound seems to mirror a small hill which sticks out atop a ridge of high ground.

The cairn itself is also still of a good size, with just a small chunk hacked from the mound, possibly by the world’s most half-hearted treasure seekers who just couldn’t be arsed, or else feared they may be in danger of disturbing the mound’s resident draugr, or more likely through erosion by cattle grazing. Either way it gives a view of some of the underlying cairn structure.

Well as grassy mounds go this is definitely one of the good ones, and perfectly viewable from the path, but if you do want the full experience of the views from the cairn, then try Wideford’s directions, I’m sure it would be easier!