Latest Fieldnotes

All day I’d been telling the kids we’ll go to the bum stones after tea, but then my daughter said “can you stop calling it the bum stones”, to which I replied “well they’re actually called the arse stones so ive already been cleaning up the name to save you from the crassness of potty mouth”.
Aaah, said they
It was a bit difficult to find the right field, I went down it once but then turned round and went the wrong way only to come back again and go further down that road. I eventually parked where I think Thelonious did, but as it was the most perfect of evenings we quickly jumped the field wall and trotted over to the menhir derriere.
First of all I got Eric to take the picture I most wanted, the one where I get to know a small part of Cornwall inside out.
Then we climbed up the biggest boulder using it’s carved footholds, and found the top half covered in large basins, all dry.
Another big stone looks like a huge mushroom, a smaller one is another back side stone. A herd of small cows, or large calves, were on the go as well they’d come up close only for one to get spooked and then they’d all turn and run, the thunder of all those hooves was quite thought provoking, imagine if that was a wild herd of Bison or something and much larger, how cool would that be.

A brilliant place to end the day.

Easy enough to find, just a couple of minutes walk from the road, But a whopping great big green gate stood in our way. There was no one around, not that we checked so we didn’t climb over, didn’t leave my less than agile daughter at the gate, and then didn’t scurry over to take a quick couple of pictures of this tall and graceful standing stone. Because we didn’t partake in trespassing we have no way of knowing that there was or wasn’t a bin right next to the stone, but if there was then I reckon Eric would have pulled it out of the way whilst I take a few pictures.
It was a very nice day, and besides Lesquite quoit this morning this standing stone would have been my only stones of the day, so it would have been nice to sit under it and watch the Swallows swoop, but we didnt so we have no way of knowing if there even was any swallows.
If you felt inclined to break the law, heaven forbid, the gate is easy to climb...... I’d imagine.

Though Lesquite quoit wasn’t really making much of a blip on my radar, as it wasn’t far from St Austell where we were staying, how could I not investigate the burial chamber marked on the map. Like Carl (again) we parked up in the opening to the lane that leads to the radio mast or what ever it is. And like him we also went off down the road occasionally peeping over the high hedge to see if it was there yet. But it wasnt raining, in fact it was a nice day, a sunny day with fast moving roving bands of low mist.
We located the stones through the hedge and just a couple of meters along was a place to climb over.
Champion !
There are only three stones making up this burial chamber, but they are big stones. Two stones are standing up, they are longer than they are tall, leaning upon one of them is the monster of a capstone. It really is a big flat stone, shining white and brightly in the early sun, it looks bigger than most other quoit capstones, or perhaps it was the perspective, do stones look smaller when there up and in their proper place, doubt it, it’s a big stone.
Cows in the other end of the field were beginning to get interested in our expedition, and my new pet hate was starting to make its presence felt, dew, even if it hasn’t rained in days, dew will soak your feet, weeks even, it’s like everyone who loves the morning and lives in Britain has to have wet feet, it’s like a deal with the devil, or an old charter or something. Gets on me nerves. As the kids get older I can leave them at home and go out on my journeys in the evening.

A good few stones, big and bright.

Roche rock has been on the list for ages, and seeing as my new year resolution was to not make the list longer but to actually start getting to some of the top numbers on the list, hence my trip down to Cornwall with the kids. This place looked great for a number of reasons, like Carl before me I love rocky outcrops, scrambling round, up and over, and in some cases under, it satisfies some need in me, like a childhood rediscovered. I also like old churches, chapels and such, so to find an old chapel perched precariously a top a mini mountain, with more atmosphere than you can shake a barometer at, I was quite literally all over it.

Phillippa elected to stay at the hotel and watch some silly movie, so Eric and me took the fifteen minute drive from St Austell up to Roche. We parked on a housing estate just to the north of the rock, barely a five minute walk and we’d passed the less than helpful information board and were making our tentative way up the rocks furthest east. From here you get the best view of the chapel and its little path up to it. We scampered up said path and was confronted by a blank rock face with metal ladders secured into the granite, we ascended into the chapel, a little bit of Gods house, a shed really, it’s tiny inside, no weddings here, just contemplation.
Inside the chapel are more ladders stuck into the rock, here and there are carved steps, worn smooth with the feet of serious worshipers and the curious traveler alike, not to mention our more distant ancestors.
Up the second ladders and your right up on top of the rock, I can well imagine some hermit like robed character sitting up here to serenely enjoy a sunrise or the full fury of a thunder storm, a bit like me actually, a bit.
We gingerly descend the makeshift staircase and scramble around on to the next rocky outcrop, from here we can see the full moon rising out of the eyesore clay pit quarry place to our east. we go further round on the rocks until I can get the chapel rock and the moon into the same shot. Tremendous.
Doesn’t Roche mean rock ? it surely must, so that makes this place called Rock rock, like the river Avon means river river, daft aren’t we.
Can fully recommend a visit to Roche rock.

Visited: September 5, 2012

With a length of 18 metres, D14-Eexterhalte numbers amongst the largest of the hunebedden. This hunebed lies close to the N33/N34 ‘Park and Ride’ just to the west of Gieten (roundabout at top right on map). To walk from here to the site of the hunebed (takes about 40 minutes), follow the pedestrian underpass to the west of the N34, then the foot/cycle path that flanks the highway south for about 600 metres and turn right on to Verlengde Asserstraat. Continue for just over a kilometre till the intersection with Stationsstraat. Turn right (north) up this road and walk on for 200 metres till the field gives way, on the right hand side, to a small area of parkland with oak trees. Hunebed D14-Eexterhalte lies here.

The names ‘Eexterhalte’ and ‘Stationstraat’ hark back to the days when trains from Assen to Stadskanaal stopped at a station here. The trains are now long gone, and the former station is now the reception building at ‘De Schaopsvolte’ campsite, just across the road from the hunebed.

Traces of holes can be seen in some of D14’s capstones, drilled centuries ago in an effort to split them using either gunpowder or wedges. In the Middle Ages, many hunebeds were wholly or partially destroyed in this way, their fragments being used in the building of churches or reinforcing coastal defences. In 1734, Drenthe issued a protection order on the remaining hunebedden, making it an offence to remove or damage their stones. Originally with a complement of nine capstones, only six remain on D14, the eastern three having long ago been broken up: two fragments bearing drill marks now lie inside the grave chamber.

D14 was excavated and restored by Van Giffen in 1927 when over twenty thousand fragments of pottery were unearthed. More recently, the monument was further restored in the 1960s and in 1996.

A short video about D14-Eexterhalte can be viewed on YouTube.

There are some issues with getting close to this burial chamber, but it’s so tantalisingly close to the road to warrant a sneak peek. But this was proving difficult in the extreme, never mind the cows between it and us, where do I leave the car? I drove this way and that but there really isnt much to choose from. I plumped for outside the first house going back to St Ives. Until a man came out and said could I not park there, but after he heard me out he budged a car or two up and made room for me, very kind, thank you kindly. He also added that I should ask at Pennance farm for permission.

Walking up the farm track a 4x4 came towards us, it stopped right next to me and I said in my very best not quite crawling voice would it be ok if we had a look at your burial chamber. He replied that it would be impossible and under no circumstances could he let that happen, the field shuts at five. An incredulous look must have crossed my face, he touched my arm apologetically and said i’m sorry, of course you can. Phew !
He then asked if I could outrun a cow but then looked at Eric and said youll just have to be quicker than him. Good to see humour is alive and well in far off Cornwall.

We meandered our way past the bovinators, who steadfastly refused to acknowledge us, which was nice, specially for Eric.
Carl is half right, it is in the middle of a field but its not quite the jumble as it seems from the road.
Some large stones seem to have been added on the south west side, they are much bigger than the other stones on top of the mound, field clearance would be my guess, but hard work getting them up onto the top.
The chambers entrance is not big, a belly crawl is required to get in, once in you can see an active rabbit hole, in fact there are a few all over the cairn.
The whole structure is built on a slope, no artificial platforms here, just throw it up and get great uncle Bernard in there.
It looks very much like another Scilonian tomb, which i’m beginning to like very much, ive seen three or four now and I’ve not once been to Scilly.
The sun is going down now, sinking into the sea, but this has been a very good day, and this was the perfect finish, good stones, good weather, good times.

Another one ticked off my must see list.
The kids had had enough of stone hunting for this day, so I parked as close as I dared and trotted off into the field.
The footpath is supposed to pass right by two “tumuli” but I’d obviously gone too far because I couldn’t find them. Backtracking I had to start looking among the walls and bracken/gorse which worked a treat because I came upon the lesser of the two first. It really is a lesser of the two as well, couldn’t see any stones amid the undergrowth. So I moved further south and came across the better one. It couldn’t have been better hidden if it had been through SAS sniper school, it was that well camouflaged I didn’t know it was there until I almost walked over it.
After five minutes with my PO general use scissors the entrance was uncovered, I scuttled in and took a seat. But only for a minute, the insides of these little chambers are for bones and small animals, the sunlit outside is our domain.

What a little beauty this is, small, but perfectly formed, just a slight hump in the landscape, among other slight humps which turn out to be big gorse bushes.
A lot like Brane chambered cairn but smaller.

Not been here for fifteen years so was rather eager to see them again, plus I’d poo pooed the notion of crawling through the holed stone, even when an American tourist said in a southern drawl ” have you crawled through it ? you have to crawl through it”.

So far my daughter Phil had abstained from any old stoning, so I twisted the truth somewhat and told them if you crawl through it three times you get good luck or a wish comes true, we can all do with some of that, so it was with both my kids that we made the short/long walk to these stones.

Elation, we have the place to ourselves,but upon checking the footpath people were coming, quick get through it now, the kids looked at me and said “you first” so through I go, luckily I avoided the fairy dimension and came through safely on the other side. Eric wasn’t so lucky so we had to spend three weeks rescuing him from the evil clutches of the wicked fairy queen, returning at the exact moment we’d left, which was nice.

The other people soon were upon us and they immediately got their dowsing rods out, soon they were detecting fag ends sweet wrappers and the odd inter dimensional portal, the kids ran round playing whilst I looked on. Then two dog walkers came through, and with more on the path behind us it was time to go. At least we don’t have to worry about Scrofula or Rickets.

Adios stones.

Ever since seeing this “barrow” on here some years ago I knew I had to come and have a look, it looked so together, so well, perfect. Now I’ve been, I can say with certainty that it is perfect.

I needed no help in finding it, beyond that which the map offers, I got a bit confused on the small lanes leading to it, completely failing to see Lanyon Quoit on the way past. Parking was dodgy if not completely devoid of such, we left Phil in charge of the car whilst Eric and me went up the track to the stones. Just keep following the path, whilst looking right for some stones poking over the bracken/gorse down a less well defined path and hey presto, Bobs yer Uncle and ding dong etc etc.

There are quite a few sites on the Lands End peninsula that appear to be absolutely perfect, this most definitely is one of them. The stones fitting together smartly, the open chamber points to the winter solstice sunrise, I would be there at that time if I lived half as close. I sat and watched Eric doing a bit of gardening, emptying the chamber of ferns and so on, once he was done I leaped into action and took a hoard of photos, saving the photography for the end , wanting to just look, wonder and ponder at this diamond of a site. Certainly in the top five sites of Lands end. Perfect.

I’ve never been here before, I think, Its always nice to see something new. Cant imagine why I didn’t come here before, perhaps I was trying to not over stone my new girlfriend, with bags of hind sight I shouldn’t have bothered.

When Alken and me were at the Giants grave in Cumbria he likened them to these here stones at Drift, he was right, not so much the stones them selves but their surroundings and spacing is just like them.

The good and tall stones are in a field full of Wheat? but long lanes weave through it taking me circuitously to the stones. Close to the road again, abundant parking spaces, nice lichens, good views south and west.
Perhaps not the best place to linger for hours.

A perfect example of peoples laziness and unwillingness to walk long distances to see a stone or two, Altarnun’s nine stone circle has half as many pictures even though it’s not that hard to find or to get to.

That said this is a very fine and very tall standing stone, as easy to view as it gets, a little further from the road might have been nicer though. It’s been fifteen years since my first visit, ahhh those happy uncomplicated days, all gone now, but the stone remains happily the same.

The first time I came here was before the kids were born, so that’s at least fifteen years ago, it’s all a bit different now. The new path that comes straight off the busy A30 makes it all much easier to find and to get to. But it may have lost a touch of seclusion, a hint of exclusivity, but the stones are the same as ever, which is part of the reason why we like them.

The trip down here was awful, half of the roads were closed, diversions abound, roadworks everywhere. Crap ! so we missed the sunrise by a good two hours. I could see the circle, just, from Creeg Tol, but I missed taking a picture of the rocks and didn’t know of the little circle there, or I would have had a look, new or old.
Dewy grass soaked our feet and ankles, and we didn’t have the place to ourselves for long, a large older lady turned up, with two barking dogs, but kudos to her for keeping them under control if not quiet and for sitting out of the way until we had taken our fill of Cornwall’s best stone circle. But I’d have rather not felt rushed, I presume she’s local so it’s her circle more than mine. In the last couple of minutes of our visit the sun came out, the dew sparkled and the quartz stone shone (it didn’t take long for Eric to point out that it was the only one).
What are the two smaller stones that clutter the circles edge near the gate, TSC mentions a cist, but wouldn’t any covering cairn have almost totally obscure the two nearest circle stones, don’t see it myself.

Time to go, a smidgen of disappointment pestered me, was it the late arrival, the large lady with dogs or something less tangible, dunno, but it wont keep me away for another fifteen years, I promise.

Visited 30.7.13

We actually visited Uig the day before and hadn’t planned a return trip but Sophie had left her cuddly rabbit in the shop so a return trip it had to be! (luckily we managed to get the rabbit back all safe and well) The plus point for me was that it gave me a second chance to visit the standing stone. I did keep an eye out for it yesterday but couldn’t see it. This time, as we left Uig heading south along the A87 I caught a glimpse of it – that was all the encouragement I needed!

There is a parking area on the main road (opposite) and a quick hop over a field gate.
Walk up a rough track, then over a fence, jump over a stream, over another fence and you are there – up close and personal!

The stone is approximately 1.5m high and covered in white lichen.
It is a good spot for a standing stone with fantastic views over Uig and Loch Snizort.

I am so glad I had a second opportunity to pay a visit – thanks Mr Rabbit!

Visited 28.7.13

Directions:
Travelling north along the A87 you come to Broadford. Nearly opposite the turn off (left) for the B8083 there is a minor road on the right. Turn here and the Chambered Cairn is right next to a house (on the left).

The Chambered Cairn is a large mound covered in trees, brambles and long grass.
It is right next to a house and I would guess permission for a closer look my be sought there? I didn’t bother as it would have been a battle to get through the brambles and I doubt you would have seen much anyway? I wonder if the capstone is still there?

Canmore states:
‘A Hebridean type chambered cairn, heavily robbed, although it is still a large, steep-sided, grass-covered mound bearing trees. It measures 77ft by 13ft in height. The capstone of the chamber, said to have been broken in 1832, still leans against the base of the mound on the N side. It is 8ft long, 5ft wide and 1ft thick’. 1972.

p.s – no ice cream I am afraid TSC :(

Visited 30.7.13

Directions:
Travelling north along the A87 you come to Broadford. Take the turn off (left) for the B8083. Drive past An Sithean Chambered Cairn (after stopping for a look of course) and continue along the B8083. after a couple of miles you will come to a ruined church on your right.
There is plenty of room to park.

I couldn’t make out anything that looked definitely like a ruined stone circle.
There were lots of stones sticking up out of the grass but what was natural and what (if any) were from a stone circle I have no idea.

The ruined church is very picturesque and several cars stopped while we were there. It has many interesting grave stones and myself, Sophie and Dafydd spent quite a time exploring.

Although I couldn’t recommend a visit to the stone circle I can certainly recommend a visit to the church.

Visited 30.7.13

Directions:
Travelling north along the A87 you come to Broadford. Take the turn off (left) for the B8083. The Chambered Cairn is about 2 miles down the road on the right hand side, just before the road kinks to the left.

The site is easy to spot being next to the road and you can park anywhere on the grass verge. The standing stone is approximately 0.5m x 0.5m. There are 5 large kerb stones remaining.

The views are magnificent. No wonder there is a bench located next to the Cairn.

Well worth a visit when on Skye.

Visited 21.8.13

Directions:
From Merthyr Tydfil take the minor road east at the A4102 / A4060 roundabout. Continue a short distance along this road (opencast workings on your left) and take the first turning on your right along a progressively poor ‘road’. If you have a 4x4 it would be possible to drive all along this ‘road’ and straight to the Cairns. If, like me, you have an ordinary car you can drive as far as the electricity pylons. Then it’s a case of walking south along the ‘road’ until you reach the Cairns.

The O/S map shows that there are many Cairns scattered either side of the road leading across Merthyr Common. There were several ‘lumps and bumps’ I saw which I suspected of being Cairns but there was only one which was definitely the real thing. This was very close to the road (on the left when walking/driving south). It was a small grass covered stone pile, approximately 0.5m high x 5m across, and dug into in the centre. Several Scottish thistles were growing in and around it.

By the time I reached the common (6.30pm) the light was starting to fade so I didn’t have a huge amount of time to go exploring but I could see no other definite Cairns.
What I could see plenty of was of course the local tradition in these parts of fly-tipping.

I have gone on more than once about this and I would love to have not brought up the subject again but it was so bad here that I have to pass comment. I have never been to a site where there was so much rubbish dumped. Along with the usual items there was a mound of tyres, worryingly a pile of asbestos sheets, old kitchen units, masonry, sofa, mattress and the back of an old BT van. Although the van was graffiti and litter strewn it was clearly a popular place to visit judging by the ladies pink thong I found discarded next to it. When I use the term lady or course it is in the loosest possible context. Ironically enough also discarded was a nice leather bound book on early earth history / dinosaurs – now wrecked of course due to the weather. The fact that the people who do this fly-tipping would throw away such a book probably says a lot more about them than I can. I really do despair of people sometimes.

Despite all this there was plenty of wild life. Scabby looking sheep (blended in nicely with the surroundings), cattle with their calves, friendly mountain ponies and several birds of prey. If it wasn’t for the rubbish and open cast mining this would actually be quite a nice place to visit. As it is I am afraid it is am embarrassing eye sore and not to be recommended.

I bet the Cairn builders could ever imagine that their special place would ever end up looking like it does today. Pity for them – shame on us.

Directions:
See directions for Mynydd Aberdare.
Once you have parked follow the edge of the trees south, down the hill, along a rough track and under the electricity pylons. Continue along the track up the opposite hill and through the forestry plantation. The Cairn is easily seen at the junction where several paths meet.
It is a 25 minute walk from where you park your car.

As I approached the forestry there were lots of notices pinned to trees informing walkers that as of October 2012 public access through the plantation is no longer allowed. Apparently Merthyr Council have withdrawn the permissive walkways and bridleways. One particular colourful sign reiterated that the public were not allowed entry. I of course chose to ignore the signs and carry on as planned.

It was quite a pleasant walk through the trees (except for the customary bits of litter lying around) although the track was very wet in places. The Cairn was very easy to spot on the right where the paths meet. Next to the cairn was a large, rusty steel drum.

The Cairn consisted of a large pile of grey stones approximately 0.5m high x 10m in diameter. A small ‘walkers’ shelter’ had been built into it. Why a shelter would be needed in the middle of a forestry plantation is anyone’s guess?

The hole where the cist once was had a pretty little bush growing out of it and a large flat stone discarded on the side of the Cairn could easily have once formed part of the cist?

This was a nice place to visit. There is always something nice about a site surrounded by trees. The trees obviously blocked any views except for a small area to the east where a large track had been cut through the trees.

This site does take a bit of effort to walk to but if you are in the area visiting the other nearby sites then this one is well worth the trouble.

Coflein states:
‘An extensively strewn cairn, 15.9m in diameter and 1.2m high with remains of a possible cist, set on a boundary’.
(source Os495card; SO00SW5)
j.Wiles 22.07.02

Visited 21.8.13

Directions:
Head for Heolgerrig, west of Merthyr Tydfil, off the A470.
Travel through the village and head up the narrow and very steep lane (towards the antennae).
Park next to the transmitter station – at this point the tarmac pretty much ends.

It was with some relief I actually managed to drive to the top of this hill. My poor car ‘old faithful’ had to be put into 1st gear it was so steep. The sight you are confronted with at the top of the hill is awful – fly-tipping everywhere. The road was actually blocked by two old mattresses. Kitchen units, torn open black rubbish bags, vacuum cleaners, toys, litter of all description was dumped in various piles all around. I have said it before and I will say it again, in all my travels around the country there is nowhere and I mean nowhere which comes close to the filth you find at South Wales Valleys sites. There is clearly something which is in the psyche of some of the people who live in this area which makes them think that fly-tipping is ok? Well, if you happen to be reading this (which I very much doubt) it isn’t. You and your sort are a disgrace to humankind. I am not happy.

Rant over; I will now move onto the subject in question i.e. the Cairn on Mynydd Aberdare.
This site had been on my ‘hit list’ for a long time and I was pleased to have finally got here.

I jumped over the metal gate at the bottom of the transmitter station and walked up the track. At the back of the station I jumped over the double barbed wire fence and managed to cut my knee of the barbed wire. You cannot see the Cairn from here but the trick is to look west for an old wooden post. Once you reach the post the Cairn can be seen, a short distance to the north. In total a 5 minute walk from the car.

The Cairn is pretty good actually. It is a large pile of grey stones (guarded by sheep) and occupies a prominent position with extensive views. I couldn’t see any sign of the cist. It looks as though it must have been covered over to protect it?

I sat a while and imagined the rubbish gone, the houses had not been built and how the area must have looked when the Cairn was first built. This would have been a nice spot. Before long low, black, threatening rain clouds started to blow in over the horizon – time to move on.

On the way back I walked outside of the transmitter station and was pleased to see there was a gate I could hop over back to the road. No need to risk my legs again!

All in all this is a good Cairn to visit, despite the disgraceful surroundings.

We parked at the burial ground and I left the others in the car (it was raining – again) while I headed up the hill opposite.

The Cairn is not visible from the road but soon comes into view as you reach the higher ground.

The Cairn is approximately 1m high x 15m across and is afforded great views.

Visited 29.7.13

Directions:
East of the A855 about 2 miles north of Portree.
There is parking available at the side of the road.

My last site of the day and what a great one to finish with!

The Dun/Fort is close to the road but you do have to climb over a barbed wire fence and cross a small stream to get to it. Luckily it hadn’t been raining too much so the water levels were quite low and it wasn’t too difficult to cross. Then it is a short but steep walk up to the site.

There were lots of large boulders scattered about but best of all was stone walling still standing to a height of about 1.5m – on the western side.

There are also great views to be had south towards Portree and best of all, north towards the Old Man of Storr which could be clearly seen.

I nice bit of Dun walling to see and great views – well worth the effort!

Visited 29.7.13

Best place to park is near the turn off and a quick hop over the fence and you are up close and personal with the standing stone. Not that there is much in the way of standing. The stone is little more than a square stone sticking out the heather.

Just to the north of the stone is a Cairn. This can be easily seen as a heather covered mound.

Not much else to say really.

Visited 29.7.13

We parked on the grass verge and Karen stayed in the car with the children as I climbed over the field gate and headed out across the field towards the stones (easily seen from the roadside). I obviously wasn’t the first person to visit the stones today as there were clear foot prints in the long green grass.

The stones were covered in white and yellow lichen and have great loch side views.
Both stones are approximately 1.5m high. The RHS stone has a large boulder next to it.

The weather was warm, cloudy but still. The water was calm and the birds were singing.
This was a good place to be. Well recommended.

Visited 29.7.13

We parked in the parking area opposite the turning for Keistle.
The Cairn is easily seen from the road as a large mound of stones covered in heather.

I headed in a straight line for the Cairn – big mistake!
The ground was very, very boggy and it was very hard going. The grass and heather was up to my chest and on more than one occasion I stepped straight into deep, mucky black water.
Luckily I was wearing my new boots for the first time and am pleased to report they passed their first test with flying colours – my feet stayed dry – for a change!

If visiting this Cairn make sure to approach from the left hand side as the ground in this direction was a lot drier.

I eventually reached my target and what an impressive Cairn this is.
From the top you can appreciate its location and the surrounding fields of purple heather was very pretty to look at – although not good to walk through!

This site is definitely worth stopping off for when in the area.
If it has been raining at all make sure you wear your boots.

Visited 14th August 2013

After a quick visit to the Fossil Heritage museum on Burray (nice café by the way), we carried on over the barriers onto South Ronaldsay.

Heading down the A961 the right hand turn to Sandwick is signposted, and as you head down the single track lane towards the sea the stone will soon become visible to your left. On such narrow roads parking can be a problem, we pulled in on the verge by the barn of Clouduhall farm (although beware of the concealed ditch if you do!), although if you carry on a little way down the road, and bear left at the first junction you come to, the road heads down toward Sandwick bay, and a small pull-in that can fit a couple of cars in at a squeeze.

The first time I visited this site I couldn’t see an obvious way into the field, and the maddening proximity of the stone impelled me to hop over the relatively low barbed wire fence (just about keeping all my relevant bits intact!), before discovering that the gate into the field is actually to the north-east of the stone, and concealed by the slope of the hill. This time we took the sensible approach and walked back up the road the way we had come, before taking the first lane on the right (just past a garage with blue doors) which leads down past a nearby abandoned house, right to the gate which gives access to the field.

The stone is a good hefty size, with the typical topping of sea moss so common in these parts. As I stand by the stone taking in the fantastic view, looking out down toward the island of Swona just out to sea, I think what a perfect place this is to site a stone.

Last night we attended a lecture by the Orkney Archeological society which talked about the Norse settlers attitude to the megalithic sites they encountered, and the folklore that arose around these places, and it mentioned that standing stones seemed the most enigmatic of the monuments in that whilst other megalithic sites tended to be associated with spirits or beings that may dwell there, standing stones seemed to be associated as entities in themselves (as evidenced by all the tales of them nipping down to local lochs for a drink!). Standing here I can see the truth in it, megaliths sited close to the coast, in that liminal place where the shore gives way to the sea, seem to be the most enigmatic of all, staring out over the millennia as the sea gradually re-shapes the land, perhaps like our own native Moai.

Perhaps though I’m romanticising too much, and with all my thoughts of the megalith as a petrified personification of Sandwick’s genius loci, I’m sure the prosaic answer behind it is far more mundane, but pondering on these things is what makes these visits so special, and the sublime loveliness of Orkney is ever a place to bring out my chimerical nature.

Finally we walk down to Sandwick bay itself, where delightfully we see a small seal pup, only a few days old by the look of him, sheltering near the rocks. We sit on the beautiful sands watching him, whilst he stares back curiously at us, the stone of Clouduhall watching over us both from its perch on the slope above us. A magical end to a lovely visit.