Latest Fieldnotes

Visited 31.5.12

As Kammer correctly predicted I did indeed arrive at the cairns before the stone circle.

The larger cairn is about 1 metre high x 10 metres across.
The smaller cairn is about 0.5 metre high x 8 metres across.

There were plenty of sheep and lambs milling around the cairns and most ran away as I approached. One mother sheep had different ideas and headed straight towards me. I stood and watched as she got closer and closer. At one point I thought she was going to ram me (excuse the pun). But she stopped a few feet away and stared at me intently until I left!

Guess this is best described as the ‘fragmentary’ remains of a chambered cairn? It’s certainly not going to overawe a visitor in the manner of the overwhelming monuments to be found at Kensaleyre or Liveras. Oh no. Why, its Neolithic constructors even saw fit – as I should have expected, in retrospect – to deny the visitor the benefit of the fine coastal views anticipated from such a cliff-top site upon the eastern flank of Trotternish. Not that the family of cows which call Cadha Riach ‘home’ seem to mind? Big bovine momma eyes me suspiciously for a microsecond before clearly deciding I’m no threat to her offspring. Yeah, I can live with that. Although it might have been a different story if it had have been big daddy bull.

Having said the above, the landward vista, looking toward the Trotternish Ridge and... in particular... the wondrous rock formations (and hillforts!) of The Quiraing, is pretty special. Once the morning cloud cover magically begins to peel away, that is. In fact the vibe ‘speaks’ so loudly I realise I now have no choice but to abandon my afternoon ‘schedule’ and climb the latter natural wonder next. Jeez. Surely there are less tiring hobbies?

Cadha Riach is perhaps best reached by parking near ‘The Community & International Leadership Centre’ (ahem) in Staffin. A path leads to the latter’s right, uphill toward the coast, crossing a drystone wall by way of a very impressive ‘stile’. The denuded chambered cairn, albeit still possessing chamber orthostats, sits a little way back from the cliff edge. As usual I found it a little difficult to spot at first, but eventually did so by orientating myself upon the line of the slipway below and following that back. Ta dah! Note also the large round cairn of Carn Ban overlooking the southern flank of Staffin Bay to the approx north-west [Update... apparently Carn Ban represents the remains of a broch. Sorry about that]. However I’ve made my choice. Quiraing, my lord?

The ‘badger’ gives a succinct appraisal of what still occupies this promontory within Loch Mealt.... yeah, not a lot aside from a low, double-skinned circular, drystone footprint. Not worth a visit then? Oh come on!

Visitors experiencing the deceptively – very deceptively – modest delights of Trotternish for the first time are recommended to stop and gawp at the fine spectacle of the nearby waterfall cascading down Kilt Rock.... there is a car park... and, well, it has to be done. However glance across the A855 and the sharp-eyed may make out Dun Grianan jutting out into Loch Mealt. Now I’m not that sharp-eyed, but I cheated and used my old OS map, parking beside the museum at the junction with the Ellishaddar road. An open gate, to the left a little further down said road, allowed easy downhill access to the loch’s shore, the broch clearly visible beyond. Trending right, accessing the promontory required stepping over a low fence or two, and negotiating a little marshy ground. But that was all. Simples. For Scotland, anyway.

As the ‘badger’ says, there’s no towering broch here. In fact it is only the trademark ‘double skin’ configuration which proves this is no mere animal pen... or even round house footprint. No, this is/was a broch alright. But, as I’ve found to be the norm upon this wondrous island, Skye duly intervenes to ensure a visit to Dun Grianan will not be forgotten in a hurry. Hell no! For starters the interior is a veritable mass of bluebells.... the exterior’s not bad, either, the placid surface of the loch engendering a mean ‘n’ moody vibe beneath an overcast sky. Beyond, the Trotternish Ridge is similarly ethereal, enveloped by the cloud mantle responsible for my venturing north this morning. In retrospect it was no bad thing. Trotternish is class.

As I sit and ponder ‘stuff’... tying to envisage what it must have been like to live within a ‘cooling tower’ beside this loch in times of lore (must’ve been a bugger with the midges, the awful little beasties strangely absent today)... I’m reminded of a quote by Mr Cope within his original great tome.. something like ‘the more I see, the less I need to see’. Yeah, you know I think I know what he meant? Beautiful site.

Dun Diarmaid isn’t going to win any popularity contests, that’s for sure. Despite being hard-by the A863 as it (the A863, that is) makes its scenic progress along the eastern flank of the lovely Loch Beag, I’d wager you could probably count the number of annual punters who stop for a planned inspection on your fingers.

To be honest this is not surprising.... the site looks like any other loch-side rocky knoll from the tarmacadum, not particularly defensible. However these new fangled OS maps – mine is 1976 vintage – clearly provide insight beyond general perception. Yeah, praise be to maps and map makers. Let them and their kin inherit the earth, I say. However my personal insight is much more mundane than the landscape the wiggly contour lines upon faded paper – stained with baked bean residue (not forgetting the pork sausages) – represent. Much more... sitting upon the virtually destroyed Dun Garsin ‘broch’ in drizzly rain I notice the antiquarian script and think... ‘well, whilst I’m here... might as well, I guess’. Not exactly Aristotle.

Easier done than said, for once, a layby affording easy parking a short way off and a minor scramble bringing the traveller to the top in little time. As I do so, however, the ‘everyday’ is suddenly a distant memory, the shattered, yet still recognisable ovoid walls of the broch – for ‘tis ‘probably’ a broch (see below) – commanding a magnificent vista up and down the loch. Just as suddenly the mass of cumulo-nimbus looming overhead is whisked away, to be superseded by blue sky... the wind correspondingly dissipates to leave a becalmed loch mirroring the low hills rising beyond in its still waters. How can anything be so beautiful? It can’t ... and doesn’t ... last. But the moment is everything. Yeah, once again Skye provides its ancient monuments with that little bit ‘extra’. Unfair, perhaps. But if you’ve got it, I say flaunt it.

The broch itself is, archaeologically speaking, nothing to raise a particular sweat over, although some original wall footings can still be discerned – a lot of the original stone work no doubt now residing in suspiciously nearby drystone enclosures lying below to the south-west. But natural beauty will always win my vote. Yeah, no artificial enhancements for my goddesses, thank you very much. Just come as you are.

Anyway, enough wittering... the technical bit according to Canmore:

‘Dun Diarmaid is probably a broch. The outer and inner wall faces survive intermittently in the N, W, and S giving an internal diameter N-S of 8.0m with the wall 3.1m thick in the N and 3.5m in the S. In the E, the wall has incorporated outcrop rock and the outer part has completely disappeared though the inner face may be partly in situ under turf-covered debris. The entrance is in the W, but has tumbled and its footings are obscured by debris; here the wall is 3.6m thick. No intra-mural features are visible. OS (A A) 5 November 1971.‘

Visited 30.5.12

I did the same as Kammer and walked across the bridge after visiting the nearby stone circle.

Access is very easy; up and over a locked gate, across the grass and you are there.

The stone is about 1 metre tall
I don’t think there’s much else to add?

I spotted this Broch on the O/S map and thought I would be able to see it from either the stone circle or the bridge itself.
I couldn’t actually make anything out.

Canmore states:
‘Little is left of this probable broch which is situated on a small promontory. The building appears to have been circular with a diameter of 52ft. A few of the foundation stones are traceable and there are slight signs of a ditch across the neck of the promontory’.

Visited 30.5.12

On the way back from visiting the reconstructed round house at Traigh Bostadh we stopped at the small parking area at the northern end of the Bernera Bridge.

This is a very easy site to access and only requires a very short but quite steep walk.

The site consists of 3 impressive standing stones – 1 x 2 metres tall and 2 x 3 metres tall.
There is of course also the ‘birthing chair’ although I doubt that is what it was as there didn’t appear to be any room for the baby to pop out!

The stones wouldn’t have looked out of place at Callanish with there patterned swirls and ‘hairy’ lichen.

There are great views along the coast from the stones and this is well worth stopping for.

Visited 30.5.12

What a great place to visit this is!

It is at the end of a long winding road in a remote part of Lewis.
This actually adds to the charm and the beach you end up on is simply stunning.
White sand, turquoise sea – you could be in the Caribbean (except for the temperature!)

They couldn’t have picked a better spot for a reconstructed round house.
The way to the round house is signposted from the small car park next to the cemetery.

Dafydd and I went into the house whilst Karen and Sophie played on the beach.
The lady in the house was friendly and very informative although the accent took a little getting used to. There was no one else about so Dafydd had her full attention!

The peat fire gave off lots of smoke. Apparently peat needs to be dried for at least 6 months to be any use for the fire – preferably 12 months we were informed.

Although a reconstruction you get a real feel of how it must have been to live in these houses all those years ago. The lady said that despite how windy it gets you don’t even feel as much as a draught. We spent a fair bit of time here asking questions and looking around before joining Karen and Sophie on the beach.

If you get the chance to visit I would highly recommend it.

Please note that this is not an Historic Scotland site.

The sunrise visit 1.6.12

This is without doubt the greatest experience I have ever had at a prehistoric site.
I will do my best to adequately describe my feelings but I doubt I will do it justice.

After watching the sun go down the night before I just HAD to watch the sun rise. I awoke at 3.00am (to be honest I was so excited I hardly slept) quickly got dressed (warm clothing) and quietly left the B+B not to disturb anyone. It was dark but not so dark that you needed a light to get around. I decided that a walk was in order rather than drive to complete the ‘experience’.
A 20 minute stroll through the gloom and I was there.

Needless to say that I was the only person there (something I was pleased about) and I wandered thoughtfully around the stones. Although it was pretty dark the stones seemed to radiate the little light there was and (I know this will sound strange) seemed to ‘glow’ in the darkness. It was very odd that the stones appeared very clear and ‘illuminesant’ when all around was darkness; with the silhouette of the mountains in the distance.

I am sure that anyone who has visited the Western isles (or Orkney or Shetland for that matter) will know that there is a near permanent wind present (not helped by a lack of trees). This can vary from a gentle breeze to a full on gale but it is always present. Well, here was one occasion when there was no wind at all. Not only was there no wind but there was also no noise – complete silence. This obviously added to the experience.

After about 30 minutes when I just sat there trying to take the experience in the dawn chorus started. First just the one bird but quickly joined by several others. About 15 minutes later the lambs in the fields started to away and joined in with their bleating. This was soon followed by a distant cockerel announcing the start of another day. Magical.

I sat and watched in awe as the distant horizon started to get lighter and the black sky turned to dark blue and then lighter blue – one or two small clouds silhouetting black in the sky. I had now been amongst the stones for nearly 2 hours and cannot describe how different the experience is compared with a day time visit. At last it was time for the sun to make an appearance. I carefully position myself within the stones as watched as the top edge of the sun blazed out from behind a mountain – the camera was doing overtime!

To say this was a magical experience is quite frankly doing it an injustice.

With 5 minutes the sun was fully up and the event was over. I walked back to the B+B not feeling tired or cold but feeling elated, excited and overwhelmed by my experience. It was now 5.30am. I put the kettle on and looked at the pictures I had taken. One was (in my opinion) superb and shows the top edge of the sun rising above the mountain with the standing stones silhouetted black in the foreground. I plan to get this enlarged and framed so I can hang in on my wall. I couldn’t wait for Karen to awake so I could share my excitement.

I will never forget my experience at Callanish. It has had a permanent effect on me and whilst I was watch the sun come up I felt a sort of ‘connection’ with those that had come before me. I know this may sound like nonsense (and perhaps it is) but it is how I felt nonetheless.

If you ever get the opportunity to watch the sunrise at Callanish on a crystal clear morning please do so. I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

The ‘daytime visits’ – 1.6.12 and 2.6.12

Up early with the children whilst Karen had a lie in.
How to keep the children occupied for an hour?
Erm……… I know – how about a walk to Callanish?!!
I strapped Sophie into the buggy, stood Dafydd on the buggy board and we were away.
One 20 minute slog pushing them both uphill later and we were there.

It was another lovely sunny day and I promised the children an ice cream if they behaved (perhaps that should be bribed?). We went into the visitor centre and I had a quick look around the shop – not bad actually. I then paid my £2.50 to watch a 5 minute film presentation on the standing stones (rip off but at least I didn’t have to pay for the children). The H.S guide book is very good and well worth buying.

We exited the visitor centre and walked up the path towards the stones. It seemed a bit strange to now be approaching the stones from this direction but it was good to view things differently. There were quite a few people about but not too many to spoil things.

This was my first daylight look at the stones and the swirls and patterns in the stones really stood out. Every time I looked at the stones I noticed something different – it was like seeing the stones for the first time.
Towering above everything of course was the huge central stone. When you get up close to it you realise how tall it is – a wonderful stone.

Sophie and Dafydd played in the central cairn whilst I took in the surroundings.
This really is a magnificent place to visit. One can only wonder how it would have appeared to the ancients seeing it for the first time.
Time for that ice cream I promised (bribed)

The following day we returned to the stones with Karen in tow. This time we drove and parked next to the visitor’s centre. In the field next to the car park were a sow and a litter of about 10 piglets. As soon as they saw us the piglets (pink with black spots) ran under the fence, out of the field and straight towards Sophie and Dafydd. They thought it was amazing and laughed as the piglets ran around them. The piglets followed us all the way to the entrance before running back down the slope into the field.

After a quick look around the visitor centre again we all headed up to the site and I was interested to hear what Karen thought? Now Karen isn’t one to enthuse about ‘old stones’ (although to be fair she isn’t anti them either) but it’s not really her ‘thing’. So I was surprised and pleased to hear her say how much she liked this place and see her go off taking photos of the stones from all angles and point out ‘faces’ in the stones. She had to wait quite a while for a photo of the tallest stone as a woman insisted on stroking it for an unhealthy length of time!

Dafydd then insisted of giving his mum a personal ‘guided tour’ of the cairn and explained in detail what it was used for, what was inside it and how you entered! Karen displayed her usual patience on such occasions. Sophie smiled her smile at the ‘presentation’ before her.

This time our visit was in cloudy weather and yet again different patters emerged form the stones in the varying light – incredible. We walked the avenue and along each of the axis, studying each stone and admiring the patterns and swirls. By now it was getting busier and by the time the second coach had arrived we decided it was time to go and get another ice cream.
It sure is hard leaving a place like Callanish but we had a full days exploring ahead of us.

Though the chamber is sadly trashed, the presumed former orthostats lying incongruously upon their flanks upon the south-eastern apex of the cairn, this was nevertheless a much more upstanding monument than I had anticipated. And if sitting upon a chambered cairn... gazing at Britain’s finest mountain range rising above a great sea loch... is your thang, it would be remiss of me not to recommend a visit, would it not?

Take the dead-end road toward Struanmore from the A863 and, veering right, park at its terminus between two white cottages. The road continues as a track to the south-west (ignore the track to left), the chambered cairn soon coming into view beyond a prominent, fenced gulley. Although, to be fair, the coastal scenery of Ardtreck Point across Loch Harport and, nearer to hand, Bracadale Point will probably make more of an immediate impression. Nice. Trend left at the aforementioned fence and your ancient grandstand perch awaits, my friends.

What else is there to say? The cairn is more substantial than many of the genre I could mention, but it is where its creators saw fit to place it that truly matters, I reckon. Yeah, the coastal location is everything. Absolutely exquisite. What’s more a light breeze has seen fit to materialise this afternoon, thus keeping the damned midges at bay. A further, better preserved chambered cairn lies a little to the west beyond Ullinish Lodge, the excellent Dun Beag (broch) occupying high ground to the north. Not to mention Duns Garsin and Diarmaid the other side of Loch Beag. Great sites, all. To my mind, however, it is this monument which possesses the finest location .... and finest vibe. Which is what Skye is all about. Yeah, lose yourself in the melodrama for a while.

Another essential site I missed last time around... and pictures in books do retrospectively mock my ignorance of these islands’ treasures so. My advice – for what it’s worth – is to rectify such errors as soon as possible. I reckon it’s good for the soul, you know? Or at least mine. Now Glen Brittle campsite is a good base for travellers on a budget, or for those simply wishing to maximise intimate contact with this wondrous Isle... if only for the jaw-dropping skyline of The Black Cuillin which greets those returning wearily at the end of a long Hebridean evening. Guess I (currently) fall into the latter category, so it’s arguably a pretty big deal to admit to myself that the (dreaded) midge onslaught is so bad I might as well abandon the coast and seek an inland wild camp tonight. Macho, huh? So, what to do in the interim, then? A glance at the map reveals this to be no simple decision. Following a visit to Dun Ardtreck. That is a given in these parts.

The B8009 follows the western shore of Loch Harport, past Carbost and the Talisker distillery (of interest to some, I’d imagine) before terminating upon the pier beyond Portalong. Now unless you’re Roger Moore driving that Lotus (with Barbara Bach in the passenger seat... ahem... I say) it is advisable to turn left before Portalong and in short order take the minor road signposted ‘Ardtreck Point’. I followed the road around to its left hand extremity and parked beside the ‘Tin Shack’, a red-roofed timber building (as you would no doubt surmise... had me in stitches, that ‘un). Walk back down the road and take a signposted (incidentally in gloriously DIY typeface), gated track to the left toward a white cottage. The locals will continue to direct you, by proxy, to their pride and joy set upon the western flank of Ardtreck Point.

In many respects the broch, semi-broch, dun... or whatever the correct term for these bespoke ancient castles is... is incidental to the immense coastal view across to Macleod’s Tables that confronts the gobsmacked visitor this morning. In my opinion the Mediterranean has nothing on the western coast of Scotland. Having said that, the archaeology is nevertheless pretty special, too, a D-shaped enclosure set upon a rocky knoll, further protected by a perimeter wall, entrance to the south-east. The western flank, falling sheer to the impossibly blue water, clearly required little artificial defence. The ‘arc’ of the ‘D’, however, still retains a pretty substantial double-skinned dry stone rampart, which according to Canmore once rose to at least 16 feet [RCAHMS 1928; E W MacKie 1965; 1967; 1969; Curr Archaeol 1967]. The only sound is the aforementioned water engaged upon its timeless battle of attrition with the coastal rock... oh, and the occasional seabird.... noisy blighters. Yeah, forget nearby Talisker. For me Dun Ardtreck is Skye’s premier ‘distillery’ .... everything I love about Skye’s brutal, yet paradoxically incredibly beautiful, sublime coastline can be appreciated upon the shattered stonework of this ancient enclosure. Sure, it is easy to overlook, particularly upon a sunny late Spring morning, just how extreme the weather can be... but today I reckon there’s little to be said that could be described as detrimental. Yeah, it is a drag to eventually leave... but a chambered cairn is indicated upon the map just across the water near Struanmore. Duty calls...

Where do I start? What can I say that hasn’t been said before? – Probably not much.
I won’t talk too much about the stones themselves as there is nothing new to say. Instead I will try to recount my ‘feelings’ when visiting the site to watch the sun set, the sun rise and in the middle of the day.

As the B+B we were staying in was only a 15 minute walk away I was lucky enough to visit the stones several times. (You could see the stones from the bedroom window!).
I guess I have now spent more hours at Callanish than any other prehistoric site I have visited – not a bad thing!

The ‘sunset visits’ – 30.5.12 and 1.6.12

After a long days travelling we got to the B+B and collapsed on the bed. However, it didn’t take long to recover once we had had a cuppa! I looked out of the window and saw a dark blue sky and the standing stones calling me – how could I resist?

Karen fully understood (bless her) and she stayed with the children while I headed up the road. I did take a jacket but left my shorts on – not a good idea it turned out! I followed the road (signposted Post Office – which was actually someone’s house!) up hill which came out at the car park next to the standing stones. This was not the road which leads to the visitor centre and official car park.

There were a couple of people milling around (mostly Scandinavian) who stood primed with their cameras to capture the sun setting on a clear evening. My initial thoughts when seeing the stones was surprise that the site wasn’t bigger, although the individual stones are of an impressive size – particularly the tallest stone. I was also struck by the swirling patterns in the stone which seemed to captivate visitors – myself included. These seemed to change when viewed at different angles and you could not help but run your hands along the swirls and contours of the stones.

The wind by now had picked up and the temperature dropped as the sun started to set. Everyone else was wrapped up in ski jackets, woolly hats, scarves etc and there was I in a light summer jacket and shorts – much to their amusement! I took my photos as the sun set and headed back to the warmth of the B+B. By the time I got back I was freezing (not helped by being unwell) and I spent a long time in the shower warming up.

My second sunset visit was the following evening – this time properly prepared with padded trousers, jacket and hat. By now I was feeling much better and enjoying my visit a lot more.
It was another cloudless evening and there were only a couple of local dog walkers for company this time.

I again walked amongst the stones, stoking the contours (you really can’t help it!) and spotting more swirls and patterns within the stones. I walked up and down and up and down again, marvelling at the stones and generally appreciating the stones a lot more than I did the night before. The site somehow seemed bigger as well. It was still windy.

I looked around and admired the views of lochs and hills, changing appearance in the diminishing light. I still hadn’t seen ‘Sleeping Beauty’ in all her glory yet – but that would change! There are certainly worse places to be than sunset at Callanish……….

Visited 30.5.12

The good news is the yellow pain has now gone.
The bad news is the rusting farm machinery is still laying all around the stone.

I had no problem visiting the stone from the local crofter – although it was 10.30pm!!

Visited 30.5.12

After visiting Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh it is only natural to head uphill to this equally tongue twistingly named stone circle!

The walk was fine for me but I am sure this would be very boggy in wet weather.

This is yet another superb Callanish site to visit – what a place this is!

The local stone certainly has lots of character with swirling patterns and veins of quartz and most covered in the now familiar ‘hairy’ lichen. Some of the patterns reminded me of tree grain. I also wasn’t expecting this to be a double circle – what a bonus! This is a lovely circle in a lovely setting.

The views are wonderful with stone circles, lochs, fields and hills to admire; all being carefully watched over by ‘sleeping beauty’. I again had the place to myself and all was quiet except for birdsong.

This is another ‘must see’ site when visiting Callanish.

Visited 30.5.12

One of the great things about visiting the Western Isles is the fact that it stays light so late in the evening. This meant that once Karen and the children had been settled in the B+B I was able to nip out for a bit more ‘old stoning’.

It was just a 5 minute drive from the B+B to the minor road (sign posted) leading to the stone circle. Parking is easy enough at the end of the road; next to a derelict farmhouse. A short walk across a field of highland cows and I was there.

As with virtually every site I had visited so far I had the place to myself. This really is a great place to visit. There are 5 standing stones and 2 large fallen stones. The stones are of various shape and size – triangular, square and curved. Is there a cairn in the centre of the circle?

There are fab views with Callanish visible away in the distance in one direction and ‘sleeping beauty’ prominent in another.

I am writing these notes sat on one of the fallen stones; enjoying the stones and the scenery – this is what it is all about!

A ‘must see’ site when visiting Callanish.

View from afar 30.5.12

After visiting Ceann Hulavig stone circle I thought I would walk out to this stone row.

It doesn’t look too far on the map but when I walked up past the sheep pens I could make out 4 stones on the distant horizon through my binoculars. 3 stones are in a group with a 4th a little further away.

It certainly is a lot further on the ground than it looks on the map!

I wasn’t feeling too good, Sophie was ill and to be honest I didn’t fancy the hike so I settled for a ‘far away’ view.
I imagine the view from the stones is impressive?

This is something else. Really, it is. Since I don’t know where to begin I’ll simply quote a part of the retrospectively sourced Canmore record: ‘Carn Liath, a chambered cairn of uncertain type, about 80’ in diameter with sides rising steeply to a height of about 18’.’ Yeah, that’s not a typo. 18 feet. Outside of Ireland – which, let’s face it, is a law unto itself.... truly away with the fairies, in the best possible way – the thought of stumbling upon such a virgin TMA site was unthinkable in the extreme. Never considered the possibility. However this is Skye. Clearly we need to do a lot more ‘work’ here, people!

Sitting upon the wondrous Dun Artreck this morning (incidentally another highly recommended site) the eye, glancing across the old 1:50K OS map – as it does – notes several ‘chambered cairns’ not mentioned upon my TMA notes. ‘Hey, guess it’s time for the ‘cherry-picker’ of sites to record some of the more mundane more-or-less-destroyed sites’, thinks I. One such monument indicated lies a little west of the A87 near the small settlement of Kensaleyre, the nomenclature a reference to Loch Eyre, south-eastern extension of the great Loch Snizort Beag. Now I’d passed by previously, coming ‘home’ – well, to my midge infested tent at Glen Brittle, anyway [seriously, an excellent campsite] – from Trotternish... and didn’t notice a thing. Duh! Today I cross the bridge across the River Haultin and park – self consciously and rather awkwardly (in character, I guess) – some way before a strikingly scary white chapel.... or church. There, looking west, sits an overgrown mound looming across barbed-wire. I check the map. Yeah, guess that’s it then. The barbed wired is high, rough ground beyond ensuring I must literally take my balls in my hands as I cross. The ground is certainly ‘undulating’... boggy also. However the relevance is lost as I draw closer and realise just how substantial this chambered cairn really is. Blimey! What’s more it appears, to all intents and purposes, intact. How can this be, a short distance from the A87? And upon a major tourist destination?

Truly gobsmacked, I clamber to the top. Surely a possee of enraged locals will swarm to intercept the interloper daring to violate the secret of Kensaleyre? But, of course, no retributive local throng materialises. Carn Liath is clearly forgotten, ignored. No HS information boards, no kissing gate access. But here we have (arguably) Skye’s finest chambered cairn.... without the need for the 8 mile walk to the magnificent Rubh an Dunain. The cairn is truly in the ‘Ireland’ class, sited where the River Haultin makes a final – and perhaps significant – meander before reaching Loch Eyre. Another look at the map discloses a hillfort upon Dun Cruin to the north-west, not to mention a number of standing stones and cairns in the vicinity. I sit upon the cairn and try to take in the moment... to appreciate what is but a fleeting hour or so in my life. There are so many questions, chief amongst them – perhaps – is what drove the people who erected this structure to do so? Dunno. But whatever the reason, it mattered. In a way I envy them.... to have such a certainty of purpose. Whereas I am but a swirling cauldron of... to be honest I don’t know what? Raw emotion dueling with the reluctant requirement to conform to a society that falls some way short of my expectations... you know, where most things don’t really seem to matter? Whatever, the on-going quest, the search for ‘meaning’ certainly appears to bring me nearer to that elusive mental state where the individual can perhaps begin to embrace altruism. An impossible dream, maybe. But places such as Carn Liath seem to amplify the attempt, by many degrees of magnitude. Yeah, perhaps it is all a fallacy.... self delusion. But, if so, is it not a noble one?

P.S. prospective visitors to this wonderful site should note that there appears to be a much easier access to the site just monument-side of the bridge... no need to risk the tender, sexy bits – be you male or female.

Fontmell down can be easily found on the just a few miles south of Shaftesbury on Spread eagle Hill between Blandford Forum and Shaftesbury. 863 feet above sea level with amazing views across Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire. This is definitely a good place for long views and to blow the cobwebs away.

Parking is very easy with a national trust car park just off the road and easy to find. If you prefer the walk then there are good walks to be had from shatesbury or Compton Abbas around Fontmell down and it’s neighbor melbury down.

Visited 30.5.12

Day 5 of the holiday and my first day on Lewis.
And as we all know Lewis means one thing – Callanish!
We were staying in Callanish so no prizes for where we headed straight for!
But before heading for the main site we first stopped at Ceann Hulavig stone circle.

We parked on the verge of the B8011 south west of the circle. The stones could easily be seen from the road. I climbed over the fence and headed uphill as quickly as possible. Despite the dry weather the ground underfoot was spongy and I imagine in wet weather it would be very boggy.

As I got closer to the stones my excitement grew and my pace quickened.
WOW – what a great site – and I had it all to myself!

There are 5 stones still standing – each about 2 metres tall and covered in ‘hairy’ lichen.
I counted 4 stones in the centre of the circle which may be the remains of a cairn?

Despite being windy the sky was blue and both the sun and the moon were visible. There are sweeping views over the surrounding lochs and hills.

I thought this was an excellent site to see and would highly recommend a visit when visiting Callanish. If this is a ‘taster’ of what Callanish has to offer then I am in for a treat!

Visited 29.5.12

The ’24 hour bug’ which was affecting Karen and Sophie earlier on in the day was now starting to affect me. After a lovely couple of hours on the beach I could see the standing stone from the roadside; away in the distance on the headland.
The lay by with the bench next to it is still there but the sign for the stone has gone.

To be honest I didn’t feel up to walking out to the stone and was going to settle for a long distance view with my binoculars but after some prompting from Karen I decided to go for it!

It is a 10 minute walk to the stone but across the sand dunes it is wearing on the legs. On the way back I took the easier route along the beach. By the time I got to the stone I was knackered but it well worth it.

The stone is about 4 metres tall and 1.5 metres across. The seaward side of the stone is covered in ‘hairy’ green lichen.

Although the stone is well worth a visit in its own right it is the scenery which captivates you. Harris has to be the most beautiful island I have ever been to. Blue sky, turquoise crystal clear water and white sandy deserted beaches – pity the water is so cold!

Both the Macleod stone and the nearby Sgarasta stone are well worth visiting when on Harris. Do it – do it now!!

The Mill Of Carden is just slightly to the north of the Oyne fork on the A96. I asked permission to park at the pig farm of the same name which was granted by some of the cheery and informative workmen. Anyone with a weak sense of smell will have it fully restored by this place. As for the weather, it was misty, it poured with rain, everywhere else seems to be sunny. In Canada it’s non stop heat I’m told and it seems that Gladman has taken the weather with him on his travels. But I wouldn’t have any other way as it adds to fun, a good drenching. Hmmm......

The stone can be found leaning against an old dry stane dyke on the edge of a wood about 100 meters north of the pig farm having been removed from it’s original position. The stone reminds me of the flankers at Stonehead tall and slim, beautifully shaped. Maybe it was once part of a stone circle but no evidence suggests that it was. One thing for sure is the view, my old friend Bennachie stands bang in front to the south and on a sunny day (a rare thing) would be clearly seen. Today it was shrouded in fog giving an otherworldly feel to the place. Nearby the the single standing stone at Max Hill, also rumoured to be once part of circle, makes it’s presence felt.

But what a shape to a stone, it would be wonderful to see it put back in it’s original place.

Visited 28/6/2012.

(The stone is now at NJ69352611)

Visited 29.5.12

I had a quick look for anything looking remotely like a stone circle but couldn’t see anything obvious.

To be honest I’m not surprised I couldn’t find this site as I was not really sure what I was looking for going off the previous notes?

A view from afar – 29.5.12

I wanted to visit St Clement’s church as it was another Historic Scotland site to knock off the list and is well worth a visit in its own right.

Rodelpark stone fort is easily seen from the church perched high up on the nearby hill.

Sophie and Karen were not feeling too good (this was the first indication that we were all soon to suffer from a ’24 hour bug’) so I decided against climbing up to the fort for a closer look.
I am sure the views from the top would be fab!

Visited 28.5.12

Directions:
In the hamlet of Iochdar – next to Dun Buidhe Broch.

There is not much to see here – just a rough grass covered mound.

Canmore states:
‘A rough mound of stones, 70ft in diameter and 10ft high – about 150 yards WSW of Dun Buidhe. Without excavation it is impossible to say whether it is a Dun or Cairn’.