Latest Fieldnotes

The first prehistoric site of the day, the earthwork is prominent enough to find it even in the gloom (well, principally because the forestry path comes out right next to it). The views from here, when there are some, would be obscured to the north by the trees. It may be possible to see the Black Mixen summit from here. Who knows? A round barrow is shown on the map a little way to the northeast, but today isn’t the day to investigate.

On land owned by Leo Leyden, a farmer more interested in archaeology than farming (according to his friend Martin Enright), this, though ruined, is well worth visiting. The massive portal stones, both over 2 metres high, remain upright, with the rest of the stones collapsed onto the chamber.

I couldn’t get close to this due to livestock in the field but there seems to be quite a bit of the structure left. According to Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland, Vol V, County Sligo, it’s a “… small example of the central-court type.”

Heapstown is not as roadside a cairn as I had expected from previous reading. It’s close to the road but you’ll need to enter the field with the Sligo Heritage signpost and approach the cairn from there.

Heapstown brought to mind the 3 other cairns of similar size that I’ve visited: Ballymacgibbon, Knocknarea (Maeve’s Cairn) and Cairn D on Carnbane west in Loughcrew. Most every mention of Heapstown includes the probability of it being a passage grave, but given the Cairn D experience, and the fact that the stolen material mentioned by Gladman has so far revealed no signs of a passage entrance, I’d say the possibility is way less than 50 50.

This is a massive construction though. The kerbstones on south-east side are impressive, bulky and robust and a major job to erect in themselves. The pile of the cairn must contain the field-clearance of 100 acres or more.

I’d love to see this monument opened up a bit, some of the vegetation cut back, revealing it in all its grandeur.

Right by the side of the N4 Dublin to Sligo road, about 5 kms southeast of Carrick-on-Shannon.
A small crannog, approx 10 metres in diameter and about double that distance from the shore.

Visited on 21st July 2011.
We parked at the English Heritage car park just off the road. It’s more of a lay by really but has two EH info boards with photos, information and artists impressions of how the Fogou may have fitted into a larger settlement.

My first visit inside was with my two year old Daughter, she loved the walk up across the field and on approaching the Fogou started shouting Macca Paccas house, Macca Paccas house! On entering she just wanted to run off into the creep passage and was really excited by the place. My nerve wasn’t quite as strong as hers though so that was the end of her adventure for this time, and so back to the car and to Mum and little brother for her!

On my second visit I stayed much longer and really got to take in the vibe of the place. As written here earlier the dark is all consuming, my torch almost extinguished by pure and total darkness.

I explored all the passage ways alone and in almost complete silence, my breathing at first fast and loud as I climbed in through the small creep passages. Once I’d settled down a little though I could really start to take in the place. So torch off, sitting on the stumbling stone, time for a meditation on the place. On opening my eyes there was no difference than having them closed. Pitch black. Then I started to make sense of the layout and curve to the passages, not exactly but if I followed the lines of the curve I could see it worked. It was more like curved straight lines in the center that I could see that led me back to the main passage way. A strange phenomenon. A powerful place this Fogou.

‘Visited’ 30.7.11
A relaxing day out with the children in sunny Shropshire, visiting a couple of EH sites while giving Karen the chance for a quiet day at home. Well, that was the plan!
The traffic was busy all the way up through the Marches but around Bayston Hill it was horrendous due to road works. We sat in a hot car for what seemed like ages as we inched our way towards the site. At this point Sophie awoke and wanted her bottle! Unfortunately I couldn’t do anything as I was stuck in traffic with nowhere to pull over.
Then disaster – I missed the turn off and had to crawl all the way to the main A49/A5 junction and come back up the road – which was equally busy the other way.
Sophie was not impressed! As any parent will tell you, there is nothing more frustrating or distracting than a screaming child in the back of a car!
Eventually I turned into a cul-de-sac which I thought would give me access to the site – wrong! The whole area was surrounded by houses so no access although it did give me chance to feed Sophie.
I looked at the map again and realised the only other option was to take the road leading to a quarry. Unfortunately this meant going back into the road works. By now I was seriously thinking of giving it up as a bad job but knew I would later regret it if I did.
At last I found the right road and was immediately confronted with several warning signs stating ‘Private road – access to official quarry site traffic only – keep out’ – or words to that effect.
By now I had had enough and thought ‘sod it’ and drove down the road anyway.
Despite getting looks from a lorry driver coming the opposite was I found a field entrance I could squeeze the car next to.
Up to my right, on the brow of the hill, was the unmistakable sight of a single ditch / rampart. From this distance it looked to be pretty well preserved. By now I realised there was no chance of me getting any closer as firstly I didn’t feel comfortable leaving the car where it was, secondly there was a bull in the field and thirdly both children had now fallen asleep!!
All things considered I was grateful to have at least a view of part of the Hillfort.
If visiting this site I would suggest finding somewhere to park on the main road and walking the rest of the way.
Access to the Hillfort looked easy enough from the field although there is no official public right of way to the site.

Binn Hill is a hard cairn to find due to the summer foliage but three kerbs on the western side make it findable. The difference in height of the ferns is a give away as well. It stands at over 10 meters wide and is a meter in height. Two other stones mentioned by Canmore are there, these probably being removed kerbs, most likely when the cairn was opened. Why didn’t they not put them back?

Best way to here is to visit Innesmill (Standing Stones Of Urquhart tho nobody up here calls it by that name) then head north east on the road till it ends. Keep going a short distance east and pull into forestry track after Ferniefield to the north. Take the track west for about 1/2 mile, the main track heads north, keep going west on the smaller until the second wee path north. This leads to the top of hill, head west and look for a bump near a couple of boulders, if you see three boulder kerbs on the west side you’ve made it.

Visited 28/07/2011.

About 100 meters to east of the cup marked rocks is a fenced section. In hear at least 5 meters of well built souterrain remain. One problem the roof was taken away and the area has filled in over the years. Only a wee hollow marks the shape of the site. Photographs won’t do much good here until, hopefully, an excavation. The fence is a precaution to stop beasts and humans but not drews from falling in.

Visited 28/07/2011.

This cairn has almost moved into legendary status as to it’s existence up here. I’m sure Rhiannon will be delighted to learn that it is alive and kicking and doing nicely. The last time I was here the hill was covered in gorse and various other jabby things. I just happened to be driving past looking for rock art at Auchentarph when I noticed the hill had been shaved of all obstacles due to the farmer at Lawfolds erecting a couple of turbines. Probably this is the best thing to have happened here. The hill has been reseeded with grass so the cairn should now be clearly visible in the future. Best to ask permission from the farmer at Lawfolds who asked loads of questions. Hopefully I supplied all the right answers!

The cairn itself looks about 13/14 meters wide and probably around 0.7 to 0.9 meters at it’s highest. Remnants of kerb can now be clearly seen at three different areas. Only a small piece of damage has been done to the northern side but this doesn’t look to bad. So in a time and place when wind turbines and their erection harm ancient monuments it’s good to report that this has gone the other way and brought the cairn back to life. The farmer is certainly very proud of the cairn and should be congratulated for the care he has shown.

A few rocky outcrops revealed no cup marks. Pity, as my old friend Bennachie is in front to the south. As is usual, up here, The Law is surrounded by other circles, cairns, standing stones and hillforts.

Visited 31/07/2011.

Follow the B4417 Nefyn to Pengroeslon Road. Just before Penllech there is a sharp left hand bend in the road. Just on the bend is a left hand turn. Take this road. The lane passes through a wooded area. As soon as the woods end there is a a yard on the right hand side with a metal shed/garage. The chamber is in the field just beyond this yard. There is a kissing gate leading into the field.

I parked here as there was no one around but as we were leaving the owners of the garage turned up. They were fine with us being there once we explained why we were parked up there.

It looks like the fencing has recently been replaced so I didn’t manage to get in. The capstone is huge. The setting is lovely.

A cup and ring marked stone plus the cup marked stone as described by Canmore plus the cup marked rock. Now another new find as described by me.

1 cup and ring mark, 2 normal cups on a smaller rock to the east of the other cup and ring marked stone, no more than 5 meters away.

Visited 28/7/2011.

Debate aplenty about this site. Could it been the remains of a cairn, could it be a standing stone, is the remant of a vast kerb or a sole survivor of a rough stone circle similar to Cappieshill, Knock or Alves. Whatever the answer something happened here and I tend to lean to the stone circle theory just because of the ‘rough stone circles’ in the area.

Just before Llanbryde, coming from the east, head north on the Urquhart road until the crossroads. Directly opposite is the Innesmill Stone Circle. Turn west/left, go thru the nest crossroads and stop at the first farm track south. The clump of trees to left is the fort at Castle Hill. However the stone is in the field to the north. There is a gate a short distance back. Simply follow the tractor tracks to the site to avoid crop damage.

Visited 28/7/2011.

This was the last climb and stop to very long but wonderful day in the hills of the Mearns. Another list has been drawn up so back I’ll be. Head south on the A92 until the first tarred road north east, go past Balandro farm and take the first right then next left stopping at the end of the road at Boghead farm.

Like the Carlin Stone, near Turriff, the recumbent has two small flankers, plus the remains of a kerb. Remnants of the cairn can seen by the small rise behind the recumbent and the appearence of lots of cairn material. Quite why there is an argument about this place and Millplough is beyond me. It is an obvious RSC placed in a stunning location with tremendous all round views especially out to the North Sea.

Anyway that’s this day finished, no accidents, no falling into lochs so back to the car and on to Glasgow and a meeting with some unfriendly wolves, on the pitch at any rate.

Visited 21/07/2011.

This is a very wee cairn only 4 meters in width and less than a half meter tall. It has several kerbs so identifying it should be easy enough. Somehow I’ve missed a couple of cairns fairly nearby. So another visit needed. Boost!

Visited 27/07/2011.

This cairn is actually a long cairn. At 52 meters in length, 22 meters wide and 3 meters high it dominates the whole area. The trig point sitting on top just makes it more obvious. Like football it is in two halves, some of the central point being dug into. Fortunately most of the vegetation that Canmore goes on about has long gone.

Easiest directions. Take the A92 south and leave it heading west on the B967 and take the first minor road north. Upper Craigmill farm is at the end of first farm track west. I asked for permission to park which was kindly given. With the field in crop I walked to the bottom of the hill and found tractor tracks to the top. All round it is an inspiring view even though the early morning mist was hanging around. Gorgeous place and a stunning vantage point.

Visited 27/07/2011.

This was the first stop of the day on the way south to Glasgow. Mitton Hill looks south over the Mearns countryside, with Hillhead Long Cairn being clearly in view to the south. Heading south on the A90 (dual carriageway Aberdeen to Dundee road) leave heading south east towards Threipland. (If heading south it’s after the RAC monument, if heading north after the 2nd Drumlithie junction except head east). Keep going until the Cotbank of Barras then head north on the track. Stop at the next junction. The hill to the south is Mitton, there is track heading to the top heading east, follow it. Once at the top look south and the first of the kerbs will be spotted.

Probably this something better than a kerb cairn. Several stones probably stood so the remnants of a stone circle would be a better description. At least two are over a meter in length. Still it is over 17 meters wide and 0.75 meters tall. Once again it must have been an attractive monument. For me it was a great start to the day.

Visited 27/07/2011.

Site visit 25 July 2011.

I parked in the lay-by 100 yards South-East of Carlsuith Castle on the A75. It was 6.30 am and I’d decided to rise early and get this done before breakfast. I was in need of some fresh air and a walk to shake off the night before – I’d had a few jars at the Ellangowan Hotel in Creetown (that’s the pub/ hotel in The Wicker Man for any fans out there).
I headed up through Birk’s Wood roughshod until I hit a wee path which took me to the right. I had to cross a wee burn and climb a dyke and fence at the edge of the wood before making my way up the edge of a field to the track which takes you up to the fort.
There is a stone standing on a wee knoll at the edge of the wood in the corner of the field. Unrecorded – but it’s there. Nice shape and 1m high. The track up to the fort is very good. Ten minutes easy walking to the fort. The view is pretty spectacular. The Isle of Man with Snaefell and its neighbours loomed up out of a hazy Solway. Across the bay Wigtown and Garlieston lay snoozing. Early morning ferry traffic headed along the A75 to Stranraer far below.
The final approach to the fort is through a very narrow defile with sheer rock faces on either side. Then through a little metal gate and you are there. The fort itself is really a steep hill with rocky cliffs protecting three sides and a steep basnk on the other. Little of any ramparts are left, just the odd bit of banking and the faint trace of a ditch on the North and North-East side. There is a large stone set at one side of the entrance like a doorstop.
Don’t visit here for impressive ditches or intact drystane ramparts. They simply aren’t here. The defences seem to have been mostly natural cliffs augmented by man on the vulnerable North side of the fort. Little of the hand of man remains here. But do visit this site for the panorama. The fort is only about 600 feet up but it’s like the top of the world!

To the north east of the RSC there is a rough kerbed cairn some 18 meters in width. Several large boulders are the remnant of the kerb. The inner cairn stands at less than 1 meter in height. Impressive in it’s own way.

Visited 27/07/2011.

Taking the A497 Pwllheli to Nefyn road take the left hand turn onto the B4415 road (signed towards Botwnnog)
At Bodgadle the road forks off to the right. Take this windy little lane. Take the first right hand turn which will lead you through some woodland.
The road winds to the left passed some farm houses on the right.
The stone is in a field on the right. There is a gate on both sides of the road so easy to pull in.

When I visited the farmer had not long planted crop and new shoots had just come through, so I decided not to go into the field. But took pics from the gate.

What disappointed me more was that the farmer was using the stone for a scarecrow. He has tied the scarecrow to the stone.
I wasn’t impressed!

Following along this track will bring you out onto the same road you turned off.

They are problematic enough at the best of times , this one isn’t even mentioned in Canmore but is on the 6 inch 1869 OS map . Like it’s neighbour at Auchorachan it has wee protective fence .

This tomb is a little tricky to locate, and even when you enter the field in which it is situated, it is not immediately evident as it is completely overgrown with trees and shrubs. At first glance there appears to be little of the tomb remaining but as you scramble through the undergrowth and have a look around, it is quite surprisingly well preserved. I would love to see this tomb cleared of vegetation to get a good look, as it is quite large and this type of tomb is very rare in this part of the country.

There is supposed to be a cairn here but I saw no trace but then again I can miss the most things. I didn’t know about this stone until I arrived here, so like Cluseburn another look will have to done.

Another impressive stone, standing at over 1.5 meters in height. Not to be outdone the driller boys have had a go at this stone as well. Fortunately they gave up.

Then it was back to the car for the final stop, The Cloch.

Visited 27/07/2011.

From the Moray Stone I went daft and walked back to Montgoldrum (my car was here but my senses where working overtime), back to the minor road and south to the B967 and walked east then north heading up another tarred farmer’s road past Millplough farm to just beyond Craighead Farm. Shortly after that a sign saying standing stones shows the way. Head west then north past the standing stone until tractor tracks can be seen in the crop heading east. The massive recumbent is in the middle of the field. Gladiator style I walked along the field.

At almost 3 meters in length, just about 2 meters high and 0.5 meters wide the recumbent looks very lonely looking out to the North Sea. It’s pals have long gone, probably meeting the same fate as it’;s pal at Montgoldrum. At least the recumbent is still intact, a very impressive reminder of what once was here.

If I’d walked further up the road the cairn at Cluseburn awaited. However that can wait for another soon to come day.

Visited 27/07/2011.

From Montgoldrum I walked north, down the hill, over a burn and up the hill to the Leys Of Barras. From here I headed along a track heading west and downhill. Look up the Moray Stone can be seen on top of the Murrystone Hill.

Like the Court Stane it has tremendous views of the Mearns countryside. Standing at almost two meters in height it is an impressive sight. Everywhere you go in this area the Long Cairn at Hillhead can be seen as if checking the walker is doing alright.

Visited 27/07/2011.