Latest Fieldnotes

This should be a fantastic RSC set in the wonderful Grassic Gibbon countryside instead it is a miracle. The inner ring of kerbs is there but broken, circle stones have been removed and trashed and the recumbent battered into it’s present state by drilling and whatever else. However it isn’t defeated and at certain angles, especially looking south east, it remains defiant. The cairn also known as The Camp is almost 18 meters wide and is hollowed out. What a place this must have been. Full of legend and story tellers.

This was the third climb of the day. Easiest directions. Travel east on the B967 at Inverbervie, good chippie, taking the first minor road north (this area is teeming with stuff as you’ll soon find out) taking the first tarred road east. Keep going until the tar runs out and head along the track stopping at Montgoldrum farm. The RSC and nearby cairns are on the hill to the north. Head east then north to avoid the jabby stuff. For me this was the start of a very long walk. Cracking weather for it.

Visited 27/07/2011.

To experience dawn upon ‘The Mound’, looking north-west towards the wildlife haven of Strath Fleet, is to invoke perhaps as many variations of emotion as there are of light playing upon the sunlit water. Not surprising, perhaps, since this section of the Dornoch Firth coastline is exquisitely beautiful, not to mention graced by an obscure stone circle (Aberscross) set upon high ground the approx north. I’m heading down the Great Glen today, that great rift in the landscape which damn well nearly splits Scotland in two. But not just yet.... for some undetermined reason Strath Fleet calls me. I check the map. Ah, Achany. Well, whilst I’m in the area it’d be rude not to, I guess. The call is unspoken, never unheard.

The traveller heading westwards down Strath Fleet will eventually arrive at the ‘crossroads’ of Lairg at the southern tip of the mighty Loch Shin... the town overlooked by a fine passage grave – and a not so fine companion remnant – set high upon The Ord. Achany is much more shy and retiring than that, located beside the loch’s outflow, The River Shin, near its confluence with the Grudie Burn.... a little to the south within Achany Glen. A chambered cairn of the ‘Orkney-Cromarty’ type with a roofless, yet still pretty substantial rectangular chamber, the monument is, to my mind, perfectly located in a field alongside the quiet B864. Quiet? Yeah, Achany’s a place for those who simply want to relax and think of.... well.... guess that’s up to you. An inspirational place to inspire great thoughts? Or simply somewhere to chill out, to re-boot psyches fried by exposure to too much meaningless ‘information’ in a society that seemingly values blaggers above all else?

Having said that, it’s also a pretty fine monument, too. The cairn is substantial, albeit robbed somewhat to expose the chamber orthostats, with remains of a facade to the NNE. Yeah, I reckon so. However it’s the chambered cairn’s relationship to the landscape which, for me, is the defining attribute of Achany. It just seems ‘right’, you know? Belongs here, blends in. As you would expect in The Highlands, the flora plays its part in the overall scheme of things, too, blue bells matching the hue of a vibrant sky playing ‘tag’ with fast moving downpours.

Access is easy. If coming from Lairg, park in the entrance to forestry track ‘Grudie 42’ just before a solid, single arch stone bridge over the aforementioned Grudie Burn. The monument lies in the field beyond the bridge to the left... metal gate tied shut, or another, open, a little further down the road. Nice.

Site visit 25.7.11

The car thermometer showed 26 degrees as we swung out of our base at Castlecary. Car windows wound down on the twenty minute run up to the masts on Cambret Hill. We parked by the masts and started down the hill at a good pace. A neat quad track took us most of the way down. It had been eight years since I last visited the site but I felt sure I could walk directly to the stone.
The walk down with my OH, our nine and a half year old and his best pal was quick but the sun was pretty merciless. We made a quick stop by the “cist-slab” rock to reapply some sun block.
After a quick map check I re-aligned us all and sent the kids ahead to find the marked rock in an area I pointed out. They found it straight off! I’d brought down a 2 litre bottle of water to wet the rock and photograph it better – but we had to drink the water! The glaring sun made my photos a bit indistinct and glared out!
The cairn across the burn looked massive and inviting but it was so hot that we had to get everyone back to the car ASAP.
The return trek up the hill was not so pleasant or so quick. A few cleg bites between us (I also pulled a deer tick out of my ankle later that night) and a toiling climb under an unforgiving sun. Ice creams and cold fizzy drinks at Gatehouse of Fleet soon sorted us out!

Yeah, as Greywether succinctly relates, this chambered cairn won’t blow the visitor away. Not set before the eponymous farm, an (thankfully) unseen dog howling away within said buiildings... and in close proximity to the wondrous Boath Short. Not to mention Long.

Nevertheless well worth a quick look – despite the pouring rain – since there’s clearly the remains of a chamber set upon a pretty extensive cairn here. A companion to the aforementioned Boath short cairn, in fact. According to Canmore:

‘A possibly short horned cairn with a polygonal chamber..... The cairn material has been largely removed so that a depth of only 2 or 3 feet remains....with a diameter of about 60 ft... There are various large boulders lying about the site but they do not seem to form part of the structure...In the centre there are a number of split slabs which have formed the main stones of a chamber entered from the E.... A S Henshall 1963; A A Woodham 1956’.

So there you are. It would be rude not to drop in when visiting the more impressive monuments across the road, wouldn’t it? Not when access is so easy.... and the rain has already done its worst.

So, how does one follow a morning visit to the Morangie Forest’s wonderful Carn Liath long cairn, then? Not a problem in Easter Ross... even for a Sassenach fresh out of IrnBru. Simply take your pick of some beauties.... such as the Boath cairns, perhaps?

Take the appropriately signposted ‘Boath’ road from the B9176, which heads north from the A9 coastal road near Alness. Ignore the car park for the Cnoc Fyrish monument (unless you happen to want to visit a folly apparently resembling the Gate of Negapatam in Madras, built as ‘poor relief’ for people cleared off the land by the same landowner to make way for sheep???) and carry on down/up the road until the two chambered cairns appear in a field to your right. There is, according to the map, an ‘official’ car park at the road’s terminus... however – being contrary – I parked carefully opposite the entrance to Balnagrotchen Farm. Having said that, a local soon arrived on the scene and sat upon the fence looking at me (think of Tom in Father Ted). Having left my banjo at home, I was somewhat relieved when a JCB transporter turned up and deposited every little boy’s dream, the charge duly trundling off towards the skyline wind farm upon Cnoc Gille Mo Bhrianaig.

Access to the two Boath chambered cairns is easy, although taking the direct line from the stile could end in wet feet, assuming an absence of Gortex-lined boots... better, perhaps, to take the gate to the left and approach that way? Anyway, the long cairn is the first encountered... and to be honest isn’t the finest around, with one (or two?) slabs to the east suggesting the remnants of a chamber. According to Canmore:-

‘Said to have been intact until about 1820, the cairn has been greatly robbed, and its outline is very indefinite... the remains suggest... a single long cairn about 200 ft. long (excluding the horns).... W L W Brown 1910; A A Woodham 1956; A S Henshall 1963.‘

The short cairn, a little way to the north-east, is a very different proposition, however. A large, upstanding, roughly circular cairn conceals a polygonal chamber which it is still possible to enter.... albeit through the mostly missing roof. Right on! Sadly the entrance passageway has collapsed and is not now visible from without. Nevertheless several capstones remain in situ and, despite not being the easiest monument to enter (as G says, no ladder) – and despite the torrential downpour – I was intrigued and deeply moved by this site (the OS 6” records ‘stone cist containing human bones found here AD 1863’). Removing a rusty iron bar from a recess was a small price to pay for entry. It was the least I could do. Although beginning to fail through (extreme) age, the interior stonework remains impressive, the flora even more so in its simplistic beauty... like a beautiful woman who knows she doesn’t have to strain for effect. Yeah, the rain hammers down, but it matters not. The vibe here has already penetrated deep within.........

This is an easy stone to visit if you are in the area. Once in Gatehouse go down Church Street (directly opposite the Granite clock tower in the High Street). Stay on this street as it passes through rows of very sweet little white Gallovidian cottages and Church Street becomes Memory Lane (honest). Follow Memory Lane till the houses run out and a cemetery comes into view. Drive past the cemetery and park at the little parking bay just beyond. About a hundred yards into the field immediately beyond the parking bay is the stone . There is a good wee swing gate for access.
Today there were no jumpy stirks, nervous bulls, Belted Galloways or even a Texel sheep in the field. This lone four foot stone stood baking in 26 degrees of blazing Galloway sunshine. It is highly weathered and has suffered a fair old bit of cattle rubbing which reveals some surprising profiles.
It appeared on the 1854 OS sheets but is thought by some to have been fairly recently erected. At a point in the recent past it might well have been in a horizontal position on the ground for there are plough scars visible on one side of the stone.
A few hundred yards to the South West lies a barrow cemetery. A hundred yards to the North West (in the next field) is a wee roman fortlet – as yet the most westernly known node on the Flavian road system in Galloway. There is a settlement in the woods beyond the parking bays. A lot of history here and hereabouts but whether this standing stone is an ancient one or not is uncertain. Far above, the masts on Cambret Hill gaze down and say nowt!

Best hillfort in the Peak district.

After the much further than intended walk here, past Lows Cow and Lady, the banks and ditches really took my fancy, they’re still big and impressive, full of summer flowers and soft grasses.
No early morning dew this time just hot afternoon sun and a Buzzard shrieks high above us along the cliffs.
The map makes it look like the view would be down over Doveholes but its on the other side of the hill looking over on Combs reservoir and Combs edge. I was also taken with the distant Combs edge, it looked chocolatey in the afternoon sun, and seemed to be undulating and melodious and pleasing to the eye.
A really good place to sit for a long time, but preferably without a little boy that needs another number two.

After finding myself, literally, we waded through the cows at the top of the hill, untill one stood resolutely still before us, Eric said “that is one big cow, look at the ring through its nose”.
“Erm.....I dont think that ones a cow mate, lets go this way”
After climbing nimbly over the fence, presumably at the spot we are supposed to, as there is no barbed wire and steps (but not a stile), the first thing that one notices is the view, it’s not the best one the Peak has to offer but its not the worst. The second is the rocky outcrop, and then the barrow, Lady low.
I was pleasantly surprised to find it still quite tall, nearly two metres, but it has the summit scooped as so many have. What can one say about a robbed barrow called lady, lets go with..... He’s all take and no give.
A good view down to the Bullring henge from here, but it would have been better from Cow low, curse my muddy mind, and its still a fair old walk to Castle Naze. I dare not tell Eric how far Ive already given him one piggy back ride which quickly drooped into a crawl, giddy up dad.

We only found this barrow by mistake, as part of a long afternoon of getting lost, miscalculating, and generally going the wrong way. I was looking for Castle Naze with maybe a distant view of Lady low, but it wasn’t untill i stood atop the hill and said hang on this isnt a hillfort that looks like a knackered barrow, that I realised my error. I’d turned right instead of left, I zigged when I should have zagged, leaving us further than we realised to walk, and if theres one thing Eric doesnt like doing it’s walking.
Oh well, my mistake had ensured that both the barrows would be seen this afternoon, but put in jeopardy our final assault on the hill to reach the object of the trip Castle Naze.

Not knowing where I was had dulled my wits momentarily, it took a minute to realise that I was standing on the outer bank of this thorougly robbed and disheviled barrow. But once I took it all in, the barrow had showed me where on earth I was, and it had helped me to reorient myself. Good barrow, Cow low, but theres not much left except a big skyward pucker.

Visited 19.7.11
One of those sites where I pulled up and realised I had been here before!
This time however the grass was low so it was easier to see the Barrow marked on the O/S map. The Barrow is visible from the field gate next to the large lay by.
It is approximately 1 metre high x 20 metres wide.
I disturbed a rabbit whilst walking across the field.

The site no longer appears to be a ‘nature reserve’.

‘Visited’ 19.7.11
More to the point – failed to visit.

I first tried to access the site from the minor road to the north which leads to Doniford.
It was easy enough to park but despite walking through a couple of fields I couldn’t get anywhere near the Barrow due to the overgrown hedges and fences.
I then attempted an approach from the south but again there was no way through the hedgerow. Perhaps there is access from the west near Rydon Farm?

Visited 19.7.11

The chap I asked about St Luke’s Well also knew where the Devil’s Stone was – how lucky was that!

Directions: Follow the track to the left of ‘The Old Chapel House’. You will then come to West Mill House and go through the wooden gate on the right. Follow the path through the field (stream on your left) and through the next wooden gate. You are now in the Devil’s Stone field. 15 minute walk.
The stone is a good ‘un. I large lump of quartz in the middle of the field; on the brow of a hill – lovely surroundings. I find it difficult to believe that this stone ‘just happens’ to be here.
I think it much more likely that it was placed in this location.
The stone itself is 1.5 metres tall x 2 metres wide.
A lovely place to sit awhile.

As for St Luke’s Well:
Apparently it had dried up and was filled in back in the 1980’s. I was actually parked next to where it once stood – now just a plain old grass field. Shame.

Visited 21.7.11
After my last failed visit it is nice to report success!

Directions: Take the sea front road past the new pier and head north towards the old derelict pier. When you get to the pier take the road opposite and head uphill until you reach St Joseph’s Catholic Church – park here. Facing the church, walk down the dead end to your left. When you get to the end you will see an old, faded sign pointing you to ‘the old British encampment’. 173 steps later and you are there!

The steps take you onto a very pleasant woodland walk, high above Weston – Super -Mare. The west, north and south sides of the Hillfort are defended by sheer drops – no wonder I couldn’t get here last time from the west!
The east end of the Hillfort is where the entrance would have been and this is where the defences can still be found – and very impressive they are.
As you walk east through the trees you will notice lots of stones scattered all about. The other thing I noticed was several large ‘pit like’ holes either side of the path. These seemed to be stone lined – something to do with the Hillfort?
As you come out of the trees you come across the remains of the three ramparts / ditches. The ramparts consist of the substantial remains of collapsed stone walls.
The outer rampart is about 2 metres high, the middle one about 2.5 metres high and the inner defence 3 metres high. These must have been impressive in their heyday.

I would highly recommend a visit as it is a lovely woodland walk although there wasn’t much of a view due to the trees. You also need to be fairly mobile to climb all those steps! I am glad I finally accessed this site.

This site is reasonably easy to find, follow the minor road from Glenluce toward Three lochs for a couple of miles. Where on your left you will see a sign for the fort at the start of the lane to Garvilland farm. We parked prettily just off the road and walked up through the yard by the side of the farm and out onto the moor, the fort is visible as you go through the gate slightly to your right. The path is actually way marked with posts but these are not easy to see on the way, but quite obvious on the way back!!

Canmore has little to say about the site beyond describing what is visible and what is vague. Yet enough remains for the hill fort fan to explore and enjoy the views.

Visited 22.7.11

Apparently this stone is 4ft in height.
Unfortunately the crop was 6ft in height!
Needless to say I couldn’t see anything; despite climbing to the top of the field gate.

One to re-visit once the crops have been harvested me-thinks!

Visited 19.7.11
I drove along the well maintained minor road north of the village of Shurton (Not signposted Hinkley Point power station – merely: Dead End)
Fortunately the first security barrier was open with no guard on duty. This allowed me to (somewhat nervously) drive through and the Barrow could be easily seen on the right of the road – behind the high security fencing).
I continued to drive forward to look for somewhere to turn around and saw a second barrier which was manned. Luckily there was a place to turn around and I drove slowly back out of the power station.
As I say, the Barrow is easy enough to see and looked to be about 2 metres high and 20 metres across. Two small trees were growing out of its side. Not a place to hang around too long.
A nuclear power station next to a Bronze Age Barrow – how is that for a clash of cultures!

From the A93 heading west from Banchory take Corsee Road north until it ends at the Glen O Dee hospital car park. From there take the clearing to the east for 200 meters approx, then follow the path north west and make for the top of the hill. Near the peak head west and a cairn looking south will be found. This must have had glorious views to the south before the trees appeared.

The cairn itself is 5 meters wide and has a length of 6/7 meters. It is no more than 0.75 high and has seen some brutal treatment. Still a kerb remains on the eastern side with at least two displaced on the western edge. As can be seen from the pics the centre has been dug into. Unfortunately branches cover the cairn but it’s seclusion gives an idea of absolute peace. After today’s welcome mayhem it’s nice to have a wee bit of solitude.

Visited 24/07/2011.

A very easy place to find after a nice afternoon in Edinburgh, which makes a change, right next to the busy A93 Royal Deeside road in Banchory. Just before the A980 junction look at the bottom of the wall opposite the Old Manse. On the southern wall is a Round Celtic cross.

Visited 24/07/2011.

Levrattich is one of the most atmospheric and beautiful places I’ve ever seen. The shades of night were coming down, it was becoming cooler and I was absolutely shattered at the end of several very long walks and one severe meeting with a loch. Thankfully this is a very easy and short walk of 200 meters. From the A939, north of Ferness, take the Ardclach road and head west. Then ignore the Ardclach signpost going straight on stopping at the first wood west. The cairn is in the field north in remarkable condition, no fences dancer!

Even though the edge of the cairn has been damaged I think the farmer should be praised as he/she obviously looks after the monument. It is in a tremendous location with excellent all round views. The burial cairn is 14.5 meters wide and 1 meter high. Some cairn material can be seen poking their noses thru the turf.

Wonderful site and end to a wonderful day in the Highlands. Now visit the Ardclach Tower, then for me home and some refreshment.

Visited 21/07/2011.

This kerbed cairn is found at the top of the Lethan Bar. To get there is a long slog thru very boggy ground, dense forest and loads of gorse/heather/jabby things. To spot the cairn is almost impossible as it is completely overgrown. Luckily the trig point can be spotted which marks the middle point of this heavily robbed cairn. The outer ring remains at 25 meters wide. If you can batter your way thru the gorse you will find that a ring of stones remains. The kerb is best preserved in the east side where 5/6 stones still remain intact.

Going north from Ferness on the A939 take the first minor road north east signposted Relugas (home to a fort). Then take the first minor road north and look for a small clearing amongst the trees to the west. Walk thru this clearing heading west. Good waterproofs and boots required as this is very boggy terrain. Keep heading west climbing thru the trees until the jabby thinged summit is reached. After that its look for the trig point. On the way down I was lost but keep heading east and the minor road will, eventually, appear.

Visited 21/07/2011.

This circle is in the north west corner of the Moyness crossroads. Sadly it is a disgrace as it is overgrown and almost invisible except for the remaining upright. Kerbs remain whilst others have have fallen.

Half an hour and this site would look brilliant. It looks like they have tried to make it a ‘show site’ with the information board, at a bus stop, they have failed miserably.

Visited 21/07/2011.

Leave the B9101 after the A939 heading west and take the first minor road heading south. Keep going until the first forestry track heading east. I parked here and then proceeded not to be able to find the northern cairn presumably covered in deep forest. So to the top of the hill I headed after battering my way thru bog and deep forest. 500 meters from the top the trees have been obliterated leaving an ankle breaking terrain.

Somehow the cairn has survived in a small clearing, no trees dead or otherwise on this little patch. However the kerb has paid a price as only 2 remain the place. The centre of the cairn, though dug out, remains reasonably intact. Against the odds the cairn sits at 12 meters wide and 1 meter tall. Impressive views to the Moray Firth and the Black isle.

With that it was a somewhat shorter route back to the car. Head to the west, straight down thru the trees and the forestry track is reached. After that it’s retrace your steps.

Visited 21/07/2011.

For ages and ages I haven’t had an accident or injured myself. Whilst looking for this site I scored direct hits on both counts. Take the B9091 south west from Nairn and stop at Easter Lochend farm. I asked permission to park and was kindly allowed to do so. I also asked directions to the fort and crannog. There is an old bridge near the fort, use it cross I was told. The Loch Of the Clans has been drained and is now mainly marsh (this enabled them to find some logboats) but last weekend, Simple Minds gig, torrential rain etc and the loch had sprung back into action.

Finding the fort was easy, finding the bridge also or so I thought. I saw a rope, I saw some planks above the water, I pulled the rope it seemed tight, so on I went, 8 or 9 steps in I tightened the rope only for it to snap. So backwards I fell into the freezing murk and stench. However I reacted quickly and scrambled back to dry land not wishing to join my Jacobite ancestors. Luckily my right arm took the damage being fairly badly bruised, thankfully (for me) leaving the left unscathed.

The bridge is to the west of the fort, I crossed and headed east. The crannog is at the far end of the bog. Thru the years it has been used for many purposes but now no trace of anything can be seen except the fact it’s a crannog. With that it was back to look at the fort and dry at the same time.

Visited 21/07/2011.

Fairly obvious what this was used for in bygone days. Much earlier than that it was built by the Bronze Age people for burial. This impressive cairn, yet again superbly sited, is 25 meters wide and 3 meters tall. It is made from earth and stones brought up from the River Nairn.

Take the B9091 from Nairn and take the second minor road south. Stop at the first corner and look west. Use tractor tracks to make your way thru the crops to a field which is covered in thistles and pretty yellow things (in summer time).

On returning to the much used and abused drewmobile I was met by a fisherman who’d had a successful day landing some trout. He enquired about what I’d been up to, so I told him. He then asked if I’d noticed the small lochs to the north. So I asked what they were used for. Apparently after people were hung they were drowned in these wee lochs as well, to make sure they were dead. So civilised......................not!

Visited 21/07/2011.

Urchany is another site with a fantastic location and probably was a clava type cairn. Sadly the destruction carried out here nobody is quite sure. A ring cairn a few meters to the east has long gone so how this survives is nothing short of a miracle.

Three stones remain upright. Others have been smashed or have simple vanished. One stone covered in cup marks has been obliterated altogether. Yet a kerb remains in the west somehow survivng the mayhem. Field-clearence has also been dumped on the site.

Heading east from Cawdor, home to famous castle, take the first minor road south and keep going until after Acheim Farm, the turn east for a mile. The banks are flat to the road so plenty room to park. Unfortunately for me I jumped the fence straight into a bog. Luckily I’d waterproofs and wets on thanks to an earlier incident involving a loch. Head straight north, look for tractor tracks to avoid damaging crops. Then walked practically to Acheim farm to get back to minor to avoid the bog and stench. Extra miles, beautiful countryside, bonus!

Visited 21/07/2011.