In between the Balnagowan Wood cairn and Blue Cairn are at least 6 smaller cairns. Some are moss covered and some have trees growing out of them. All of them have been hollowed at some stage. But they have individual charm as well as being all different sizes. I’ve put the map reference with each pic from this site.
Visited 14/4/2011.
From the cairn at Balnagowan Wood walk the fairly short distance north. (I gave them both different sites as both cairns are totally different.) It is almost impossible to miss this long cairn as it is 70 meters in length and at it’s highest is 2 meters. The horns are 3 meters. Quite simple this is a wonderful place, the woods as indeed does the whole Cromar area reek ancient history. Freachem said the cairn resembled the stars and their constellations. To me, its a beautiful place amongst beautiful places.
As usual the more modern human has added clumsy finishing touches such as hollowing, fences and a graveyard for fence posts. One thing the more modern human couldn’t change was the tranquility and atmosphere. Silence is a great thing in the right place.
Visited 14/4/2011.
From Balnacraig I cut across the field in a north easterly direction, jumping a burn, to reconnect with the path. Keep heading east the path goes thru the undulating hills with a couple of streams to jump. Keep going until a gate appears, head another 100 meters or so until the next gate then surprise surprise the path vanishes again. I walked in a straight line and ended up at the very pretty Balnagowan Wood cairn.
The cairn is circular being 12 meters in width and 0.7 meters tall. It has been hollowed out which has allowed trees to fill the space.
The next stop isn’t that far away, no chance of getting lost!
Visited 14/4/2011.
From Scar Hill I climbed down following the fence and shortly found a gate. The path heading east re-appears, keep going until the trees clear on the southern side. Look across the small valley and the long cairn can be seen on the crest of the hill behind some clearence boulders.
This is a very impressive cairn which has seen a lot of damage but it still hangs on. It is some 35 meters in length and 2.5 meters at it’s tallest. Even the horns at both ends are large being at least 4 meters in length. the views south are exceptional with the views east focusing on Balnagowan, my next stop.
Visited 14/4/2011.
I climbed down Mulloch by heading north to look for a kerbed cairn but instead I became lost. However I found a track which led to Altonrea and Burnside. From there thru a couple of gates then head east, or that is what the map said. The path quickly vanishes and then reappears and then vanishes. (this happened a lot today.) So I headed in the direction I thought would lead to cairn, straight east. This ploy worked but several boggy bits had to be crossed. Eventually I came to edge of the trees, still heading east and flukily found the cairn.
It is a large cairn being some 17 meters wide and 1.7 meters tall. It has been hollowed out and has a fence running thru the middle of it. Once again tremendous views. As well as west, Tarland can be seen in the north. Scar Hill’s peak can be seen due east.
Visited 14/4/2011.
After the disastrous attempt of last summer, hours and hours toiling away in hot conditions getting nowhere, an alternative route was required. Thelonius suggested an alternate route which I think I followed. (thank you)
Head east from Dinnet taking the first track north indicated St James. Follow the road until the track veers east towards the last house. This leads to the ruined farm of Knockenzie. By this time Mulloch Hill will have been passed so head north thru a field until the heather appears and head up hill. A path eventually appears which leads straight to the cairn, on the west of the hill.
This would have been perfect for the hillfort but the cairn has pride of place with tremendous views over to Loch Kinord and Morven, in fact good all round views. The cairn is some 15 meters in diameter and 1.4 meters high. Almost unbelievably easy after last years trials.
From here its a long walk east to take in several other cairns.
Visited 14/4/2011,
Head west from the village of Glenkindie (A97) taking the second entrance, to the north, to Glenkindie House. Pull in at the first gate to the north. The souterrain is in the fenced clump of trees in the middle of the field.
It is in excellent condition as the locals said, being some 10 meters in length and 1.8 meters tall. Once upon a time a cairn covered this site but it has long since vanished leaving the fantastic site unblemished. All the details are in the Canmore link below.
Wonderful site, wonderful start to the day albeit a very early start.
Visited 14/4/2011.
10/04/2011 – Nice enclosure on top of Hill of Keir, Aberdeenshire. It was a lovely day here on Sunday and the views from the top were very good for a little hill. Best way up is probably from the east but I parked on the B979, due west of the hill, crossed a field, over a fence and a nice little walk through trees to the top.
Around 200 metres NNE of Wet Withens stone circle, with no path leading to it, a single cup mark on the NNW face of a largish but mostly covered boulder.
I found this whilst hunting for a possible piece of rock art further to the West, pointed out by Paulus on TNA, i didn’t find the piece but discovered this whilst taking a direct route off the moor due to torrential rain.
Good old British weather eh. !
The Ballyhoura Project mentions this as being a radial cairn. I tried to visit this before heading up to Knocknafalia but the pursuit was unsuccessful. The summit of the hill is covered in prickly scrub and there was no sign of any radial cairn up there.
We got up as far as the trig point and then headed east but after about 200m we couldnt get any further.
While in the general area I made for this circle which is listed on Jack Roberts map. However I couldnt find it and I note on megalithic.co.uk that an irish guy there recently couldnt find it either.
I wonder did he get it mixed up with Scartaglin which is in the general area also?
The Arch inventory tells us this wedge tomb is also know as “Niall’s Grave”.
It says that the other stone to the south is a standing stone however I thought it may have been another part of the capstone.
It is 4.4m long by 1.95m wide. You can clearly see the double lined walling.
I picked this at random from the inventory while in the area, strangely enough while checking directions to the next site (in my jeep) a pack of hunting dogs hopped over a ditch and ran by the tomb and off through the fields. No sign of any huntsmen or other dogs.
This circle is almost inside someones garden, imagine growing up with that to play with and yet the circle is completely overgrown.
It would be impressive if tidied with its huge recumbent stone.
I accessed the stone from the rear using GPS I didnt realise it was so close to the house as I was using Jack Roberts map at the time.
The remains of this circle are right next door to a recently built house (prob last 5 years). I parked a few fields down and came up to the circle from behind so as not to cause any bother with the house owners.
Only two stones remain although for some reason the Arch Inventory says that it is complete!
I hope this circle hasn’t been added under a different name.
This circle is about two fields over from Bellmount Upper SW.
The two axial stones remain and what may be the remains of the recumbent stone.
It felt great driving around Cork (using Jack Roberts map and the Cork Arch Inventory) with information to hand knowing that there was going to be something where you were going to (unlike in Tipp and Limerick when you really never know whether what you are going to see is worth the effort or not).
Old Fred Coles suggests that this might have been once part of a circle. There are boulders scattered nearby and a quick look of nearby dry stane dykes didn’t reveal any circle type stones so this would have to go into the might have been but unlikely category. However it is a beautiful stone in a beautiful valley just along from the Coleburn Distillery. Standing at over 1 meter in height it has almost the width at the bottom gradually tapering to 0.5 meters at the top.
Once again nice scenery being located between Hart Hill (to the west) and Brown Muir Hill (to the east). Head south from Elgin on the A941 going thru Fogwatt and past the Coleburn Distillery. When the trees stop on the distillery side stop, the stone stands beside the fence and trees some 50 meters from the road.
Visited 12/4/2011.
This circle is right beside the road and there is a lovely welcoming wooden gate at its entrance.
There are a number of stones missing in one section of the circle but as the pictures show you can still get a very good idea as the shape and size of it.
Although Knocknaneirk NE is a more impressive circle, coming from an area with few circles such as Tipperary I was still very impressed by it.
I picked this site as the first to visit on a wet Cork morning.
I actually thought access was fairly reasonable but I suppose its all about times of the year. I find early spring before the grass gets growing is always a good time to be out and about in the countryside..... very few cows about!
The circle itself is really fantastic, I’ve seen pictures of it before but seeing it upclose the stones do really have a real “weight” to them. The altar stone and the whole circle is very aesthetically pleasing.
After the brilliance of Mitchell’s Fold, I head south across the border into Wales with the sun high overhead (8.4.2011). The approach from the north is along a narrow lane heading due south off the minor road between White Grit and Priest Weston (which has a pub). Where the road kinks southwestwards, there are extensive views into Wales to the right, and a stile giving access to the hill on the left.
The trees that used to cover a wedge of hillside on the NW have been felled, leaving an expanse of tree stumps reminiscent of a WW1 Paul Nash landscape. It’s a steep climb up the hill from this side (well, from any side really) but the views more than reward the effort.
Corndon II sits on the highest point of the hill, which it shares with a trig point and a bench (occupied when I arrive, sweaty and staggering, at the summit). There is a fairly large modern-looking cairn, but it is not clear what is the original monument and what isn’t. The whole sits on a natural mound, making it even less obvious. But back to the surroundings.
To the north, the views take in Mitchell’s Fold and (just) The Hoarstones circles, as well as Stapeley Hill. Further away NNW are the Berwyn mountains. Much nearer to the east is the long rocky ridge of the Stiperstones, as well as the impressively large Corndon III cairn, which will be my next objective. Peeking over the top of the Long Mynd, the summits of Brown Clee and Titterstone Clee are visible. Much further away to the SE, the Malverns can just about be seen, a signpost back to my home. The mountains of Radnor Forest (near Four Stones circle) block some of the views south, but not enough to obscure the Black Mountains escarpment. Over to the west, Pumlumon and then Cader Idris fade into the blue, and various other ranges of Southern Snowdonia (Arans, possibly the Rhinogs) complete this immense panorama, which has me grinning broadly at the immensity of it all.
A perfect place to sit and get your breathe back after the steep climb, although the lack of an ice cream vendor was disappointing on such a summery day.
I head eastwards along the ridge, towards Corndon III.
After the steep climb up to Corndon II, Corndon III is easily reached by a short stroll along the grassy ridge. Of all the cairns on the hill, this must be the biggest, over 20m across. It has been disturbed, inevitably, but nevertheless remains a really impressive monument. It gives a good idea of what the hilltop cairns of Shropshire, like the ruined ones on Titterstone Clee, would have been like in their prime.
The views, as at II, are extensive.
A few paces away from Corndon III, Corndon IV is certainly not the biggest monument on the hill, but may be the most interesting.
It appears to be a kerb cairn, with a kerb of low boulders encircling the central mound. The kerb is incomplete, but sufficient remains to get a good idea of it. According to Coflein, there was also a central cist, but apart from the usual central scoop, I didn’t notice this on my visit (or its displaced capstone), although it is still visible in the pictures taken. The central space appears to have been further disturbed since Baza’s picture.
From here, my route is SW down the slope to Corndon I. It is not on access land, but a permissive footpath, with a stile, gives access over the fence into the field where it sits.
Much more ruined than II, III and IV, this cairn is a fair size but has been reduced to little more than a low, dense scatter of stones. Terrific views to the west though. The woodland that originally stood on the slope above the cairn has been felled, clearing the view to the NW as well.
Corndon VIII is close by to the SE. It is not on Coflein, nor is it marked on the 1/25000 OS map, which shows Corndon I. This was therefore a bonus on my visit.
A 100 yards or so to the SE of Corndon I, this cairn is circular setting of rubble, surrounding a grassy space. The surrounding cairns are all visible from here, as is the small hillfort on Roundton to the southwest.
From Corndon VIII, I head SE directly towards Corndon V. On route, I pass a small roughly circular mound of earthfast stones protruding from the grass at approx SO306966 – could this be the remains of another cairn? Probably just natural, but you never know.
Corndon V, like III and I, is a very large cairn with a 20m plus diameter. It has the inevitable shelters and disturbance on its top, but remains impressive. What a hill this is for cairns!
I head SW again, towards Corndon VI, the final cairn of the day. Another whopper of 20m plus across, this cairn perches on the southern summit of the hill, making the drop to the farmland below much more apparent.
The cairn incorporates some very large stones, too big even for the walkers’ shelter dug into the centre to make use of. A great place to stop for a while and watch the world go by (or not), before making the steep descent over the edge to Fishpool and the main road.
Visited 8.4.2011. The scanty remains of a small cairn, just NE of the Mitchell’s Fold outlier stone and within sight of the circle. A few stones in the central depression of a low mound are all there is to see, but worth popping in to say hello when visiting the circle, naturally.
Visited 9.4.11
We approached from the east along the minor road, only to be confronted by a scene of mayhem!
A field gate had been left open and a herd of cows were running in all directions being chased by 3 farmers! They had used a tractor to block the road off to stop the cows and a frantic looking farmer said it was ok to park next to the farm house until the cows had been put back in the field. I decided to walk down to the field where the stone is and found it only took 5 minutes. Luckily the muddy field was baked dry; otherwise it would have been a very muddy visit. If it is muddy when you visit the stone can be easily seen from the field gate.
The stone is about 2 metres high and 1 metre wide, covered in pretty white and yellow lichen. One side had grooves running down it. There were two fairly large stones at its base to help keep it erect.
The farmer came over and we had a chat about standing stones and what they could mean etc. He was very friendly and laughed about the cows escaping. I forgot to mention to him that I spotted two hiding in the hedge a bit further down the road!!
I am glad I visited as the stone looked quite lonely and I would imagine it doesn’t get many visitors. Try and stop off when in the area and try not to get trampled by a runaway cow!
Visited 9.4.11
We took the minor road north out of Ferryside and then took a chance and drove up the ‘track’ towards Iscoed Home Farm. This ‘track’ was just about drivable as the weather had been good and the mud hard. In hindsight it would have been more sensible to have walked up from the ‘proper’ minor road.
Anyway, a short way up the track you will see a metal field gate on your left, just after the trees. There is room to pull in here. Over the gate and a 30 second walk up to the brow of the hill will bring you into eye contact with the stone. The stone itself is a couple of minutes walk away. This is a large stone, about 2.5 metres high, with grooves running down one side.
It is worth walking up the hill a bit towards the derelict brick manor house to see the stunning views down towards the coast. No wonder they built a mansion on this spot – pity it has now gone to ruin. Well worth a visit when in the area.
**Don’t make the mistake I made and tried to keep going north along the farm track to get to the other Maen Llwyd standing stone – the track stops in the farmer’s vegetable plot! (I hope we didn’t squash his grow bags when turning around!) There is also no access north from Ferryside along to coast road to Maen Llwyd (Llandyfaelog) – you have to approach from the road to the east.
On directions to the place I will only add that the phone box that flagged the turn off is now gone, only the post box remains (yaaaaay).
I parked the car at the usual wide area before the houses, got out my bike and started the long walk up the lane, through the gate, then up the footpath with the circle on the hill to my left, then the even harder slog of pushing the bike up the grassy slope, it was worth it in the end because i’d like to suggest that i’m the first to ride their bike round inside this circle, which made me smile widely.
But not as widely as the way back down, every hill top circle or cairn should have a bike there, for the ripping down a hill side is very invigorating, ever overtaken a sheep in full flight ? youve never lived.
Every time I come here the stones seem to have got a little bigger, first it was theyre a bit small, then they were medium but theyre really quite large. Or... ive seen too many diminutive stones.
For the first time I spotted Tyfos circle down in the valley below, well the farm anyway ,the stones are too small to work out.
Take note.... there is another stone circle further along the footpath into the hills, and close to that a small standing stone, theyre both going crazy after some attention specially the circle, if you have an hour to spare they’d really like the company.
Quite easy to find, from Moel ty uchaf keep following the path up into the hills, past a deforested conifer plantation, over the brow of the hill, passing lots of stone piles, through a gate ( the stone circle cerrig Bwlch y Fedw is in the grass to your right)and you can see the stone half way up Moel Pearce towards the left, when the sun shines on it you cant miss it.
The stone is longer than it is tall, aligned about NW by SE which points the way between two hilltops, some packing stones are evident at the stones meeting with the ground. The stone has split at its eastern extremity and you can see and put your hand through it. Moel ty Uchaf is visible on its small hill top, but Tyfos is out of view below the hill line.
A small climb to the top of the hill affords long views to the Berwyn mountains and across the hills west over Bala to Arenig fawr.
This stone circle is less than a mile from the well known Moel ty uchaf, it’s not marked on any maps, nor is it in any of Burls books, but it is on the now god like Coflein, it is to me an amazing thing, that anyone with time and persistance
can find something that isnt generally known, any bump any wrinkle in the landscape can be identified through the magic of Coflein. Really can’t enthuse about it enough.
From Moel ty Uchaf turn and look up at the mountains, the path you partly used to get here carries on up the hill past a deforested conifer plantation, and then dissapears over the brow of the hill, if you dont have a personal transporter, youll have to walk there, I had a bike.
When the footpath goes through a gate with a stream running through it, either follow the path up the hill to Moel Pearce standing stone which is now visible as a white almost shining beacon on the hillside. Or turn right into the long boggy grass, with a fence on your right follow it up the gentle hill untill you see the stones on your left, four out of five stones still stand higher than the grass, but only just.
Coflein suggests a stone circle of six metres north to south, containing maybe eight stones, none more than a metre tall, only five stones now remain, one small stone has fallen, but its so tiny as to appear as a modern intrusion. The other four are, I thought quite impressive, after a bit of gardening, you know just pulling out all the old dead grass, making the stones more visible for photography and any subsequent visitors (smiles to him self wryly), and trying to find any other fallen stones, the man made drainage channel that hideiously bisects the circle
is said to have fallen stones in it but the channel has severely shrunk since cofleins last visit so the stones may now be under the squelchy ground, this place really should be looked after, if it was all neat and easier to see it might lose something, but would gain the same visiting rights as Tyfos and Moel ty uchaf.
The next time your at the latter do make the effort I beleive it is worth it
