Latest Fieldnotes

Originally this had been a much larger cairn perhaps treble it’s current size, which Canmore says is 14 meters, I measured 9 but who’s arguing. It is set in surreal surroundings in amongst hills that look like mottes. Beyond is the Mill Of Brux, the River Don and the Lang Stane.

Leave the A97 after the Kildrummy Kirk, cross and follow the River Don stopping at Brux. A track leads from the mill, follow this until the quarry turning south and uphill at the fence. (If you walk straight on a ruined cottage is at the roads end) Follow the “path” which leads over the two of the “mottes” and straight to the cairn. There are several field clearance cairns on the hillside.

Visited 19/10/09.

(After taking the wrong road I noticed two dogs running in a field, sheep dogs in training I thought. Wrong, as an irate and frankly muscle bound shepherd appeared and gave me a screaming match for letting my dogs run amok. He was quite right except for the fact...I don’t own any dogs! However when he saw somebody shouting on the dogs....................)

Follow the directions to Cairn Ley then walk to the top of the hill. Fichlie is on the ridge of Glaschul Hill on the tree line. Once again superb views of the Don valley even on a misty/rainy day.

The cairn is 24 meters wide and some 21/2 meters in height. As can be seen in the images the centre has been hollowed, due to an excavation during 1880. It also looks like several shelters have also been made.

Lovely location, lovely site!

Visited 19/10/09.

This wonderfully positioned cairn has tremendous views of the Don valley and was of considerable size, at it’s widest 33 meters, 3 meters in height. However time hasn’t served it well as it has been robbed then field clearance has been dumped on it.

Cairn Ley can be found up the Glaschul Hill opposite Ley farm, it can be seen from the road, a good 600 meters or so. Take care behind the cairn as it is badly drained and marshy.

Leave the A97 after Kildrummy Kirk, taking the Brux road. Take the second road in a south westerly direction. Enough room for parking at the entrance to Ley Farm.

Visited 19/10/09.

The signpost, at least on the visit, should have said 100 meters public mud path! It couldn’t rain much heavier by this time but spirits held as the water proofs did their job.

This cairn is an ancient burial ground on two levels. The biggest being about 25 meters wide and almost a meter high. A crumbling dry stane dyke with some kerbs keep the cairn intact. Internally there is a small rise almost 10 meters wide, surrounded by a partially filled in ditch. Once again the views from here would be superb on a sunny day.

Leave the A97 just after Kildrummy Kirk, turning south east towards Brux. Take the first minor road east after Brux. Cairnoullie is at the top of the hill with the sign on the left.

Visited 19/10/09.

Turn east from the A97 just before Kildrummy Castle on the minor road to St. Bride’s Church. The cairn is next to road on the western side and is easily spotted thanks to tree that sits on top. Only one kerb remains in place whilst others are scattered. Rabbits and the tree make sure erosion occurs.

At one time the locals looked after the cairn, however the fence that once surrounded it has collapsed. The local church is at the end of the road and is worth a look.

Visited 19/10/09.

This souterrain is almost in perfect condition complete with it’s slab roof intact. The Romans get blamed for trashing most of them, but some escaped, Culsh and Ben Newe are both fairly nearby. Unfortunately it is estimated that more than 80 have been destroyed or ploughed in. Clova 1 is very similar to Tealing, the big difference, apart from the roof, being that the Angus model is getting good care from the authorities. This one isn’t which makes the rock art impossible to find to my untrained eye (I should have taken a torch), the entrance and exit are beginning to cover up with earth and weeds.

On looking down into the entrance I must admit to being scared as I entered the doom. Outside it was chucking it down, inside was surprisingly warm. Internally the souterrain is in fine condition with massive slabs above. Hopefully one day this site will be tidied up as it surely must be considered one of the North East’s best kept secrets.

It is over 200 meters, west, from the Muirs Of Kildrummy in the small clump of trees. Ask permission at the farm, the occupants are helpful and pointed out both sites. Take care not to jump the fence and land straight in it!!

Magical place!

Visited 19/10/09.

This lovely but fragile looking standing stone stands at just over 1 meter in height and is red granite. It is 50 meters to the east of Wester Clova farm on the banks of the Mossat Burn, beside the telegraph pole.

Travel south from the Muirs Of Kildrummy taking the first minor road right, west. The road ends at Wester Clova.

Visited 19/10/09.

This stone can be seen from the cairn at the Mill Of Brux. Therefore follow the road in a south easterly direction until Easter Sinnahard farm. I walked to the top of hill to the west of the farm, to avoid scaring cattle, then turned north. Walk the length of the field with stone being in the middle of the next one. It stands all by itself but is spied on by at least four quite close cairns.

Once again, thanks to Rhiannon and her fantastic folklore!

Visited 19/10/09.

Thanks to Rhiannon’s notes I finally tracked down this impressive standing stone. It stands at proudly at 21/2 meters. The rain and the mist giving a hint of some bedevilment. However the stone didn’t fall on me!

Travel south from the Muirs Of Kildrummy farm and take the first left. Continue until this track ends. The is stone is about 300 meters further on. Muddy and slightly boggy today.

Visited 19/10/09.

Unlike it’s northern counterpart the south side of Loch Tay has large areas devoid of rock art so these new finds from the week end are a bit of a treat . The prominent rock is 6m high,with rucksack for scale , only three cup marks on the top but the rock itself is noteworthy .

Visited the site today and although obvious to see the earthworks the dry bracken and leafs made it hard to get a decent picture. However they were all easy to spot, particularly the one running north to south which was up to 8ft high in places. There are 2 earthworks at bridles copse , one runs southwest to northeast along the northern edge of the river and the other one starts the other side of the river running south then bending round to the south east.

From a distance you wouldn’t notice that Bullsdown Camp was the site of an Iron Age fort as it is so heavily wooded. On closer inspection it is a very large multilavatte fort with 3 banks and ditch’s. Although eroded heavily the earthworks are still impressive.
It is what i would call a  valley/plateau fort as it is on rising ground on Bulls down where it gets its name from.

This is an overgrown site which will soon be consigned to histories scrapbook. It has been badly robbed, rubbish flung on top and is overgrown with whins and weeds. The only thing going for this site is the view, Bennachie rises up to the south so whoever was laid to rest here certainly had a lovely spot. Also one kerb remains of this 4 meter wide cairn, its difficult to decide on height because of all the obstacles.

Leave the A96 just north of Inverurie and follow the signs to Chapel Of Garioch. Turn south at the village taking the third left, Whitecross is signposted. On the hill there is a small wood, the cairn being a few meters south.

Visited 18/10/09.

I felt this trip was a going to be a bit special just six miles into it when we had a close encounter with a barn owl of which Iv’e seen maybe a dozen all of them at or going to or from the stones. Then the police closed the road and we had to detour half an hour out of our way.
Almost there the road goes crazy steep and hairpinny, Eric near wet himself and scolded me for going too fast.
We parked at the footpath sign and I squeezed effortlessly into the one car parking place, there is a carpark further along but it gets so full theres no room to turn around.
We crossed the stile and headed off into the wilds, the first thing you notice about the area is its jaw dropping beauty, I dont know if it was the early morning light shining on the colours of Autumn or the buzz of exploration but I didnt even see the second thing you notice and thats how quickly your feet and lower legs get wet, being a stoopid ‘uman that usually narks me off, but not today, this is better than perfect.
On the south side off the Afon Dulyn are lots of rocky outcrops, hiding amongst them are the ruins of inhabitants past, from here across the river the land rises slowly untill it aburptly goes up climbing into a mountain. boulders share the hillside with spikey gorse and it is here that Hafodygors wen hides, the only clue to its location is a nearby rock the biggest on this side of the river, the ring cairn is fifty yards south.
I almost couldnt beleive it when I read Cofleins discription of it, the words that most jumped out from the page are Scottish four poster, and that is what it looks like. Four large stones much akin to the Goatstones are surrounded by and partly in a low ring of cairn material, it looks like any four poster ive been to only with a ring cairn.
Over the mountain is circle 275 a five stone ring of Irish origin why not have a circle of Scottish origin, we already have the Radnor four stones, so I dont see much reason why it cant be. My only problem is this what are the chances of finding something like this whilst doggedly clicking on blue spots on the coflein map, surely there must have been more stones in the ring and these are the last four left, but you never know.
Its appearance is inescapeable, if it waddles, quacks and looks like a duck...........

Visited the site today and it is a big ditch about 100 meters by 20 and a good 5 meters deep in the middle. There is a pond at the eastern end which is dry but boggy as I found out to my cost. No real idea as to its original use maybe linked to the other Iron Age earthworks in the area

The Frith is a small univallate Iron Age hillfort to the north of Silchester Roman/Iron Age town. The single bank covers all sides apart from the south east and at the most is about 5 feet high on the western edge. The ditch is also traceable for the length of the bank all be it at varying states.

Visited the site today and managed to locate 4 of the barrows shown on the map. 2 large undamaged bell barrows, a badly dug away bell barrow and the low almost ploughed out remains of a bowl barrow.

The 1st bell barrow is situated in the south west corner of a school playing field and is in good condition but rather overgrown with ferns.

The 2nd well preserved bell barrow can be found to the north along the bridleway near the electricity substation. Next to this is the badly dug away bell barrow.

The ploughed out remains of the bowl barrow can be seen to the north of the sports field beneath the in the middle of the sports field.

Seeing as it was on the way from ring cairn to stone row I had to have a look see, it’s not much to look at now just a giant buried banana, but it is part of the collective here and it is in superb surroundings .

No casual visitor ever comes here, i’ts about a mile from the road through bogs and thick tall grasses across a river, pass the amazing Hafodygors wen, and head for the ruined farmstead beneath the summit of Pen y Castell, there is no path but it’s not hard to find.
Coflein says much about the place
coflein.gov.uk/en/site/279061/details/FFRITH-Y-BONT%2C+STONE+ROW/

I hope they are as ancient as other antiquities in the area, the whole valley is totally steeped in history from all eras so they maybe comparitively recent.
Four stones all man height, aligned on the only four poster in North Wales, could I really be so lucky to have stumbled through the archives and onto something remarkable.

With cold wet feet, Eric and me happily marched up the hill looking for this possible dolmen. He’s got my old camera and is taking pictures of everything, bugs, stones, mountains, anything that stops him from noticing the fresh air and exercise is all good, besides whos going to carry on the Postmans good work when i’m too old and crackered.
Coflein assures me that this could well be a collapsed dolmen, two likely looking orthostats though fallen still prop up the capstone. Other reasons for it’s legitamacy are thus: After seeing many semi earthfast quoits and dolmens in south wales this seems to be the design employed here also Sling is just over the mountains. The area is just chokka with ancient remains so the burial chamber isnt out of place. It’s exact location is similar to other monuments of the same design, half way between mountain top and valley floor.
Though I’m still not completely convinced I am at the end of the day still only a postman, unlike Eric who was adament that this was a burial chamber.
But dont take our word for it why not go take a look for yourselves, and take an Archaeo dude too.

After a long morning with cold wet feet it was just fantastic to come up here with this magnificent view, the mountains, the Conwy valley behind me and Pen y Gaer hillfort to the right, and this stonking great stone.
It certainly isnt standing up and never did it either
but Coflein states that the stone was deliberatly placed here, on the hilltop for ritual/ funerary/religous purposes . It is visible from anywhere in the vicinity, aligned almost east-west and very reminiscent of the deliberatly placed stone on the other nearby hillfort summit at Caer Bach.

Having walked the Macduff to Rosehearty route a few times, I decided to visit the Law Of Melrose by another route. Mistake!

Having parked just after the Newton of Melrose, on the B9031 travelling east from Macduff, farm it looked like a fairly short walk to the cairn. What I didn’t predict was the sharp drop into small valley, boggy at best, with three burns to jump, and a short but steep climb on the other side. Throw in a few barbed wire fences and the walk had become an obstacle course, with one person in the race I still managed to come in second! So much for the short cut.

The cairn has magnificent all round views, the Moray Firth to the north and excellent views east and west (as far as the Black Isle). Cairn Lee blocks the southern view, it’s views to the south are all the way to Bennachie. Grass covers the cairn which is over 28 meters in diameter and 4 meters high. Legend says that executions happened here, as does Canmore, but on checking, at the nearby and useful Banff Museum, no records of this could be found.

Took the same route back to car with my luck holding out. No visits to the burn...boost!

Visited 16/10/09.

Spent a day in St David’s last week and headed down the quiet lane to St Non’s well. It sits, overlooking the sea, at the bottom of a short track next to the ruins of the original chapel. The well is housed in a small stone grotto shaped structure, the inside of which had recently been whitewashed – there were flakes of whitewash floating on the water which also looked brackish, so no impulse to drink from the well occured. However, in the adjacent field the spring runs away from the well towards the sea and has a far more natural sense of the elemental.
There is another whitewashed stone grotto nearby with a religious image inside it which I admit to recoiling from ... however, the ruined chapel, a small standing stone and the splendid walk along the cliff to Porth Clais (where there are some disused lime kilns) made the visit more than worth while.

I wanted to return to the great cairn of Barnenez because when we visited 4 years ago it was pouring with rain. Last week when we went it was sunny and dry – perfect!

Because it’s a big important monument with a visitor centre and a perimeter fence you have to pay a fee to get in. But it was Monday. And it was closed. Drat and double drat! It was 50miles from where we were staying and I didn’t want to drive all that way again. There was nothing for it but to try to find a way through the fence. (Don’t try this at home, kids!)

So we walked up the lane a bit and made our way through the fields inspecting the high barbed wire perimeter fence. It looked impenetrable. Another field. Another length of fence. Right around the back of the monument, three fields away from the visitor centre we found a place under some trees where the fence had already been breached, presumably by other Monday visitors. So we scrambled through the dense low trees and got in! It felt a bit naughty and I’d much rather have paid my 5euros to be honest.

We walked around the vast monument admiring its wonderful layers, chambers and superb stonework, revelling in the luxury of seeing in sunlight, the shadows revealing it bulk even more. To me, of all Brittany’s megalithic treasures, Barnenez is the greatest jewel of all.

This site, fortunately hasn’t been buried so I didn’t get the unwanted hat trick, is found on top of the Knock Saul Hill which is part of the small Suie range between Leslie and Clatt, Tullynessle to the south. There is a boundary marker beside the cairn indicating this fact. Several shelters have been made in the 12 meter wide cairn. It stands at 1 meter in height. Some stones sit 2 meters out circling the cairn, they might be kerbs but are more likely to be randomly dropped stones.

The views up here are spectacular taking in good views of the Garioch, to the east, Alford to the south, Tap O Noth to the west leaving the north to be hidden by fir trees.

Leave the B992 at Auchleven (Premnay) heading west towards Leslie. At Leslie turn south at the church and keep going until the road ends. I parked before Saul Farm as it is on a private road. Follow the tree line for at least 11/2 miles, tricky stream jump on way, until the Gordon Way is reached. Turn right, west, following the directions to the hills summit, the cairn is beside the path. My walk time was over 2 hours and towards the end it is pretty steep. The path is ok in parts and boggy in others thanks to horses churning up the “dubs”.

Visited 15/10/09.