Latest Fieldnotes

Back in the summer I finally made it up onto High Moor. Despite scouring the hillside I could find very little that looked fogou like. The photo shows one of many hollows left by the stone cutters. In winter I would imagine these holes fill with water...perhaps someone imagined a flooded passage running underneath...who knows!

Two more stones found today at Glascorrie one under turf and the other under a pile of field clearance .

On the way from Kilnaughton to Kintra, this stone is next to the road on the left (it is marked on OS Explorer Map 352). Carragh Bhan means ‘white stone’ and near to it are ‘possible stubs of two other standing stones’ (Caldwell). The top of the stone is similar in shape to the hill in the background (Cnoc Mor Ghrasdail?).

Believed to be an iron age hillfort, this is an impressive structure overlooking the River Laggan valley. It features a ‘flat rectangular summit, about 15m by 25m, enclosed within concentric ramparts – three main ones separated by large ditches’ (Caldwell). Easily approached by footpath on road from Bridgend, where it crosses river at Mulindry Bridge. Name derives from Norse for ‘fort on the crag’, but the site predates the Vikings’ arrival on Islay.

Source for quote: Islay, Jura and Colonsay: a historical guide – David H. Caldwell (Birlinn, Edingburgh, 2001).

This well is located around 2km north west of Ardbeg. It is marked on the OS map as Tobar na Dabhaich. The name probably means ‘Well of the Hollow’ – Tobar=Well, Dabnaich=’vatlike hole or hollow’ (Watson, 1926). This would fit, as the well is set in a hollow in the side of a small hill. It appears to be a natural spring, with a shallow pool in the rock.

An alternative name seems to be St Michael’s Well, perhaps linked to the fact that immediately to the south is Druim Claiggean Mhicheil which is “ridge of Michael’s good field” (Domhnall MacEacherna). It is close to the ruins of what is reputed to be the remains of a plague village (see folklore).

My father (who grew up nearby) told me that it was a place where people visited for good luck when they got married, and indeed there at least two horseshoes above in the rock when we found it, one old and rusted and one seemingly fairly recent with ribbon attached. I believe there were also coins in the water.

The antiquity of the site’s human use is unknown, but it is some distance from the nearest house (and a difficult journey) so it is clearly not a modern (re)invention. It is close to a hut circle, so at the very least could have been a water source in ancient times. It would certainly bear checking out by people more knowledgeable in the archaeology of well-sites. Now the difficult bit – getting there.

My father took me there in 1984 (see photo) from Callumkill, a journey involving going over several hills and getting wet feet in the bog in between, and getting lost (hence teenage sister’s fed up expression in the photo). Last year (2005) I attempted to revisit it with ‘clear’ directions from my uncle Jim, who used to live at Callumkill. This time I headed via a public footpath marked on the OS map heading north east from Ardbeg and passing close to the well. Let’s just say it is not as easy as it looks – I got lost in bracken over head height, caught in a sudden storm, lost my map climbing over a fence and stumbled over a dead cow in a stream. A reminder of taking care when you are looking for sites in more remote locations – you won’t be able to get reception on your phone to call for help! I didn’t find it, but hope that someone else will have more luck.

Sources:

Domhnall MacEacherna, The Lands of the Lordship (1976), Argyll Reproductions.

WJ Watson, History of the Celtic Place Names of Scotland (1926)
st-andrews.ac.uk/institutes/sassi/spns/watsdg.htm

Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow 25-11-06

Sadly it’s been chalked, but displayed well next to a collection of axes, arrowheads and Aberdeenshire Balls.

The museum doesn’t say where it was from just who donated it (Ludovic Mann in 1955) but it is the same stone as recorded on BRAC as being Greenland 3.

I would never have come here if not for Monumental About Prehistoric Dublin and its author, Tom Fourwinds. Right beside the red Luas tram line, in a public park, I couldn’t help wondering how many thousands pass this by each day on their way to and from work and don’t even SEE it. Aside from Ballybrack portal tomb, this is the most urban site I’ve been to. I climbed the mound in the vain hope of understanding the monument. It reminds me of the Rath in Tornant Lower themodernantiquarian.com/site/9025 with its two tiers. The views to the south, across Tallaght, towards the ridge above Glenasmole were worth coming here for.

A fifth bullaun at this site! I returned here to show a friend III and IV then decided to have a scout around for I and II and came across another one. It has 2 bullauns, a very shallow one about 7 cms across and 3 cms deep (almost just a cup-mark) and a much deeper ovoid one, about 12 cms on the longer axis and very deep. The rock has fissured through the larger bullan and seems to me to have been moved to where it now lies, possibly causing this damage.
I never located I and II.

There are two of these, one on each side of the road. Whilst the tradition of young couples holding hands through the hole as they take their vows at Doagh (Co. Antrim) is interesting, it can hardly apply here – these giants are nine feet high! I have no idea what they are, or from which period they come.

There is a smaller version (about 2½ feet high) further south on this road, at the turn-off to Three Howes.

Head out on the road from Port Ellen to Ardbeg. After Lagavulin you will come to the junction with the road to Ardbeg on the right. If you turn left instead there is a small road heading up to the farm at Callumkill. As you go up this road, this cairn is visible on the hill to your right. Walking up to it is a bit of a trek through the bracken, best to check with the farm too because sometimes there’s a bull in the field next to it.

No idea of its age – doubtless people have built/rebuilt/tidied it up over the years. I first visited it about 35 years ago as a small child, when my grandad worked on the farm as a shepherd. I remember putting stones on it myself (it already existed at this stage of course). On the other hand there were non-naturally occurring stones lying around the cairn, so even if it was (re?)built relatively recently people may have used materials left over from a more ancient monument.

Last visited Summer 2005.

Shown on OS map as a hut circle. Directions: on the road from Bridgend to Bruichladdich (A847), turn right and head north along the B8017 in the direction of Gruinart. Just past Lyrabus, there’s a footpath marked on map heading East past Cnoc nan Nathrach. There are tumuli marked on the map (which I failed to locate) and a ruined cottage, then on the right there’s this site. I visited in the summer, but the track was extremely boggy. Wellies recommended. Visited July 2005.

‘A standing stone, some 3m high with a pointed top, set on a low ridge overlooking Lock Indaal’ (David Caldwell, Islay, Jura and Colonsay: a historical guide, 2001). On the main road from Bridgend to Bruichladdich (the A847), this stone is visible in a field on the right about half way along.

(visited July 2005)

Un-named stone on Murk Mire Moor. Similar in type and proportions to Blue Man i’ the Moss and Margery Bradley

Apologies for such a dull pic but this field , close to an esker on the River Earn was the site of a Class 1 henge 19m in diameter a Class 2 Henge 44 m in diameter and another possible henge 22m in diameter .

Strange little stones.

They now have a protective wooden fence, presumably to stop the cattle from using them as rubbing stones.

The proximity to St Ninian’s Chapel is interesting, it’s an old early Celtic christian site, with inevitable thoughts of earlier provenance and possible continuities arising in my mind.

Apart from anything else, it’s an absolutely beautiful spot.

I just saw this posting before I left Dublin for Clonmel this morning, nice coincidence! I have passed the sign for the stone many times without seeing it, it points to a side road to your right coming from Cashel towards Clonmel but the help ends there. I drove up and down the road and saw nothing, after the second time I just thought ‘sod it’ and went back up once more since the crossroads on the other end has a sign for Cashel too. I just managed to catch a glimpse of it in a field to the right, the first gate after the sharp Z bend.

The gate into the field is now locked and wrapped with barbed wire, what was once a stile was blocked up with thorny branches. Nice. From the road side its easy to see the stone and the truly awful brick surround, maybe they have a grey rhino in the field and need to protect the public but in either case this stone has had its style severely cramped, a foresty plantation looks like its just about to swallow it up now too! A real pity, this would have been a wonderful stone with stunning views.

I have visited this site many times, since my late father comes from Islay and I have been going there since I was a child (most recently in 2005). The stone stands in front of a small hillock called Cnoc Mor – ‘The Great Hill’ – an odd name as it is only about two metres tall. In the same field, Pairc Bhaile Neill, are the remains of a chapel, Cille Lasrach, and a similarly named ancient well, Tobar Cille Lasrach. Lasrach is form of Lasair, a saint, but Maceacharna in The Lands of the Lordship notes that the word also relates to ‘a feminine word meaning a flame’. Interestingly if you pass this site on the small road leading off the the main road from Port Ellen to Ardbeg you soon come to another site – Kilbride. Saint/Goddess Bride is sometimes linked with Lasair.

Source of quote: MACEACHARNA, DOMHNALL The Lands of the Lordship; the Romance of Islay’s Names
Argyll Reproductions, Isle of Islay 1st ed 1976.

One of the most important Neolithic sites in southern Scotland . Occupying 16 acres of an upland natural amphitheatre there is not a lot to see and the dull pics don’t help much either . It is possible to access the site from the road to the nearby quarry but be careful where, you park , lorries use it constantly .

This is a lovely balluan which you should be able to see easily enough from the road. It is situated on a real 360 panoramic view.
The stone itself must be about 1.25m x 0.75m.

This stone is about 1.25m high and it makes up part of the field boundary, follow the directions for Manning megalithic tomb turn left after it and then follow this road for about a mile.

Its very difficult to make sense of this site. It is marked as stone circle on the OS Map but it so overgrown and damaged its hard to tell.
The eastern side has a cairn which looks very new and Id say it is field clearance. There are even some concrete slabs dumped in the ‘centre’ of this circle. There are a few stones from the circle lying flat to the western side but the eastern side has maybe 10-12 big stones ranging from 1m to 2m long and all about 0.75-1m high.
Follow the directions for the tomb in Manning and then turn left. The circle is in the field to the right after the turn. It is the middle of the field, difficult to see because there is some odd plants growing.

This big flat topped mound is massive. Im not sure what it is, possibly a raised rath or an artifical mound. Its not a motte.
It is about 5m tall, flat-topped the diameter could be anything up to 20-30m.
There is a low bank around the outside of the mound.

This tomb is only a few miles from Glanworth and is probably worth a look if you are visiting Labbacallee. In the town of Glanworth turn down towards the river and cross a really narrow bridge with a traffic light on it. After about 2 miles you will come to Manning cross. The tomb is on the right hand side about 300 before the cross in on a hill that is very overgrown.
The tomb itself is aligned west-east. There is a rath or a mound to the north of it and the OS map shows a number of circles around this suggesting ring-forts (i think). Its interesting that the inhabitants would have built around this tomb.

It isnt the easiest to see but thats as close as I could get with a few friendly bullocks coming over to say hello.
It looks about 1m high and seems to be a two tones stone, half black and half grey/white.

These pics are a couple of years old now. I happen to have passed the sign for this a few weeks ago and remembered I had called up here before.
Its a standing stone with two crosses on it, one incised into it the other standing out from the face. With a name like Giantsgrave you would think it was a megalithic tomb but this stone doesnt look like it could have been used in a tomb.
The standing stone is well sign-posted on the Clonmel to Cashel road.