Latest Fieldnotes

My first double-deckered chambered cairn! Topped with a rounded concrete roof with skylight, this tomb is a tardis. You enter via the back into the upper deck, which has ‘stalls’ in the typically Orcadian fashion. There’s hole in the middle with a metal ladder to climb down into lower deck. The lower chamber is as big as the upper with a side chamber, if I remember rightly, and long passageway (the original entrance) facing to the front – and the sea. Because of the slope of the ground, it makes perfect sense that the tomb is split level. What impressed me is the sheer size of the flat stones that make up the floor or the upper deck/ceiling of the lower deck and the perfection of the masonry built round it.

The whole place had the feeling of a ship – tight for space and neat compartments.

I was intrigued by the luminous green powdery lichen growing inside the tomb, which made it look as if alien blood had been spilled. This appears to grow in all of Rousay’s tombs.

Outside, at the front, is a metal hatch which protects another chamber, but is outside the main mound.

We visited the site on the 8th of June, a couple of weeks before Greywether. What struck us first of all was the state the motifs were in. So much more weathered than a couple of years ago. Furthermore there was a black area near the rosettes -also seen on Greywether´s pics- which consits of dead mosses. The substance felt like tarmac and it seems as if the mosses were burned or manipulated with some sort of -acid?- liquid. There could be a natural reason for this weird phenomenon as well. But in that case it is strange that it is seen in only a small, limited area.
We brushed some pine-needles away at site 2 to clear the long N-S panel in the wood. On former visits we weren´t able to make much of it because of the thick moss-layer which we left in place then. But now we were more lucky and photographed the splendid motifs. Had we known that Greywether was following our trail we would have left the needles of. Sorry, mate!

Visited 23rd March 2004: This was one of those mad visits when you ask yourself, “why am I doing this?“. I’d already tried to find Creggandevesky earlier in the day, and decided that I’d better quit and see Beaghmore before I ran out of time. Having seen Beaghmore a second attempt was foolish, given that our flight out of Belfast wasn’t far off. But it bugged me that I’d not found it earlier in the day, so I had one last crack at it.

With some help from the GPS (forgotten earlier in the day) I found the footpath leading to the tomb. Then the heavens opened up, and I had second thoughts. It bucketed it down, and I knew I hadn’t got the time to sit it out, so I got out the car and started walking. Within metres I was drenched, and I couldn’t see through my glasses. The GPs was just about readable, and I could see the lake, so I staggered on through significant amounts of mud.

The rain stopped as I reached the tomb, and it took a while to figure out what it looked like (had to clean my glasses). It was weird landing up at a site having had no sensible visual clues as to what you were about to see. The tomb is impressive (not that I have many court tombs to compare it to) but fenced too closely. It’s solid, but graceful; the photos show it better than I could describe. Lough Mallon makes for a beautiful setting, and when the sun started shining and a rainbow came out I felt a lot happier. It was a short visit though.

I ran back to the hire car. On the way I passed a broken wooden sign hidden behind a wall directing visitors to the tomb. After a morning of driving in circles, more evidence that some people don’t want visitors to Creggandevesky. I had to change into dry clothes in the car, then after a hair-raising drive back to Belfast to collect Lou, we did make our flight.

Wheeliebin. But this ain’t no trash. It’s a whopper!

In a landscape surrounded by shedloads of fabulous chambered cairns, littered with single standing stones, and the most romantic stone circle I’ve ever seen* it’s easy to overlook or not truly appreciate places like this.

When we parked up next to it, I thought ‘yeah, yeah, just another standing stone’, but get up close and FEEL this one – it gets so much BIGGER the close you get. It must be 14 feet tall and perhaps 6 feet wide at its broadest point.

And it must be highly dangerous because the landowner has caged it in with viscious barbed wire. If you’re up at the top end of Mainland, near the Brough of Birsay, swing by here, its worth a glance at least.

*Brodgar

Enroute back from John O’Groats, Moth suggested we call in here despite the HIDEOUS weather and the fact it was getting late. I was persuaded that it was a good idea largely because it is next to the road, and actually only about 2ks from the main A9.

I was expecting a horseshoe, or a squashed circle in some way, open at one end, but what greeted me was most unexpected.

Imagine two parallel lines of stones with a semicircle connecting them at one end, the other end left open and you have it! ‘Great U’ is a very accurate description of this site.

The rhythm of the stones is surprisingly complete and regular. Oddly, the playing card shaped stones stand narrow side on to the centre rather than broad side. I have never seen this before. Oh and it’s HUGE!

My God, if you could get here in good weather, it would be unbelievable! As it was, we got cold, wet and windchilled within seconds. Moth climbed up to a nearby cairn to try to get a ‘long shot’, but could see nothing the mizzle was so thick.

This place KICKS ASS!

What does this stone have in common with the Tay Bridge? They were both victims of the great storm

On the last Sabbath day of 1879
Which will be remembered for a very long time

At 5m high, was this the largest standing stone in the Kilmartin area? Now Kilmartin’s Grand Menhir Brisé.

Visited 25 June 2004

A fairly typical cairn and cist site with one interesting difference.

Inside the cist at the west end was a 0.6m long slab decorated with multiple lozenges. Now in the Royal Museum, Edinburgh.

Access from the canal locks opposite the entry to Cairnbaan rock art.

Visited 25 June 2004

I visited this site on 27th June 2004 and have posted some notes on the Afon Disgynfa Cairn site by mistake. The site is somewhat over grown with bracken this time of year however it is possible to just make out the circle and rows its setting makes for an interesting day. We approached from the opposite side of the Afon Disgynfa and with the aid of a GPS had no problem locating the stones. I have posted additional photos on the Afon Disgynfa entry.

I hadn’t planned a return visit to this site. I had simply stopped in the car park to phone home and have a bite to eat before the two hour drive back.

Then I noticed that there was no one at the site (perhaps not unusual at 8.30pm out of season) and, more importantly, the sun was probably in a good position to show up the carvings on the centre stone.

So in I went delaying my departure by about half an hour while I wandered about taking pictures in these near-perfect conditions.

Visited 25 June 2004

Making a return visit to this site was the main reason for scheduling a further visit to Kilmartin as an add-on to the Achnagoul sites. These things are largely determined by the weather and, as it turned out, this resulted in my coming back less than a week since my previous visit.

It is, of course, the rosettes which are the main attraction here and wonderful they are to – deeply carved and visible in any lighting conditions. The main rosette on rock (1) – see Miscellaneous below for numbering – is 30cm wide.

I met Arran and Emma from hengeweb.com at the site and we looked for the other rocks in the forest. We could find only one which we thought was part of rock (2). However, having studied the plan of (2) in more detail, I’m not so sure – it could be part of (3) that we found.

As regards access, I’ve not tried the method described in the link below. I parked at the Carnassarie Castle car park and walked from there. This takes you past the Carnassarie stones to enter the forest at NM834010 on a track which meets up with the forest road described in the link – a short distance before the ruined house.

Visited 25 June 2004

A modest cup and ring marked rock but worth having a look at if you are visiting the Torran standing stone or Dun Toiseach.

Follow the track down from the road at the bend, enter the field via the gate and the rock is on the slope on the right.

Visited 25 June 2004

Visited this site on 27th june 2004 it is a small circle with two parallel lines of standing stones leading away in the direction of the cairn. The day was very pleasant and rewarding after quite a long walk in from Llangynog. We both felt that the effort was well worth it.

Dave and Sue

Finally, I get to the last of the 23 chambered cairns in mid Argyll which I had planned to visit – all but four of them for the first time.

A good one to end with and not before time too as it’s taking longer and longer to cut away the surrounding bracken and then do the trampling down dance.

This Clyde cairn has been cited as bearing more than a passing similarity to Irish court cairns not just because of the U-shaped court but also in the way the divisions between the compartments have been constructed.

From Achnagoul I, enter the forest by the gate in front of that cairn but do not follow the obvious track in the forest as it will take you too far E. You need to head N for about 100m. No obvious track that I could see – even on the way back – but the forest is not too thick and the clearing in which the cairn lies should soon become visible.

Visited 25 June 2004

I had expected this to be a good one but not as good as it turned out to be.

This Clyde cairn with one axial and one lateral chamber is truly megalithic in its construction with massive sidestones and capstone in the axial chamber. It’s one of the few chambered cairns in mainland Scotland where you can actually get inside.

Great location too with views down Loch Fyne.

There is plenty of parking space on the Achnagoul farm road just after you have turned off the main road.

The person I spoke to about access was not the farmer but said that the farmer had no problem with visitors. Useful to know if you turn up and there’s no one about.

Visited 25 June 2004

This site is marked on the OS map as a fort. But I do not believe that this hilltop was used as a prominent military establishment. If one wants to travel up here and tune into the ambience, they can expect discover a dominant female vibe about the place. In order to be made to feel ‘welcome’ at this site, any overly masculine aproaches towards life occuring in your mind will have to be compromised with in favour of the sites specific form of feminity. I say ‘specifc’ because this ‘feminine energy’ can come in three distinct forms:

Young blossoming girl
Mature dominant woman
Sickly old hag.

Having done a bit of reading, i have found my experiences upon this hill fall pretty much into line with the Celtic ‘Triple Goddess’ deity. However, don’t believe what they say about the goddesses transition and the phases of the moon. (i.e. new moon-virgin; full moon-mother; old moon – crone) It just does not work as simply as all that.

How has the quoit changed in appearance since it was built?
Are Borlase’s sketch and Craig Weatherhill’s drawing in Cornovia anything like the original?
Why would people with not a lot of free time on their hands find or fashion tapered stones and then balance a 10 ton capstone on what in comparison is a needle?
Why take on a huge amount of work to get an inferior end product?
Where is the back support, the stone in-situ is to short to put the capstone any where near level.
What filled the gaps between a level capstone and the tapered side stones?
Besides the capstone sinking into the ground somewhat and maybe shifting to the north I feel the the quoit is as the builders wanted it.

[visited 31/5/4] This is a cracker and in the low sideways light, Long Meg itself comes into its own, its spirals clearly visible even from a distance. Access could only be better if they built a track round the stones, you can after all park inside the circle. After 5 minutes here, I decided this was a cracker. Huge stones Avebury size, in a massive circle. Its reminiscent of Stanton Drew, both being colossal and bizarrely on slight slopes. This really is a circle to spend a day at watching the world go past.

Unfortunately I only had a cursory look, walked the circle, admired the spirals and left cursing the god that made each day only have 24 hours.

[visited 31/5/4] Sitting almost in the shadow of Mayburgh is this Arbor Lowesque henge. Its a bit trashed by the road and forgotten by modern penrith but its doing remarkably well compared to compatriots about the country. Access is ok, I stuck the car on the verge next to the henge and shinied over the gate. I think you can get in without gymnastics though.

Henge complexes are reasonably common in Britain but I’ve not heard of two so dramatically different, being so close as this and Mayburgh are. Despite the closeness I feel this one is the true henge of the area, maybe the local henge for local people.

[visited 31/5/4] I’ve wanted to visit this ever since I’d read about it, an ‘irish’ henge in England next to a classic style henge, how could I resist. Access is fairly good, you can park pretty much next to the henge and get in through a gate. So, I set off from my car almost at a run, straight up the west edge of the well preserved bank of rocks and pebbles. As I reached the top I looked down into the gloomy centre, the low sun not really lighting this place with its large tree and high banks. I inspected the remaining stone defiant in its solitude, Burl reckons it could be the last stone of a giant four poster, I remain reckonless.

A henge without an inner ditch is a weird one to see for the first time and I’m still left pondering who it was that built this. Was it irish traders in the Lakes backyard, maybe a permitted intrusion or was this a local tribute to a distant race or religion? Whoever it was this slightly foreboding henge is well worth a visit.

[visited 31/5/4] My second visit here, the first being as a tourist many years ago knowing nothing about stone circles. Last time the surrounding hills were covered in mist & cloud and we left slightly disapointed not to have seen the expected supporting cast. This time however I was blown away. The circle is here to service the axe trade (amongst other things) but thats secondary to the placing, this circle was here and is here because of the amazing views. If you only saw one circle in your life, this one would not leave you disapointed.

Of course it is with its downside, tourists are highly prevalant and its ease of access means more dedications & bizarre stuff left in the name of belief. There was a weird circle of plaster druidesque figurines not 6 inches high in the centre of the circle and I didn’t get a second alone here, but that changes nothing. I loved this so much I could share it with thousands and not care...

[visited 31/5/4] Strictly not a visit as I only managed to get within 15 metres of the circle due to it being in crop. Access is poor, you could be best off parking on the street near the golf course and walking down the right hand side of the course. There is a stile into the field with the circle towards sellafield. A note on the site security guards, they drove past me carrying a large telephoto lense and didn’t even blink, so I think the golfer mentioned here, should be ignored. :)

Oh and I had another encounter with evil cows (tm) as I walked through their field between the circle and the access road. Beware the cows!

[visited 31/5/4] Wow this is a great circle and really set the tone for the day. I walked up from the road below wondering if the circle was over rated as it took an age to appear. Of course then it was suddenly there, fantastically set against the hills with a kite flying high above it. Access is good if you’re prepared to drive up the track; a small car shouldn’t have too many problems. Otherwise its a mile or so up a rough track.

Maybe it was the perfect weather or the random company (hi btw) but this circle rates as one of the best I’ve seen. It seems to compliment the surrounding hills, having spent so long together they are perhaps now inseperable. The portal is immediately obvious despite being the first I’d seen and provides a real focal point from the centre of the circle.

The walk from the road at the top of the hill is rough. I can’t imagine it would be much fun in wet weather, as it is a rut through about a foot of peat. Could be quite tricky.

However, it’s worth the effort. This is a fantastic space. The slidey metal hatch, the useful torch in a box, the superb quality corbelling and the ladder down into it all contribute as does the excellent view.

The passages are very low and muddy knees seem to be the order of the day to get into the side chambers.

I visited four tombs (5 if you include Mine Howe), on Orkney, this was the best by far. It isn’t as grand as Maeshowe, but it has a superb beehive corbelled chamber, and a much more emotive sense of place.

Phone in advance to make sure there’s some one there. The hardhats provided are a good idea, as is the removal of backpacks, as it’s very steep, with many chances to bang your head or snag your bag.

The difference in the quality of the corbelling between here and the likes of Wideford or Ibister is quite evident.

There’s lots of information in the cabin, much of which relates to the ‘Time Team’ programme.

It didn’t feel like a burial chamber.

One of the best things about this place is the Simpsons obvious enthusiasm for their prehistoric gem. Visitor centres aren’t usually particularly inspiring, but the opportunity to talk with the fella who discovered it is a fine thing. The hands on approach makes the experience much more real.

As for the tomb itself, it’s canny enough, though the sandbag placed outside to supposedly stop folk from shooting over the cliff if they exit too fast on the skateboard, is more likely to stop them getting minced by the fence.

I found the surroundings are as breathtaking as reported.