Latest Fieldnotes

In the field adjacent to Dull chapel, the OS notes the existence of cup marked rocks. There are a few, and some of the positions are interesting, as they appear to point towards the circles at Carse Farm 1 & 2. A bit of fun for those who like to draw connections! Big Sweetie, Scotty and I were there today, and had a good hunt about. Scotty found the stone with two cup marks (pictured). Standing on a large natural outcrop in the NE corner of the field, this stone lined up nicely with Carse Farm 1. The second cup marked stone (also pictured) forms a line which, when extended runs from the site of the chapel down to Carse Farm 2 four poster. There are supposed to be cup marked rocks in the western corner of the field, but we couldn’t find them – many of these rocks are covered in moss and turf.

The field was empty of stock, radioactive sheep or otherwise, when Big Sweetie and I passed on our way back from the dig at Dull church. So we wandered in to have a look. This is one solid chunk of rock, a good 7-1/2 feet tall and four feet wide. No cupmarks visible, though on an earlier excavation I believe seven were found, about a foot below ground. This sits in a fine open plain, and if the rest of the reputed circle were the size of this remaining one, it must have been a pretty impressive sight!

This stone circle has been mostly destroyed by farming over the years. Burl believes it to be another four-poster like its close neighbour Carse Farm 1, 200m to the N. However, there is evidence to suggest that this is in fact the remains of a much larger circle. Above ground there is little to see, with just one stone still standing. There are supposed to be two further large stones (as marked on the OS map) lying in an arc to the SW, recumbent and mostly buried, 9.0m and 18.0m away from the standing stone. When we visited, there was livestock in the field, but from the edge of the field, there was no sign of the recumbent stones, so they may now be completely buried. Both have cup-marks.

As with Carse Farm 1, an excavation took place in 1964. Three 12-foot squares were opened up in a line running E-W from the standing stone, and revealing the socket of a missing stone to the W of the upright stone. Also found were some cremated bone (again, as at Carse Farm 1), and a a river pebble that may once have been part of a bow-drill.

This four-poster circle is close to the edge of a field on the S side of the B846 Aberfeldy-Tummel Bridge road. When it was visited in 1907 by Coles, only 3 of the stones were standing, with the SW stone lying between the two N stones. An excavation in 1964 found the hole for the prostrate stone, and it was re-erected. Also discovered, by the NE stone, was a pit containing cremated bone, charcoal and blackened earth, and a collared urn with “incised geometric ornamentation.”

The NE stone seems to have been particularly significant. Not only is there the burial associated with it, but on its top surface are 17 cup marks (the SE stone has 3 similarly-positioned cup marks, but these are more difficult to make out). The NE stone is also aligned NE-SW with the ancient church at Dull about half a kilometre across the road. On this line, in the field to the SW of Dull church, is a cup-marked rock.

The cup marks are also on the same NE-SW axis, with the cup-marks graded in size, with the largest to the NE (pointing to the church) and the smallest to the SW (pointing to the stone circle). With a little imagination (and the help of an OS map) this line can be extended to the summit of Weem Hill to the NE, and the mouth of the River Tay as it flows out of Loch Tay to the SW.

This site would be easy to miss if it were not marked on the OS map as a Tumulus. It originally comprised of a barrow surrounded by a stone circle that may have been as much as 22.0m in diameter (according to the OS map of 1900). Over the years the barrow has been quarried away in places, so that it is now only 14.0m in diameter. Five stones are visible – two standing in their original positions, and a third incorporated into the wall of the field which may be in its original position. One other stone has fallen, and the fifth only just protrudes out of the ground. At the farmhouse to the N (NN 8236 4947) is a large rock with cup-marks which is thought not to be in it’s original position. Whether or not it ever formed a part of the circle is unclear.

Balhomais is a confused site, overgrown, with scattered stones. From the top of the barrow grow two pine trees, said to have been used by the Menzies family from nearby Castle Menzies as gallows.

Directions – From Perth, take the A93 across the River Tay, and head N for Blairgowrie (approximately 25.0km). The road passes Scone Palace, Guildtown, the Meikleour Hedge, and the Cleaven Dyke. Before Blairgowrie you’ll pass through the village of Carsie. Between Carsie and Blairgowrie is a cemetery on the right of the road. Approximately 250m further along the A93, take the B947 to the left (sign-posted Lethendy). Arblair circle is approximately 1.5km along this road you can’t miss it, as the road passes straight through it! The road is quite quiet, so parking on the grass verge isn’t a problem, but be warned that what little traffic there is tends to travel fast, so watch out if you’re taking photos in the middle of the road.

The East Cult stones stand proud on a high ridge above the River Tay that extends E from Dunkeld. Aligned E-W, the two huge standing stones are approximately 9.0m apart, while a similar distance to the E is a third prostrate stone, profusely decorated with cup-marks. In 1986 the RCAHMS counted some 130 cup-marks and a dumb-bell on the upper face, and a further 3 cup-marks on the E face. However, weathering has taken its toll since, and it’s difficult to make out so many today. Field clearance or possibly cairn material is scattered around the stones.

The prostrate stone may originally have stood upright, and if it did, Coles suggests that the stones may have been part of a circle with a diameter of 78’ (24m). But considering their E-W alignment, I believe the stones are unlikely to have ever formed part of a circle. However, in the Old Statistical Account, and repeated in the New, the site is described like this:

“About a mile and a half north-west from the church, in a very elevated situation, there is a small Druidical circle. Beside it are two large stones, deeply sunk in the ground; the top of the lowest is artificially formed into an inclined plane, facing the south, and contains a number of small cavities; which may have been used by the Druids in the performance of religious rites.”

This makes me think that perhaps the cairn mentioned by the RCAHMS as being 185m S of the standing stones (NO 0724 4198), and which was removed before 1865 for building material, could in fact have been the site of the “small Druidical circle.” If the Statistical Accounts are accurate, then one of the three stones now at East Cult may have been moved from its original position as part of the circle, and the remaining two been outliers for the circle to the S.

Only a few metres from the Andle stone is this petite beauty. It was a miracle we found it really, not having any maps or anything. But I was beginning to develop a ‘sense’ for these places by now. Nestled at the edge of a wood this teeny weeny little circle of six standing stones and a couple of fallen ones reeks of skipping elves, dancing pixies and kindly woodland folk, a place where the magic of childhood storybooks comes alive. The dappled light falling through the leaves, the pink wild flowers, late foxgloves and unfurled bracken fronds seemed to echo with little whispered voices of long dead spirits, urging you to ‘keep it a secret!’ I wanted to. I wanted it all for myself!

Badly ravaged over time, this probably survives due to it being so tucked away. And it’s this ‘tuckedawayness’ that makes it so captivating, bewitching, charming and hopelessly appealing. The others went back to the pub for more beer, but I stayed here: I wanted to drink in the atmosphere. (And make a sketch, obviously!)

The Andle Stone is a naturally occuring rock – truly massive and quite splendid! There was no mistaking it standing in the field before the land fell down sharply towards the dale bottom. Some footholds had been cut into it so that the brave and the foolhardy may climb to the top. Being fearful of heights and of falling (weird, that, coz I have fallen off horses a lot and it hurts!) I didn’t climb it. Les did – rather bravely, I thought. She said there were some marks on the top, but my phobia was stronger than my curiosity.

A gentle stroll of no more than half a mile from Nine Stones Close takes you to this magnificent natural outcrop of Robin Hood’s Stride, where some attractive, muscly-legged young bucks were busy roping themselves to it and
scaling it’s faces. We sat admiring the great trees growing out of it’s crevasses and massive boulders hanging on the grassy slopes. Now THIS is a place to sit and contemplate your life.

Visited August 2001: Ah! Road altases. How marvellous that the cartographers still mark places like Nine Stones Close. Without an O/S this could be hard to find, but my vague hunch as to its whereabouts and some chaps with a tractor pointed the way and although it’s on private land and we had to wade through a sloppy, well-manured field of friendly cattle to reach it, it was truly worth it. Each of the four remaining stones stand tall, proud and each is uniquely individual. The view they enjoy is quite superb – one way looking out over gentle dales and the other way back towards Robin Hood’s stride. You get a very clear sense of there being something much, MUCH larger here at one time. Though precisely what is a secret it retains. We noticed some large stones in the walls of the field – perhaps these were once part of it?

Visited August 2001:
Some kind soul had erected a very roughly painted wooden sign by a very clear track. We chanced it. A longish walk through the woods somehow lead me and Kath to this charming stone circle. There were a couple of people camping in the woods about 30ms off, but other than that we had the place to ourselves. After the 12 mile ride earlier that day, Kath did nothing but lie in the dappled sun and drifted off.....I got out my paintbox and sketchbook and all was peaceful.... I have only since found out about the painful struggle fought by the eco-warriors to defend its very existance. Good on ‘em. This delightful place exudes fairy charm, certainly a place where the little people live and dance and sparkle. We sat and lost ourselves here for 2 hours or more.

We feel privileged it was a beautiful sunrise we imagined the goings on of the folks who came here
Eons past. Today the only folks here to see the dawn are myself and Nancy and about 50 sheep.
the dawn chorus was loud as it has been for a million years ,no amplifiers needed .

This stone has ‘bothered’ my for quite a few year.

Visible from Grey Heights (ChorleyNab) and from the Moor Road near Watermans Cottage but difficult to find on Anglezarke Moor.

The stone is located on the southern end of Stronstery Bank on the edge of the plateau below Grain Pole Hill. The stone stands about 4 foot tall and has a triangle incised on it. I’m not sure what this represents or indicates, but is it showing the location of the Pikestone, Round Loaf and another site ?.

In June 2003 I managed to drive up the track in a Renault 19 without difficulty – but only the very tops of the stones were visible above the waving barley! Didn’t feel I could wade through it to get to the stones...but there are plenty more stones in Perth and Kinross!

Just been scanning in a selection of old photographs and came across these images of Bleasdale Circle.

If I remember correctly the visit took place one wet December day. After wading through a field of mud and reaching the copes of trees hiding the circle I was impressed with the clarity of the site, the way that the positions of the wooden post had been replaced by concrete stumps (now aged and moss covered), the definition of the ditch of the inner circle.

The main image I came away with was the view from the centre of the inner circle, through its entrance and across the field up to a notch on the eastern hillside. I’m not sure if it has any significance with sun or moonrise on a particular day of the year, but the alignment was intriguing.

Cat Nab is a prominent hill on the seafront at Saltburn.
According to local people, the name comes from the wild cats that used to live on the hill.
There was a burial mound situated on the summit which has now been destroyed.
I’ve posted this site because it is the most northerly of a group of intervisible coastal sites.
If you climb to the top of Cat Nab you can see site of the Warsett Hill group of 7 mounds.
The mound was excavated by Hornsby in 1913. He didn’t publish his excavation. The finds, two cremations, a pygmy cup, the sheards of thre vessels, a collared urn, and a vessel with an inverted green rim are in the Middlesbrough Collection.
Check out the sweet little victorian mortuary house which sits at the foot of the hill.

The entrance to the north was built and then blocked by a cairn. It’s thought the entrance may have been ‘symbollic’ in some kinda way.
There are traces of the wall/kerb left across this entrance.
The trees mean you have to leave the circle and move to the edge to get the best view... NW to Win Hill and the hills of the Derwent Vally beyond.

Visited 25th May 2003: This site got me more excited than Capel Garmon. What a great place! Everyone else stayed in the car and I pegged it off to take a close look at the stones. What remains appears to be a collapsed chamber, and the ploughed down remains of the barrow mound to the east of it. The views from up here are very dramatic, especially looking west towards the mountains. This must have been quite a place!

I didn’t have much time at Maen Pebyll because the light was fading and I’d set my heart on visiting the Gwytherin Stones before we set of home. Well worth a visit though, if you don’t mind slumbering megaliths.

This site consists of a pair of bowl barrows that stand at the edge of a farmers field on the other side of the road from a row of expensive houses in this tiny Lincolnshire village. At the beginning of the 20th century they were recorded as part of a small four barrow cemetery which was later partially excavated in the 1930’s when a small amount of Middle Bronze Age pottery fragments were found – since then the other two barrows have been lost either to the plough or the modern houses. Further finds suggest that the mounds were reused from the medieval period onwards as archery butts, beacon fires or village meeting places and their continued use is reflected in the barrows names – the west barrow is known as Folk Moot, the eastern as Butt Mound. I rather like this continuity of use although I can’t imagine they are much used nowadays as both are overgrown with grasses and a rather lethal patch of nettles. Folk Moot is the larger of the two, and stands around 2 metres tall and nearly 20 metres across at it’s widest point (the northern side has been ploughed away) while Butt Mound is about a metre high and 10-12 metres wide – it too has been plough damaged on the northern side.
Folk Moot is at TF054430. Butt Mound is at TF055430.

Visited 25th May 2003: After a kiddies party near Conwy I dragged everyone off to see some sites. First stop was Capel Garmon, which I last visited 20 years ago with my parents!

The chamber is heavily reconstructed, or so it appeared to me. We were all a bit tired and irritable, so it was difficult to relax and enjoy the site. Not much ‘zing’ was found here. The surrounding landscape is fantastic though, with excellent views of the mountains. I’d quite like to come here again on my own, without fractious kiddies, and see whether there’s any ‘zing’ here to be had.

I had intended to recreate the 1983 photos with Lou, Will and Alfie in them, but my attempts were too crap to post. Another thing I stuffed up was forgetting to check the location of the Gorsedd before heading out to the site. As a result I totally failed to take a look.

PS. Broen – I suspect that the farmer knew exactly where this site was when he directed you elsewhere. I didn’t get the feeling that he’s keen on people visiting the site (crappy gates, mad sheep dogs etc.)

17-6-03
Spotted a farm called Lundin: thinks to myself ah I wonder if it’s any coincidence (having been to Lundin Links a little while ago). Hmm knew I should have investigated..... next time – I shall be back
.o0O0o.

17-6-03. Was visiting Aberfeldy with work and wasn’t organised enough beforehand to plan anything (give me a laptop grrr). This was the only site noted around here in my otherwise bald roadmap. Note to self : must buy OS!
Luckily by previous experiences I at least remembered to search out any cups ;-)
Had a lovely little break here even though it’s right next to the road. Then off south.

.o0O0o.

I have to say I’m with Kammer on this one.
The stones just don’t look old enough and they are *very* square. Having said that, Burl must have looked at more stones than just about any living person and I’m presuming he has visited the site so what’s going on here?
Looking at their alignment they seem to be pointing roughly in the direction of the Roman town/camp of Durobrivae which I’m sure would have been visible from here – are they Roman? The stones are also scheduled monuments although I can’t find any information about their scheduling.
I found it fairly easy to get to the slip road that the stones stand next to but I was lucky in that it was a late Sunday afternoon and the roads were very quiet – I parked too far up the road though and after scrambling through the bushes walked in the wrong direction. One thing I did notice was the large amount of litter along the edge of the field, mainly empty beer bottles, cans and tubes of glue – obviously a popular place with the local yoof. The piles of broken windscreen glass in the carpark didn’t fill me with confidence either...

Spent a good hour looking for this site and never found it – wish I’d read the previous entry first as it gives great directions! Another time maybe????