Latest Fieldnotes

After a good look round at Druim Nam Madagan we walked a short distance south before heading west, crossing a small burn before encountering thick ferns. I battered my way through to finally approach the dun from the west.

I found the outer wall easily enough by falling flat on my face as I tripped over it. It stands at around 0.5m tall and almost surrounds the crag on which the dun is perched. When I reached the ground I also discovered the wall must have been over 3m wide. However the density of the ferns made judgement hard and underfoot conditions even worse. The east side as well as a wall has the natural defence of a steep cliff.

There is a small wall in the middle of the dun, which I managed to spy before falling over that as well.

Now the dun, to me, seems to be on the wrong hill as there is a higher ridge to the north west so it seems to suggest that this might well be an enclosure, as the OS suggest, or a homestead, as Canmore suggests. I tend to think that it is a dun as it is similar to duns further to the east.

Who’s to say that it isn’t all three.

Visited 29/7/2018.

The Hexenstein (Witch stone) lies northwest of Neerstedt. Drive north out of Neerstedt on the Kirchhatter Straße for about 650m, turn left into Schinkenweg. After about 900m there is a field track on the right going straight northwards, walk this track. The “Hexenstein” lies signposted after about 150m in the field to the left.

It is a huge boulder made of reddish Scandinavian granite. The stone is anchored deep in the ground, so that the visible height (1.2 m) reveals only a fraction of the actual dimensions. It has three large and about 30 smaller depressions on the surface.

Visited July 2018

taken from the “Faszination Archäologie” information board:

“Hexenstein
dimensions: approx. 4.30 x 3.10m

The “Hexenstein” (witch stone) formed from Scandinavian Granite has long since been a mystery to research: until today, the original function of the clearly man-made three larger and about 30 smaller cup-like depressions can not be explained scientifically. Interpretive approaches, according to which the cups represent astronomical signs or hollows for offerings, lack any scientific basis. Not even the date is secure. Dates dating from the late Neolithic or Bronze Age are based on pure speculation.
The “Hexenstein” got its name from a folklore narrative: Afterwards the three large notches are to be read as traces of a spinning wheel, which was deposited here long ago in St. John’s Eve by witches. According to another story, the stone served as the residence of small gophers, who used the cups as food bowls.

The Oldenburger Landesverein für Geschichte, Natur- und Heimatkunde has acquired the stone with the property in order to protect it from damage and secure it for posterity.

From Branhunisary make your back to the road and head east. Go past the water works and take the first road south, by this time the aromas of the three distilleries on the coast should reach your nose. The site, easily spotted by the standing stone, is on the east side of the road.

Only two slabs of the chamber remain, the standing stone and a possible kerb are in their original positions. The remnants of the almost 27m cairn have been reduced to a few bumps of rubble.

Still the other parts of the chamber aren’t far away and its easy to see why the site had, originally, a different classification.

The slabs, of the chamber, have been moved to a building a few yards away. Canmore seem confused to what this building had been but having seen a few similar shapes on various isles its a safe bet it was medieval shelter for livestock.

Nice site, nice aroma :-)

Visited 29/7/2018.

Head north from Port Ellen Standing Stone on the minor road and stop at the first gate as the road swings east. The gate faces north, but from there head north west.

On a level part of the field stands the Branhunisary stone. It is about 1.4m high and has a large cup mark on its smooth northern face, it measures at 12cm wide and is 4cm deep.

Very easy to find and fortunately by this time the weather had improved rapidly so we went further east.

Visited 29/7/2018.

Follow Carl’s directions except it isn’t a track, its a minor road which leads to quite a few sites. The stile mentioned in another fieldnote is a bit of a shambles, however the fence is easily jumped being of no great height.

Standing at 4.3m it is a very tall, in a land of very tall stones.

Like most of the stones near the south coast of Islay I’d think the sea has something to do with its placing. Or is it? The next stone we’d visit had no views of the sea.

Visited 29/7/2018.

From the southern cairn we walked back down the hill, crossed the road, climbed a gate and promptly saw a sheep with its head stuck in a fence. When I tried to free it the poor thing it went mental so I left it alone figuring it would escape.

Head further north, over the deer fence, look south and climb the fairly steep but slippy hill. Once at the top head south and through a gate, past a pile of stones.

It must have been an impressive site back in its day. Sadly now most of the cairn has been removed and it is now turf covered.

Despite the damage it is still over 17m wide and over 1m high with superb all round views, on this day it was slightly misty. Luckily we could see over to the southern cairn and further east to the chamber cairn. Some boulders on the north side maybe the remnants of the kerb.

With that it was back down the hill to a mini drenching and another attempt at a rescue of the sheep. A kick to the kneecap persuaded me that professional help was needed. A phone call to the farmer and soon the prisoner would be free.

Visited 29/7/2018.

The Boreland Stones can easily be visited along with the two nearby cairns. Visit the Boreland cairn first then follow the directions for the White Cairn, Boreland. This will take you directly past the Boreland Stones. Three sites for the price of one!

Visited 14.10.18
The Machermore cairn should be called Culroy Cairn as it is on Culroy farmland. A Canmore search for Culroy will find these cairns.
The cairn is almost perfectly preserved except for some exposed stones on the E flank. It’s location in a flat field elevates this cairn into my top 10.
I found the cairn to the E, however it is covered by whins and in poor condition.
Culroy White Cairn lies 50 yards of the Y junction at Culroy farm around 1/2 mile up the road.
I have plans to revisit to sort out the remaining cairns. Canmore’s 1911 visit seems to have been over enthusiastic in it’s cairn nominations.

Stenum is the the northernmost station of the “Route of Megalithic Culture” (Straße der Megelithkultur) and lies very beautiful under oak trees on a small hill, but the grave itself is unfortunately badly destroyed. The tomb is located in Stenum on the road “Am Hünengrab”, it is signposted and there is also a small parking space.

There are still numerous support stones, although some moved slightly and several stones are completely shifted. Two capstones are still preserved. The southwestern part of the tomb is destroyed.

Visited July 2018

taken from the “Faszination Archäologie” information board:

Neolithic tomb

Despite its fragmentary state of preservation, the approximately 5,000-year-old Stenumer megalithic tomb offers an impressive overall picture that gives a good idea of the original layout.

Testimony of sedentary life
Megalithic tombs like “Stenum” are considered the oldest surviving structures of northern Central Europe. Until the fourth millennium BC only hunters and gatherers lived in the Wildeshauser Geest. Only the “funnel beaker culture” (about 3500 – 2700 BC) settled down permanently.

They bred cattle, planted grain and lived in post constructions. Presumably, they believed in an otherworldly life and therefore built their deceased sometimes monumental graves of boulders. Those megalithic graves or megalithic tombs (Greek: mega = large, lithos = stone) were erected not for individuals, but for groups and used over many generations.

Steinkimmen 3 is only for the completist, as it is heavily destroyed and just a few stones are all that remains.

To reach the site, turn right immediatly after you left the Kümmerlandstraße into Bergedorfer Landstraße. Park you car here and walk left along a field track towards a row of trees for about 250m, after you reach the trees continue on that track for another 250m. The tomb is on the left, just before you reach a pond.

Visited July 2018

About northeast of Steinkimmen 2 lies Steinkimmen 1, which is relatively heavily destroyed, but you can still see the shape of the 18 m long northwest-southeast oriented burial chamber. One of the two preserved capstones is very large and is located at the eastern end slipped off in front of the tomb.

Steinkimmen 1 is station 32b of the Straße der Megalithkultur and is signposted from Steinkimmen 2.

Visited July 2018

This is the best preserved of the three megalithic tombs here in Steinkimmen. It is station 32a of the Straße der Megalithkultur and is located directly on a parking space on the road to Bergedorf.

Although only one capstone has been preserved in original position, the 23 x 2 m large chamber is still impressive. Almost all supporting stones are preserved, also the two endstones of the narrow sides. Well preserved and marked by four supporting stones is the access to the chamber. From the oval enclosure only 14 stones are visible.

Visited July 2018

Dingstede, situated on the western boundary of the municipality of Ganderkesee, was first mentioned as “Thingenstede” in a document of the Hude Monastery from 1249. Accordingly, the origin of the place name Dingstede comes from at a court site (Thingstätte = thing site), which is often associated with a megalithic grave of the same name destroyed at the end of the 18th century. Whether the archaeological site was actually a court site is unclear. In any case, in 1973 a replica of just this thing site was built on the outskirts of Dingstede.

It is located west of Dingstede at the “Alter Postweg” road to Munderloh.

Visited July 2018

Hatten 2 aka “Steenberg” lies southeast of Sandhatten and is station 31 of the Straße der Megalithkultur so it is signposted and even has its own parking space. Drive from Sandhatten to Ostrittum and follow the signs, from the parking space it is a walk of about 700m around fields to the tomb, which lies under old oak trees.

The tomb is an approximately east-west oriented chamber of 16.3 x 2.0 meters dimension. Nearly all supporting stones are still present, only two are missing. Six capstones or parts of them are lying within the chamber. From the oval border some stones are still preserved.

Visited July 2018

taken from the “Faszination Archäologie” information board:

“Steenberg”

The approximately east-west oriented grave chamber has a relatively good state of preservation. Their supporting stones are almost completely extant, half even in their original position. Only on each long sides the loss of one stone is recorded. Also visible are six capstones plunged into the chamber or their remains. From the narrow oval enclosure, however, only fragments have survived.

Testimony of sedentary life
Megalithic tombs like “Steenberg” (stone hill) are considered the oldest surviving structures of northern Central Europe. Until the fourth millennium BC only hunters and gatherers lived in the Wildeshauser Geest. Only the “funnel beaker culture” (about 3500 – 2700 BC) settled down permanently.

They bred cattle, planted grain and lived in post constructions. Presumably, they believed in an otherworldly life and therefore built their deceased sometimes monumental graves of boulders. Those megalithic graves or megalithic tombs (Greek: mega = large, lithos = stone) were erected not for individuals, but for groups and used over many generations.

Visited 14.10.18
Turn onto the A747 Port William road from the A75 at Glenluce. Take the first L for Whitefield Loch after around 1.5 miles. This is a narrow lane with few passing places! Continue past the loch until you reach a Y junction at Culroy farm after around 2 miles. The White Cairn lies 50 yards N of the Y junction, in the moorland. Retrace your route to return as this is a dead end.

I expected to see a gleaming white cairn from a distance. The reality was somewhat different. I found the cairn more by GPS than sight.
The cairn is constructed of white stones however it is hidden under vegetation and the centre has been robbed out. A horseshoe wall structure is all that remains.

“A large cairn, which, at the date of visit, was being broken up for road metal. One half had already been removed and the remainder lay ready for removal. It was about 45’ in diameter and no cist was exposed.”
RCAHMS 1912, visited 1911

The quote is an extract from Canmore ID 62210 (go to Links) explaining the sad demise of this cairn.

The Upper Cragabus cairn is to be found on top of a small hill on the south side of Oa road. Walking west from Lower Cragabus we headed for the sharp corner at the bottom of the Upper Cragabus brae, just before the Cragabus Burn.

Head uphill and south east into the field, this will lead straight to the cairn.

The cairn is located next to fence next to the Gleann an Dobhrain wood. Sadly the cairn has taken a severe battering with two large houks. Anything that could be used was taken from the cairn which despite everything remains at 8m wide and 1m tall.

A case of ‘what if’ but still a very worthwhile visit as it has great views down the Oa valley to the east and north to another cairn, our next stop.

Let the fun begin!!

Visited 29/7/2018.

The previous day had seen the drive to Oban and the ferry to Port Askaig, Islay. When we arrived it was pitch dark, the ferry was an hour late and it was a pea soupper mist for the drive to Port Ellen. The twisty minor road along heading west towards The Oa memorial provided a test as we headed towards Upper Cragabus, our base camp.

We could have driven through Glasgow and never noticed as the mist was almost zero visibility, it also meant that we had driven past the chamber cairn at Lower Cragabus.

Fortunately the next morning provided clearer weather in what would prove an adventuresome morning. From Upper Cragabus head back east towards Port Ellen. Go past Middle Cragabus and the remaining standing stone can be next to the road on top of a mound near to Lower Cragabus.

The standing stone and the chamber cairn sit on top of the rocky crag called Creag Mhor. Damage to the site can be clearly seen, cairn material has been removed, quarrying has happened and as usual robbing had been evident.

Fortunately there is stone still standing and a lovely stone it is, almost 2m in height. The shape of the chamber can be clearly seen with several slabs still standing in the chambers three sections, the chamber being almost 5m in length. Despite the robbing several finds of bones, flints and pottery shards were found.

The stone would wave us goodbye in the morning and say hello on the way back to Upper Cragabus, or if I left early in the morning to visit ‘difficult’ sites it would get a good laugh at the various states I’d come back in.

Great start, well worth a visit :-)

Visited 29/7/2018.

Only six scattered stones are all that remains from this megalithic tomb. It lies in the southwest of the village Sandhatten. If you drive from Huntlosen to Sandhatten turn left into the road Haferkampstraße and continue for about 150m, the tomb lies northeast of the road on a private field. According to Sprockhoff, the tomb was originally about 12m long.

Visited July 2018

Despite the fact the this megalithic tomb is signed from the road “Zum Döhler Wehe”, a visit is only recommended for the really enthusiastic (but I think there are some here on this website ;-) ) as the tomb is heavily destroyed and overgrown. You’ll find the tomb if you drive from Huntlosen on the K337 westward to Hengstlage. About 2.5km behind Huntlosen turn left into “Zum Döhler Wehe” drive for another 725m and park at N52° 59’ 01.8” E8° 14’ 30.3”. There is a track which leads roughly soutwest around a field, after 100m the track turn westwards and after additional 380m a tracks leads north into the wood (there is also a sign for the tomb). After 90m into the wood, the tomb lies to the right.

As I said, the tomb is heavily destroyed, only some of the supporting stones and a end stone survived, none of the capstones. Also the heavy vegetation prevents a clearer view of the site. According to the information baord the original size was about 14 x 2m. There are some grave mounds in this area as well.

Visited July 2018

taken from the “Faszination Archäologie” information board:

Neolithic tomb

The megalithic tomb was exposed early to human destruction. Today it is one of the less well-preserved Neolithic tombs of the Wildeshauser Geest. The remaining stones nevertheless give an idea of the original layout.

Testimony of sedentary life
Megalithic tombs are considered the oldest surviving structures of northern Central Europe. Until the fourth millennium BC only hunters and gatherers lived in the Wildeshauser Geest. Only the “funnel beaker culture” (about 3500 – 2700 BC) settled down permanently.

They bred cattle, planted grain and lived in post constructions. Presumably, they believed in an otherworldly life and therefore built their deceased sometimes monumental graves of boulders. Those megalithic graves or megalithic tombs (Greek: mega = large, lithos = stone) were erected not for individuals, but for groups and used over many generations.

The first time I went I came south from the Gloup via a group of minor earthworks only to be stopped by a field fence. Next time I walked the Sandside road and a track runs across the field to the promontory. Owing to its hazardous nature this is blocked by a fence. As I stepped over I saw my foot going below the level of the other, and having short legs and being alone I might get stuck for many hours. But a high-zoom camera worked wonders,

I had an appointment in a hotel in Letterkenny and it finished earlier than I had expected. Usually if I’m traveling that far I’ll have done an itinerary and have my maps with me, but as I thought I’d be in the hotel until nightfall, I hadn’t bothered. Now I had about 2 and a half hours of daylight to spare so I typed in Drumskinny stone circle into Google Maps and headed off. It was 50 minutes away and was going to add 30 minutes to my three hour journey home but what the hell.

I headed out the Letterkenny to Ballybofey road but was traveling almost blind as I’d never been in this part of the country. I kept pretty much to the GM directions but peered over any hedgerows I could to see if there were any wayward sites. After about 25 minutes and heading downhill towards some forestry I noticed a bunch of upright stones beside a field wall about 50 metres into a field on my left. I was fairly moving it but jammed on a bit past and out of sight of the site. The speed limit sign I parked beside was in mph and as I left the car and headed back, there was one in kph – I was right on the border.

The border-line runs right through this tomb. It is not mentioned in the Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland, Vol. VI, County Donegal but is mentioned in the Archaeological Inventory of County Donegal. It is very much a court tomb and is a wrecked mess that could do with a bit of tidying up. The remains of the court lie mostly in Donegal but most of the tomb, with an ante-chamber, a full chamber entranced through a classic pair of jambstones and a completely destroyed sub-chamber are in Tyrone. Indeed, the only online mention I can find for this calls it Garvagh, and places it in that townland in Tyrone. It’s mentioned in the inventory section of Tomb Travel, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency SMR number TYR 015:005.