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September 27, 2025
September 26, 2025
A Highland museum has proposed building a replica Iron Age roundhouse.
The homes, which had circular stone walls and turf roofs, were once found across Scotland during the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.
September 25, 2025
A fine pair of stones on the North edge of Loch Leven.
Image credit: Allan Lang
September 24, 2025
Not far from the stone with Pictish Symbols.
Image credit: Allan Lang
Pictish Symbol Stone. A faint image of a goose at the top with parallel lines below.
Image credit: Allan Lang
September 23, 2025
An Iron age brooch made just before the Roman invasion was designed to be eye-catching, showing off the importance of its owner, says an expert.
Visited 19.07.21
This route visits 7 ancient monuments on the Moor of Drannandow. They are situated within a square kilometre so it is possible to visit them all on a long summer’s day walking c. 6 miles in total.
Take the A714 Newton Stewart turn off the A75 roundabout at Newton Stewart. Follow the A714 onto Victoria Street. After c. 0.8 miles turn right over the Cree Bridge. Turn left for Wood of Cree c. 50 yards after the end of the bridge. Follow the road into Minigaff for c. 0.5 mile then turn left for Wood of Cree. Follow the National Cycle Route 7, a narrow winding lane for c. 2.7 miles to reach Barclye Trails Car Park on the right. Park up safely then walk c. 350 yards N to the right turn for Drannandow Farm. Follow the farm track through Drannandow Farm. Bear left along a farm track at a Y junction c. 50 yards N of the farm. NB I have encountered Beef Cattle occupying this track on several occasions. It may be prudent to avoid these potentially dangerous animals, especially if calves are present. If the track is clear continue N then NE for 0.8 mile to a Y Junction. Take the right fork heading E. GPS Navigation is necessary to locate these relatively obscure monuments with the exception of Drannandow N Cairn which is close to Nappers Cottage. The following sites can be visited: Drumfern N Cairn, Drumfern Stone Circle, Drumfern S Cairn, Drannandow S Cairn, Rorie Gill’s Cairn, Drannandow N Cairn & The Thieves Standing Stones. Part of this route is over rough moorland so good footwear is recommended. My walking route is viewable on Drannandow Cairns.
September 22, 2025
From the roadside, Dun Telve presents a curious ‘cooling-tower’ profile, which is what distinguishes the structure of brochs. Apart from Mousa Broch, which is on Shetland, I believe it is the best-preserved of its kind. It rises to over 30 feet (10 metres) high, and you can see that the stones used to build it have been carefully selected and dressed to a specific shape and size. Some are strikingly patterned, and some are just plain huge, but all have been placed by skilled human hands to form a perfectly tapering cylinder. It’s just incredible.
Archaeologists say they have uncovered a precious hoard of bronze ornaments that were buried for safekeeping almost 3,000 years ago.
September 21, 2025
Visited September 2025
Image credit: Uwe Häberle 09/2025
Visited September 2025
Image credit: Uwe Häberle 09/2025
A remaining stone from a former enclosure?
Visited September 2025
Image credit: Uwe Häberle 09/2025
On my tour to the Hunebeds in Drenthe and Groningen in July 2018, I unfortunately had to skip three hunebeds in the Drentsche Aa National Park / De Strubben Kniphorstbosch (D7-Schipborg, D8-Anloo-N and D11-Anloo-Z) due to lack of time. In September 2025, I was on holiday in Emsland for three days and took the opportunity to visit these three remaining hunebeds for the first time.
D7-Schipborg has four capstones (one of which is broken), 8 supporting stones and a two stones building the passage, which lies in the south. It is 8.8 metres long and 3.1 metres wide.
From the car park (N53.05981° E6.68464°), it is very well signposted (as are all Hunebeds in the Netherlands) and can be reached on foot in about 150 metres. I highly recommend also visiting tomb D8 – Anloo-N during your stay. It is a truly picturesque walk through the beautiful landscape of the Drentsche Aa National Park / De Strubben Kniphorstbosch. Along the way you’ll pass the burial mound Galgenberg (Strubben-Kniphorstbos) and, if you like, Driemarkenpunt.
Visited September 2025
September 20, 2025
On my tour to the Hunebeds in Drenthe and Groningen in July 2018, I unfortunately had to skip three hunebeds in the Drentsche Aa National Park (D7-Schipborg, D8-Anloo-N and D11-Anloo-Z) due to lack of time. In September 2025, I was on holiday in Emsland for three days and took the opportunity to visit these three remaining hunebeds for the first time.
D11-Anloo-Z is just over 9.4 metres long and 3.7 metres wide. It consists of ten side stones, two capstones and four cover stones. Unfortunately, the western cover stone is missing and only one of the two gate stones is still in place. There are also several burial mounds from the Iron Age in the immediate vicinity of the tomb. The tomb is idyllically located in a clearing in the middle of a forest at a crossroads.
From the car park (N53.03468° E6.69870°, see picture by Les Hamilton), it is very well signposted (as are all Hunebeds in the Netherlands) and can be reached on foot in about 900 metres.
Visited September 2025