Newton Of Wardhouse

Whilst parking at Newton farm I was approached by the farmer who asked what I was about to do. I replied that I was looking for a nearby cairn. The answer to that was that he’d show me something better. Intrigued we walked the half mile west from the farm to the site.

In an area teeming with RSCs this location was perfect. It is on the same side of the valley as Dunnydeer and more famously Stonehead. Now I thought I knew about most of sites up here but how did I miss this. The recumbent stone is massive being over 5 meters in length, 11/4 meters tall the same wide. Chokes appeared to holding the stone level underneath. Looking carefully to the hills in the south west it appeared, to me, that the recumbent was aligned to the nearby Correen Hills. Also one flanker remains lying on the ground, when standing this would have been well over two meters. Some cairn material remains but was hidden by the deep snow.

The farmer has said that he will look out all the details, old plans and maps, he can for my next visit, he also added that as far as he knew these stones had always been there. This time the cairn will be found and hopefully more light will be shed on these stones which I think must be the remains of a ruined RSC.

Visited 20/2/2010.