I approached from the north after leaving Melgund and headed south pulling in at Carsegownie. Luckily enough the farmer appeared at the same time so permission to see the cairn was granted. I wonder if he did read Gladman's note :-) Nothing much more to report except that there seems to be more field clearance dumped.
There is no obvious place to park other than the start of the (relatively) long access road for Carsegownie Farm. Consequently I left a note on the windscreen of the trusty Rover and went to have a quick look at what appeared - from the busy B9124, anyway - to be a quite substantial cairn, lying resplendent within crop beneath a canopy of trees.
The initial worry - well, not actually 'worry', but you know what I mean - is unfounded.... tractor tracks give access through the crop to the site, an oasis of prehistory within a sea of green. Or something like that. Initial impressions are immediately confirmed... the large diameter of the cairn, albeit not that tall. There is a significant volume of debris on top, both organic and inorganic in nature. No doubt some of this represents field clearance, but there are also several large, enigmatic stones to be seen, perhaps surviving from the original monument? Note the excavation detailed within my miscellaneous post of last year... a cist was discovered here; however the interior is too overgrown to be any more specific, I'm afraid, other than to confirm the existance of a 'hollow' where I assume it once lay? Pity, I guess, but the vibe within the trees here is pretty special nonetheless, what with Turin Hill - topped by myriad forts and rock art - keeping watch upon the southern skyline.
The farmer drives up and is either satisfied by my note, or does not give a monkey's one way or another. Yeah, it is refreshing to be at Carsegownie for a while.
Unfortunately wasn't aware of this at the time of my recent visit to Finavon - that just being a 'stop-off' en route to Aberdeen - or else I would have taken a look. Seems worth the effort. According to Canmore:
'A cist found before 1842 is preserved in its original site in the middle of a sub-circular "artificial hillock", composed of stones and earth, about 30 paces in diameter, from 8 to 10ft high, and called the Roundie. "The bottom of the grave is about 3ft below the surface, and was composed of six separate flags of freestone, all of which remain except the top. It is about 4ft long, by 2ft broad, and lies due north and south. A stone urn was found in the SE corner and two stone dishes with handles or ears, resembling those of 'luggies'. No bones, weapons, or personal ornaments were to be seen, but the urn was about half full of black ashes." The urn and "dishes" were given to the late Mr Charles Gray of Carse Gray.
A Jervise 1859; New Statistical Account (NSA) 1845.
A round cairn 30m in diameter and 1m high surrounded by a retaining wall. The cist cavity, 1.3m by 0.6m by 0.3m deep remains but no slabs were noted. It is possible that these are obscured by the vegetation which covers the cairn. A few large stones lie around.
Visited by OS (JLD) 21 August 1958.'
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Posted by drewbhoy
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