The fort is seen to centre far left, descending Creag nan Abhag to Glen Banchor
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Sites within Sidhean Mor Dail A’ Chaorainn
Images
The ‘fort in its landscape looking toward The Cairngorms
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
The defences are better defined when seen in retrospect ascending Creag nan Abhag to approx NW.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
To be fair, Nature had taken care of any defences for the eastern flank, looking south(ish)
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Looking approx eastward across the northern flank of the ‘fort
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Looking north... despite the dodgy weather, the urge to explore further was strong.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Looking approx south from the hill fort.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
The approach to the hill fort heading north beside the Allt a’ Chaorainn
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
South west side of the fort.
Image credit: drew/A/B
The south side of the fort.
Image credit: drew/A/B
The west side, note the gap for the palisade, looking over the River Calder to Creagan Beag.
Image credit: drew/A/B
Looking east, the snow covered Cairngorms are hiding in the murkiness.
Image credit: drew/A/B
The south east flanks looking into the burn with the same name.
Image credit: drew/A/B
The south west part of the fort.
Image credit: drew/A/B
Looking straight down on the North East side to valley and stream.
Image credit: drew/A/B
Looking from the slopes of the west down the Glen Banchor valley.
Image credit: drew/A/B
Taken from the wee hillock from the west of the fort. Fort in the middle, Creag Na Loin behind.
Image credit: drew/A/B
Taken from the cairn on the eastern side.
Image credit: drew/A/B
25/06/2014 – View upstream to Sidhean Mor Dail A’ Chaorainn palisaded enclosure.
25/06/2014 – Looking down from the enclosure
25/06/2016 – Sidhean Mor Dail A’ Chaorainn
The lower palisade trench.
Image credit: broch
The view down Glen Banchor from the “fort” interior.
Image credit: broch
Looking up from the foot of the site.
Image credit: broch
Articles
After a good look round the Iron Age cairn we squelched to the north of the small hill to climb Sidhean from the north west. Just a short steepish climb to some glorious views of one of my favourite places.
Obviously from the car park follow the previous directions and have a look at the wee cairns. Also look in the middle of the fort/enclosure and find a circular object that looks like a hut circle. Could this be Johnnie Blair’s garden?
Next its to the west and two more cairns in this fantastic prehistoric valley.
Visited 6/4/2018.
Sat at the eastern end of Glen Banchor, one of my favourite places on earth, is the delightfully named Sidhean Mor Dail A’ Chaorainn (The fairy knoll of the glen of the Rowan trees). How could you resist that?
Marked on the OS map as a fort, Canmore has it as a “Palisaded Enclosure”.
The remains of the palisade trenches are faint but visible as lumps ‘n bumps in the heather. The tennis court sized level top is featureless apart from a circular turf enclosure that Canmore ascribes no great age.
The best reason to visit this site is of course the views, which are spectacular in all directions. It’s also relatively easily to reach, just take the Glen road out of Newtonmore, there are a couple of car parks at the top of the glen. Leaving the car park continue along the road till you cross the bridge over the Allt a’ Chaorainn then turn right and follow the burn up to the site visible in front of you.
Tale about a man who lived and grew a garden on top of this enclosure in the early 19th Century
Sites within 20km of Sidhean Mor Dail A’ Chaorainn
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Sidhean Mor Dail A’ Chaorainn (Square)
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Sidhean Mor Dail A’ Chaorainn (Cairn)
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Glen Banchor
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Glenbanchor 2
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Creagan Mor
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Newtonmore
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Biallidbeg
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Tom A’ Chladha
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Caochan A’ Mhanaich
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Creag Bheag
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Dail Na Seilg
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Tigh-na-gaoith
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Lynchat
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Carn Pheigith (Peggy’s Cairn)
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Dunachtonmore North
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Dunachtonmore
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Dun-Da-Lamh
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Kincraig
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Delfour
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Ballinluig
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Ballinluig
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