So many captions so little room.
Why are there no yellow flowers by the circle?
I’m going with, it’s where the cows spend most of their time, in a field with a stone circle in it, where would you stand?
Sites within Girdle Stanes & Loupin Stanes
Images
A field full of buttercups but not a one in the circle.
Which side of the fence to you come down on, this ones a blatant “leaver”, crap brexit joke 247.
En route from Loupins to Girdles.
My god, it’s full of stars (yellow ones)
The portal stones
From the roadside a bit south of the stones.
Girdle Stanes
13 April 2019 CE
Girdle Stanes
13 April 2019 CE
Girdle Stanes
13 April 2019 CE
Girdle Stanes
13 April 2019 CE
A perfect half of a circle.
The Girdle Stanes
The Girdle Stanes from the top of the hill.
The Loupin Stanes.
10-09-06
.o0O0o.
10-09-06 with plastic-wrapped hay!
.o0O0o.
10-9-06
wolfy
10-9-06
wolfy
10-9-06
wolfy
10-9-06
wolfy
EQ 21.3.06
EQ .21.3.06
EQ 21.3.06
EQ 21.3 06 FALLEN MEGALITH IN THE WHITE ESK
EQUINOX 21.3.06
EQUINOX 21.3.06
EQUINOX 21.3.06
EQUINOX 21.3.06
EQUINOX 21.3.06
EQUINOX 21.3.06
EQUINOX 21.3. 06
me on the equinox
10/10/05
10/10/05
10/10/05
girdle stanes
10/10/05
girdle stanes
10/10/05
loupin stanes, possible line of stones to the girdle stanes.
10/10/05
loupin stanes
10/10/05
loupin stanes
Loupin Stanes
Loupin Stanes
Loupin Stanes
Approaching from road
Loupin Stanes
From the road – the stones are slightly below & right of centre
Girdle Stanes
Approaching from Loupin Stanes. The remaining half. The circle-eating river is just behind the trees to the right
Girdle Stanes
The better preserved half – uneaten by the river!
Girdle Stanes
Girdle Stanes 12/07/02
Loupin Stanes 12/07/02
Articles
We took this trip because Littlestone wanted to take some books down to the Samye Linge Tibetan Monastery. I checked for what was in the area as far stone circles were concerned and came up with the Girdle/Loupin stone circles. We stayed at Marilyn’s Motel in Eskdalemuir which consisted of two wooden buildings decorated in Tibetan style and very comfortable, though we were slightly squashed in the smaller building. Samye Ling was a mile and a half down the road, and a place to visit just for the joyous (and slightly over decorated temple) and also a vision of ‘wedding cake’ stupas.
The landscape of hills, valleys and rivers is marred to a certain degree by industrialised forestry and yet the beauty of it all is captured as one drives along the lanes round here. The stone circles are easy enough to get to (and only about a mile from Marilyn’s) that is if you do not have a weak ankle! But glorious when you do get to them. Situated close to the White Esk river which burbles quietly over a shallow bed. This river in fact took the other half of the Girdle Stanes as it moved over the landscape through the centuries.
The story is that perhaps half the Girdle Stanes were taken by the river after which the Loupin Stanes were erected, there is supposedly a stone row joining the two circles, rather uneven, but it could also be interpreted as station stones along the way.
We are going back to this area, the Girdle stone circle is very serene.
As a matter of interest there is a prehistoric trail to take; three Iron Age forts to climb, and of course the circles and a settlement. Castle O’er looks good.
langholmwalks.co.uk/pht/sitelist.html
A Victorian interpretation!
archive.org/stream/langholmasitwashhysl#page/n37/mode/2up
Oh my! What a lovely pair of circles these are. We are parked at the layby for the Loupin Stanes and set out across the field. As we came across the stones, I felt a sense of elation; iron age hillforts are all well and good, but give me an upright stone in a field and I am a very happy girl. This is a lovely compact set of stones, slightly raised but with a sense of isolation which suits the location perfectly. We then set off for the Girdle Stanes, expecting more of the same.
What we weren’t expecting is one of the most beautiful and mesmerising circles we have ever seen! We were completely blown away by it all; the fact that it must’ve been HUGE when complete (although Vicky has her own theory that it was only ever a half circle.....that was something we pondered later over a couple of bottles of wine!), the fact that it reminded us both of Athgreany Circle in Co Wicklow and the fact that it was just bloody marvellous! I really wasn’t expecting to feel so enthused by this place and I have a sneaking suspicion that the Girdle Stanes have just crept into my Top 10 Circles of all time list. The whole of this river valley reminded us both of Kilmartin and we wondered what other monuments must have existed here; surely this couldn’t be it? As you stand in the valley and look around, it feels like there must be so much more just waiting to be discovered – or possibly ruined and now lost to us. We walked up to the road from here and spent ages just looking back down at this circle, completely in love with the whole place. Fabulous.
Pebs had mentioned that it has rained every time she has visited these stones but I am happy to report that the sun was hovering in the sky, albeit amongst some rather grey looking clouds and we were once again thankful that the weather seemed to be on our side. The ground between the 2 circles was very boggy and it took some time to navigate our way between the two. I definitely would advise walking from the Loupin Stanes to the Girdle Stanes across the fields (there is a wooden sign post showing the way) and then walking back along the road, as it gives you a real sense of how beautiful this valley is.
A lovely pair of sites, which I have been meaning to visit for at least 10 years, but it was always too far from the M6 on jaunts to the lakes & Scotland.
It is a fair old round trip from the motorway, but it IS well worth it – in fact I’m surprised more people haven’t been. The circles are easy to find, well signposted and there is now a small layby for 2 cars, with an info board and sheets to carry round.
The circles are very different: The Loupin Stanes is a compact circle on a small flat platform and feels very cosy. The Girdle Stanes is a massive circle with many stones, and isn’t really diminished by losing such a large area to the river. If anything it just emphasises how old the place is.
Well worth visiting, though the walk between is boggy and a little longer than hinted at-don’t wear your flipflops- make the effort to visit this site and you’ll be well rewarded.
The exact grid references for the sites are
– Girdle Stanes NY254961
– Loupin Stanes NY257966
Access to the sites is now freely available under Dumfries & Galloway’s Archaeosights scheme. The sights are signposted from the road. Parking seems to be allowed in the nearby hotel.
had an interesting experience here summer solstice a few years back.
The large stones are known as ‘the loupin’ stanes,’ because it is said that lads, and even a lass, were in the habit of jumping from the top of one to the other; but as the distance is 8 feet, the people of the district must be uncommonly good ‘loupers’ to accomplish the feat without breaking their legs. However it may be with their limbs, so little are the powers of observation of the natives cultivated that, although all know ‘the loupin’ stanes,’ they generally deny the existence of a circle.
From “’The Girdlestanes’ and a neighbouring stone circle, in the parish of Eskdalemuir, Dumfriesshire” by David Christison, in PSAS 31 (May 1897).
Pics of the Loupin Stanes.
Pics of the Girdle Stones.
An entry from Ancient Stones, an online database that covers most of the standing stones, stone circles and other stones found in South East Scotland. Each entry includes details, directions, photograph, folklore, parking and field notes on each location.
Topics
Sites within 20km of Girdle Stanes & Loupin Stanes
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King Schaw’s Grave
photo 7 description 1 -
Castle O’Er
photo 5 description 2 -
Raeburnfoot
photo 4 description 1 -
Raeburnfoot
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Bailiehill Fort
photo 2 description 1 -
Whitcastles Hill
photo 9 description 1 link 1 -
Wolf Stone
photo 6 -
Kirkhill
photo 2 -
Seven Brethren
photo 8 description 2 link 1 -
Skip Knowe, Gateside
photo 4 description 1 -
Poldean
photo 6 description 3 link 1 -
Peatshiel Sike
photo 4 description 2 link 1 -
Fairy Craig
photo 3 -
Knock Hill
photo 4 description 1 -
Burnswark
photo 2 -
Dyke
photo 12 description 3 link 2 -
Burnswark
photo 8 forum 1 description 6 link 2 -
Craigielandshill
photo 3 description 1 -
Beattock Hill
photo 4 description 1 -
Tail Burn
photo 6 description 1 -
Witch’s Wate
photo 2 description 1