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Image of Kilhern SE (Cairn(s)) by markj99

SE Side of Kilhern SE Cairn viewed from NE.

Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Image of Kilhern SE (Cairn(s)) by markj99

NW Side of Kilhern SE Cairn viewed from NE.

Image credit: Mark Johnstone

Articles

Kilhern SE

Directions: At the S edge of New Luce, beside the church, take the un-signposted turn up the hill. Stay on this narrow lane for c. 1 mile until you reach the sign for the Southern Upland Way (SUW) pointing up into the moorland. There is room to park here. Follow the path to reach a latched gate. After c. 200 yards uphill parallel to the wood you will reach a SUW post beside the wood. (There is a stone 70 yards up from this post c. 10 yards E of the wood edge with a large deep cup (6x4x4.5 inches) and a smooth grooved depression (c. 8x4x1 inches) at NX 19403 64651).
Continue along the SUW for c. 0.5 mile to reach a gateway in a dry stane dyke at NX 19683 64213. There is a wooden sign in the SE lee of the dry stane dyke pointing up to Caves of Kilhern 200m. To reach Kilhern SE continue along the SUW for c. 650 yards to the edge of Kilhern ruined farm. Turn L just before the entrance to the farm following the line of the enclosure uphill N for c. 100 yards. A farm track heading NE starts here. Follow it for c. 120 yards to reach Kilhern SE Long Cairn.

Kilhern SE

Kilhern SE lies c. 250 yards NE of Kilhern Farm Ruin on the Southern Upland Way (SUW). According to Canmore ID 138720 (go to Links) it is an extensively robbed long cairn with remains of a superimposed round cairn on the NE of the cairn. Kilhern SE long cairn measures c. 20 yards on the long NE-SW Axis. The stony NE end is c. 10 yards wide and the robbed-out grassy SW end is c. 5 yards wide giving the cairn an asymmetrical oval shape. The stones on the NE end are small to medium sized, irregularly shaped with no discernible structures. They are encrusted with a patina of white lichen giving the cairn an ancient aspect.

Caves of Kilhern Long Cairn is located c. 700 yards NW of Kilhern SE. This more famous cairn is signposted off the SUW. It is c. 250 yards SW along a drystane dyke from a gateway at NX 19684 64215 on the path. The wooden sign is in the SE lee of the wall after you have walked through the gateway so it is easily missed.

The Kilhern cairns share the same NE-SW orientation, however, Caves of Kilhern has three impressive chambers preserved whereas Kilhern SE has no visible structural remains.

Sites within 20km of Kilhern SE