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The Wren's Egg & NestStanding Stones
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The Wren in Winter The wran, the wran, the king of all birds, St Stephens’s Day was caught in the furze. Up with the kettle and down with the pan, Give us a penny to bury the wran.(1) It’s a freezing cold early January morning, still dark at 7.30am. Under a blanket of stars, I can hear the sharp crunch of frosty grass under my feet. The first hints of dawn begin to show on the south eastern horizon, a sliver of deep pink above which hangs the crescent moon and the bright pinprick of light that is Venus. I’m walking towards the Wren’s Egg and Nest, taking care to walk a wide arc around the edge of the field, to avoid leaving my footprints in shot on the frosty grass. I reach the tree covered clump next to the stones, just as a blackbird strikes up its dawn chorus in the branches above. I visited just two days before for sunset, but wanted to photograph a sunrise here too. Blairbuy is close to Monreith, west of the Fell of Barhulion, the Wren’s Egg is a curious place. A large granite boulder sat at the end of a low natural ridge, dumped some fifteen thousand years ago by retreating glaciers, while creating the beautifully undulating Machars landscape. The name 'Blairbuy' is derived from the Scottish Gaelic 'Blar Buidhe', meaning the golden or yellow field. The erratic appears to have held some significance during the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age, as an unknown number of standing stones were placed close to it. Local rumour tells the boulder was at the centre of a circle, made of two concentric rings of which only two small stones remain. The others having been cleared for use as gateposts or broken up. “On the farm of Blairboy some fifty years ago, was a double circle of large stones, with one flattopped stone in the centre. All have been long removed, except the centre stone, and one stone of each of the circles” (2). It is true there are a few likely looking stones in the drystone dykes around the field, but excavations during the 1970s found this to be unlikely (3). The possibility remains that there were more than the two remaining stones in alignment with the boulder. In 2012, ploughing led to the discovery of three stone cists nearby, in the north western corner of the field. When excavated, one contained the early Bronze Age burial of a juvenile, while the other two had not been occupied (4). The stones that formed the cist now lean against the field wall to the east of the stones. The area is also well known for its cup and ring marked rocks, seemingly centred around the foot of the Fell of Barhullion, the highest hill in this area. Rising out of the undulating landscape, topped by earthwork ditches, it seems highly likely that the hill is at the centre of this prehistoric landscape. Sunrise approaches. As I wait for the light to reach the Wren’s Egg, I notice a finger of light creeping across the field opposite, towards another pair of standing stones about 400m away, known as the Blairbuy Stones. A little loch lies close by, downhill from the stones and it would be interesting to consider if this was in some way connected to the other sites, given the sacred nature of water in prehistory. The pair of stones at the Wren’s Egg point south west, said by Alexander Thom to align with the mid-winter sunset over the rocky island of Big Scare in Luce Bay, but is only visible when you stand on the egg. The two short stones don’t align correctly with the boulder, which puzzles me, until I find the boulder was moved some time ago, by a farmer trying to clear the field. His attempt failed, but moved the boulder just enough to take it out of alignment (5). The curious name ‘Wren’s Egg and Nest’ may reference the folk custom of the hunting of the wren. Widespread in Ireland, Wren Day was practiced on St Stephen’s Day (26th December) and involved gangs of ‘Wren Boys’ in fancy dress hunting a wren, which would often be killed, tied to a pole decorated with oak leaves and mistletoe and paraded around the village, collecting money for its burial. The folklore of the wren entwines both Pagan and Christian symbolism. Its Gaelic name is ‘Dreolín’ meaning ‘Druid Bird’ and is a symbol of winter and the old year. The killing of the wren may symbolise the death of the old year, the death of winter, or possibly as a surrogate for the ancient Celtic practise of the yearly sacrifice of a king. The wren is after all, known as the king of all birds. It was said to have betrayed the hiding place of St Stephen, who was stoned to death, becoming the first Christian martyr. Other variations of Wren Day took place in England, Wales and the Isle of Man around mid-winter, with variations on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day or Twelfth Night. A version of this custom was recorded as being practised in the Galloway parish of Kirkmaiden, called ‘The Deckan’ O’ the Wren’ and usually took place on New Year’s morning, when gangs of boys would search for wrens. Upon catching one, its neck and legs would be adorned with ribbons and the bird then set free (6). Another possibility could be a satirical reference to a condition in the lease of the farm, insisted upon by the landowner William Maxwell during the 1840s (7), that the stone should not be moved. Disturbing a wren’s nest was considered to be bad luck. The sun finally creeps across the field and reaches the Wren’s Egg. It is one of those metallic winter mornings, as bright and sharp as newly burnished steel blade. I stand in the frosty grass and it all seems to make sense. This is a place of winter, a place of death and rebirth. The death of the old year and rebirth of the land. The alignment towards the mid-winter sunset, the nearby loch and standing stones, the significance of the wren as a symbol of winter and the old year, the nearby burial cists, all seem to add weight to this. On a cold, bright and frosty winter morning, it isn’t difficult to imagine the mid-winter rituals that may have taken place here. References 1. Irish folk song. 2. P.H. M’Kerlie. History of the Lands and Their Owners in Galloway. 1870 Vol 1 p. 505. 3. L. Masters. Excavations at the Wren’s Egg, Port William, Wigtown District. DGNHAS Transactions and Journal of Proceedings 1976-77 Third Series Volume 52 p.28-43. 4. W. Bailie. Preparing for Death: Excavations at Blairbuy, Dumfries and Galloway in 2012. GUARD Archaeology Ltd 2013. 5. Historic Environment Scotland. Wrens Egg: Statement of Significance. 2022 p.12. 6. Masters 1976-77. Unfortunately, the reference doesn’t record if this is the parish of Kirkmaiden in which the Wren’s Egg is located, or the other of the same name on the Rhins peninsula. 7. J. Murray. The Stone Circles of Wigtownshire. DGNHAS Transactions and Journal of Proceedings 1981 Third Series Volume 56 p.18-30. |
Posted by Dark Galloway 4th February 2024ce Edited 5th February 2024ce |
| One of those sites I'd meant to do on my previous visit to this side of Luce Bay in '14 but got tripped up by 'busman's holiday' garden visits. I'd made it to Barsalloch, but not here. So near yet so far. A return to Barsalloch first, a contemplative chill and bask there, then, yes Wren's Egg, I'm on my way. I parked in Monreith and went across the fields to Blairbuy Stones first - see fieldnotes. The Wren's Egg and Nest called me in. Through the open gate with lady at farm's ready approval, then up the slope to the Wren's Egg and attendant smaller stones, sadly unmentioned in the name of this place. Like Barsalloch, I was it seems, having read his notes subsequently, following in CARL's wake. Woof woof, pitter patter, widdle. Same impression as him and Postie. Bloody nice place, especially on this blue sky autumn day. Why, why, why don't more people make it here??? Ffs, latitudinally it and MoG over the other side of lovely Luce Bay are south of Carlisle and Newcastle. The A75's a fine drive, a Euroroute even, and the A747 from Glenluce is even finer. Come. Please. Anyway, rant over. I circled the Egg, then had a look at the two stones, checking the alignments with those at Blairbuy. Snap, snap, snap. Then, as is my wont, off for a fieldwalk. I headed east away down the rise to check on the alignment of the Small Stones - they at least deserve capital letters - with the Egg. Then walked further away towards the the N-S field wall with its belt of trees behind, and farm buildings beyond them. As I approached the wall something in it caught my eye....... TWO ADDITIONAL STONES...... I have walling experience, and looked at what was before me from a structural, non fanciful perspective. I was adamant that the stones in this wall were in situ, but in light of info recieved now accept that they have been probably placed there in more recent times... however they are of the same shape and distance apart as the two by the Egg, and align with it. The wall has been built around them, and at present the ground level on the 'Egg' side means they look very squat, but I am confident that they are of the same size as the Egg's attendants, should a test excavation take place. Further stones from the site, displaced? I stood and looked at them for a bit, and had already decided there was more to this place than met the eye. Back up the slope to Egg and Stones for an alignment double check, then I decided to have a good look, circle and scramble over the oak covered Nest. Exposure by stock of soil and stones on it makes it plain that it is not a natural feature. What it is, pass, but.... not natural. Like the strange gorse covered conical mound by Terally Stone and the identical gorsey conical top to the outlier at Kemp's Walk, I'd love a ground penetrating survey out of curiosity. I carried on round the Nest, circling its perimiter anticlockwise, looking at the bare soil exposures and pretty uniform small rocks within. Under a tree on it's western side between about a third and half way along I found a large stone in the long grass. It had a fine, laminated structure, running from top to bottom. Something caught my eye again.. the light was right. There were about eight lines of long horizontal incisions on the lefthand of its 'field/W' side. Each line had other shorter cutmarks leading off from it, either at right angles or at an angle. Convinced then that this was made by human hand, I now accept Tiompan's judgement that what I had found were ploughmarks. It just goes to show how the inexperienced can be decieved. At the time though I confess I was a bit blown away after finding this stone in addition to the other two. Drumtroddan and more awaited though. My last day. Back to the open gate, and I thought I'd walk along the road back to Monreith. After a few yards walk along it I thought I'd get some more Egg pics and leant against the field wall. I looked over the wall to my right. Two further stones, resting against each other, incorporated in it. On the 'road' side of the wall they don't look much, on the lower, 'field' side they are revealed to be the best part of five feet long. Uprooted Wren's attendants? They are visible in this TMA image: http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/img_fullsize/126593.jpg Look at the left hand edge of the left hand stone, then to the field wall beyond. Two whitish lines therein. Another, possibly, to their left. While stamping back the grass on the road side of the wall to take some pics of the stones, herewith, a couple approached with their dog. She was a local, and had never noticed what I'd found. We had a natter, and I told her the purpose of my trip. She then told me about some carved and cup and ring marked stones locally, "plain to see when I was young, now covered in nettles and brambles". Oh, how I wish I'd had the presence of mind to ask her to point out their location on the map in my hand. I have not checked others Blairbuy fieldnotes yet, but, there may be yet more to find and record around here. I have read on preceeding fieldnotes Julian's assessment of this place as a 'protoneolithic temple'. Too right, Drude, too right. NOW will someone else come? A fine, intriguing and undervisited site. |
Posted by spencer19th November 2015ce Edited 1st December 2015ce |
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Visited 29.7.15 Just to keep Postie happy I came to visit the next and egg(s). Oh OK I admit it - I was coming anyway! There is plenty of room to park at the start of the drive to Blairbuy Farm. The approach road is in good condition so don't worry about the suspension etc. The others stayed in the car whilst I walked through the open metal field gate, around the edge of the empty field and across to the obvious stones and 'nest'. The large boulder is approximately 2m across and the smaller boulders less than 1m across. Both of the smaller stones were surrounded by nettles. I was surprised to find an Historic Scotland sign next to the trees. Although this site shows on the AA map it isn't on the 'official' Historic Scotland places to visit list. Perhaps it once used to? Anyway, as Postie says, this is a good place to visit and well worth the minimal effort required to reach it. Assuming you happen to be in this part of the world of course! |
Posted by CARL 30th July 2015ce |
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Stone the crows. I really can't believe no TMA'er has been here but me in over ten years, perhaps they have, but have no pictures and nothing to say about this rather bizarre site, I find it hard to believe. The name of this site is a bit of a problem for me, it struck me as just a bit off, The Wrens egg and nest, ok, the nest is the big apparently natural stony mound, that bits ok, but is the egg the big boulder, what of the two small standing stones, why aren't they mentioned ? and why a Wren ? if all you've got is a nest and an egg, how would you know what species bird it is ? Unless, the big boulder is the Wren and the two small standing stones are the eggs, and they've rolled out of the nest and the bird is trying to get them back in. That would make more sense of what is there, the big boulder is even slightly reminiscent of a little Wren scurrying about. So the sites real name should be .................... The Wren, nest and eggs. The site has lost none of its charm in the intervening eight years or so, the sun was low in the sky and shining yet again as it always does in bonny Scotland. The stones seemed bigger than in my memory, it often happens, the notice board seems even more ineffective than before though, a big boulder and concrete lump with a sign saying the sites name and who cares for it, if this is the best their care gets I suggest perhaps someone more caring would be better. A big friendly Golden Retriever ( is there any other sort )followed us down the road and looked mournfully at us as we left it to cross the field to the stones. A really brilliant site, much to think about here, please can someone else come, I know it's kind of on the edge of the world but there is tonnes of other stuff round here. |
Posted by postman29th December 2013ce Edited 29th December 2013ce |
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Less than a mile north of Monreith. A small lane links the A747 with the B7085 and a smaller lane leads east to Blairbuy farm, the stones can be seen to the left, park at the side of the road if you can we didn't ask permission to see the stones but were spotted by the farmer though he didn't say owt so I presume it's ok. Cope describes it as a proto-neolithic temple,the nest is a natural tree covered level mound and the Egg is a big glacial eratic with two smallish stones 20-30yards to the west.It was late on the sum sol morn when we visited with big fluffy white clouds ,a wonderful place to sit and ponder the ancient world |
Posted by postman 15th October 2006ce Edited 15th June 2007ce |
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Excavations at the Wren’s Egg, Port William, Wigtown DistrictExcavation report from the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society Journal. |
Posted by Dark Galloway 13th February 2024ce |
Statement of SignificanceHistoric Environment Scotland's Statement of Significance for the Wren's Egg and Standing Stones. |
Posted by Dark Galloway 13th February 2024ce |
Preparing for Death: Excavations at Blairbuy, Dumfries and Galloway in 2012Excavation report of three stone lined cists found close to the Wren's Egg and Standing Stones. |
Posted by Dark Galloway 13th February 2024ce |
Whithorn.infoApparently if you stand on top of the Wren's Egg on Midwinter's Day the Sun will set over Big Scaur - Scare on the OS - a large rock in the middle of Luce Bay. On every other day it sets further west. I remain interested whether this alignment is reflected in the two stones I found embedded in the stone dyke E of the site though accept that they are most probably of later date. I would also like to return to double check whether the Wren's Egg erratic is held in place by any visible chocking stones, indicating rolling into its present day position, perhaps in relation to this solar alignment. |
Posted by spencer 1st December 2015ce Edited 1st December 2015ce |
Extreme Stonefeelers' World of Hard Rock & Standing StonesPics of the Wren's Egg & Nest, & a couple of others. |
Posted by new abbey11th April 2010ce Edited 11th April 2010ce |
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