Machuim

Also known as:
Lawer's Mill and Lawers Mill
Nearest town:
Aberfeldy (18km ENE)
OS reference:
NN682402
OS sheet:
51
Latitude:
56° 32' 6.96 N
Longitude:
4° 8' 36.19 W

Images

Image of Machuim (Stone Circle) by postman

Looking over the stones to the blue waters of Loch Tay, inviting.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jul 29, 2013
Image of Machuim (Stone Circle) by postman

The sky doesn’t get any bluer than that.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jul 29, 2013
Image of Machuim (Stone Circle) by GLADMAN

Towards the mighty c4,000ft Ben Lawers and companion Beinn Ghlas.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN May 31, 2011
Image of Machuim (Stone Circle) by GLADMAN

Experiencing a bit of a beating from passing hail fronts ..... but, hey, not enough to miss an audience with these substantial stones.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN May 31, 2011

Articles

Machuim

postman
postman Jul 29, 2013

Parking is still non existent !

Came here once many years ago, high time for a reacquainting. Parked in front of a gate at the south east end of the stones field. Left Eric in the car as I was only going to be five minutes, because I wanted to spend the last couple of hours in Perthshire at the Kinnel of Killin.
I hopped over one gate, then another, then became unspeakably dizzy and fell flat on me arse, right into a cow pat, see, that’s Karma that is. No it isn’t, but it’s close.
The stones were much bigger than my memory had them, and the scenery was much nicer too, perhaps it was a dull day when last I came. A very nice place with some impressive stones, I shall have to make more of an effort to spend more time here next time, for there will be a next time god willing.
Changing trousers by the roadside is not to be recommended, no matter how essential, some spray called Patbegone, that’s what you need.

Machuim

C
CARL Jul 27, 2012

Visited 16.6.12

Despite arriving at 7.00pm the ‘horned one’s’ shop was still open so I didn’t risk parking in the car park after reading the previous field notes.

Karen dropped me at the field gate next to the stone circle and headed off down the road to find somewhere to turn around to pick me up on the way back.
Other than the shop car park there is nowhere obvioulsy near to park.

I walked over to the ruined circle and admired the stones and orange, yellow, green and white lichen which covered them – very pretty.

It was misty and moody looking out over the loch – just as Scotland should be!

Machuim

GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 16, 2011

It would appear that the locals of the small settlement of Lawers – instead of embracing this excellent little stone circle as an integral part of their heritage – regard Machuim as, at best, an inconvenience. More fool them, I say. Since, as Mr Cope observed during the course of ‘Autogedden’, ‘there are more of us a’ coming... more like me ‘.... and the horn carver could probably make a few bob by combining parking with a little horny memento of the monument itself. With a bit of foresight, that is.

Yeah, I can only confirm previous members’ posts that parking is a downright pain in the proverbial. Even though I arrived well past business hours, ‘the horned one’ was still in his lair.... and, like Greywether before me, I was worried I might place a carving where the sun don’t shine, so to speak, if he wound me up too much. However all was not lost for, since it was evening, I felt justified in breaking a cardinal rule (for once) by parking blocking a nearby field gate [just before the Lawers sign, left side of road when approaching from Kenmore – the space BigSweetie mentions in his Miscellaneous post, I think].

Access to the monument is via two field gates (both securely fastened, albeit not actually chained shut) so I guess visitors must decide for themselves whether to seek permission from the appropriate residence overlooking the site. Or not. Whatever, don’t be put off a visit since, despite the frequent, violent downpours, I was impressed with Machuim, staying for approx an hour, I guess. The five stones remaining upright are substantial... nice ‘n’ chunky... according to Burl ‘from 3ft 7ins to 4ft 10ins’ high. Several others are now fallen, sundry debris, most probably field clearance, lying within the incomplete arc. Machuim hasn’t been treated well, that’s for sure. Nevertheless it remains upon its little mound (natural, I think), the long grass the stuff a cow’s dreams are made of. Probably.

The location is pretty good, too, with Ben Lawers rearing up impressively behind, not surprisingly in much the same way as the Kiltyrie tomb to the approx south-west. Loch Tay adds the ‘water feature’. Some water feature...

Machuim

greywether
greywether Jun 16, 2004

I have been meaning to return here to get better pictures for some time but when passing it recently I have been unsure about parking. The Horn Carver threatens to charge £5 for his space.

This time I thought- sod it. I’m going to park there and, if he gives me aggro, I’ll buy one of his disgusting products with the most tines and then personally use it to give him a colonoscopy – or maybe just pay the fiver, if it’s cheaper.

As it turned out – no problem. Well it was 6.30pm.

Visited 15 June 2004

Machuim

BigSweetie
BigSweetie Aug 12, 2003

The stone circle at Machuim is in quite a ruinous state, but nonetheless has an impressive feel to it. With a look more akin to the circles of Aberdeenshire than Perthshire, it is made up of several large stones crowning a round mound protruding from a long natural ridge across the field. It has previously been listed wrongly by writers as Machulm or Machuinn.

Only four stones remain standing, while there are a further three that look as though they once stood. The earth mound on which they stand is approximately 10.0m in diameter, and on its SE side reaches a height of 1.0m above the field surface. Some field clearance material has been placed within the circle, but there is also a circle of kerb stones around the base of the mound.

Although the condition of the circle is quite sad, it enjoys a position on the lower slopes of Ben Lawers, which rises impressively behind it, affording good views across Loch Tay to the hills on the other side.

Machuim

Moth
Moth Jul 8, 2003

Thursday 1 May 2003
I had previously seen this one from the road but not been able to stop. And I’d read about it in Burl (misnamed ‘MachuiNN’ in the edition I have).

It can look a bit ‘underwhelming’ as you pass it in the car. But once up to it, I thought it was a really nice little circle in a superb setting, with a great view of the Loch below. The actual stones seemed bigger close up too (or so it seemed to me).

Nickbrand described it in a weblog as having an ‘Aberdeen’ feel to it, and I can kind of see what he means.

After lingering for a short while the drizzle threatened, so we returned to the car (precariously perched on a not-too-boggy bit of verge).

Machuim

nickbrand
nickbrand Jul 2, 2003

This mound and disrupted circle has an ‘Aberdeen’ feel to it. There’s a certain amount of field clearance here, but the small, tight circle and several of the surrounding kerb stones still have a nice aura about them. Not a typical Perthshire site though.

Machuim

hamish
hamish Apr 7, 2003

I was on my way from Killin to Fortingall and spotted this little circle on the left side of the road.I was in a hurry and could not find a way into the field so zoomed this from the hedge.One day I’ll take some time to have a proper look.

Machuim

W
winterjc Dec 3, 2001

We drove past this circle in the summer of 2000. It sits on a steady steep slope, high above the NW side of Loch Tay. I recall taking my eye off the road and seeing a strange, small, boulder like circle.
I’ll have a proper look when I visit Kinnell in Killin hopefully soon.

8/6/02
We parked down at the horn-carvers shop just down the hill at Lawers.
This strange little circle is in beautiful place high up above the loch, with views of the water stretching up to the north-east and down the the south-west. The mighty Ben Lawers was only partially visible behind the circle on the day we visited.

The circle sits on what looks like a levelled platform which has been built up on one side of the slope. Inside the circle there are many small stones just below the undergrowth which might be broken parts of this partially destroyed monument or might be a kind of cairn – it’s hard to tell- these small stones and indeed the whole monument are more visible in Martin’s photo taken in 1986.

Folklore

Machuim
Stone Circle
W
winterjc Dec 3, 2001

J. McDiarmid wrote in 1910 in his ‘Folklore of Breadalbane’ of a man from the nearby village of Killin who on passing by this stone circle heard haunting ‘fairy’ music. He then entered into the circle. When he left he was ‘presented’ with a strong, fast, white horse.

Miscellaneous

Machuim
Stone Circle
BigSweetie
BigSweetie Aug 12, 2003

Directions – Head N from Perth on the A9 (sign-posted Inverness). After approximately 30.0km take the turn-off to the right for Aberfeldy on the A827 (this is a fairly major junction). Follow the road round and back over the A9, passing through Logierait before reaching a junction after about 6.0km. Turn right here towards Aberfeldy, which you will reach after a further 9.0km. Continue straight on into Aberfeldy, and at the cross-roads with traffic lights at the centre, keep heading straight on the A827. After approximately 10.0km, while heading downhill, the road curves sharply to the right just before Kenmore.

Follow the road round the corner into Kenmore, and continue through the village, crossing the River Tay at its source. Stay on the A827 as it curves round Loch Tay, and after approximately 4.0km you’ll pass through the village of Fearnan – Machuim is about 6.0km after Fearnan, before you reach the hamlet of Lawers and the horn-carver’s shop. It’s visible from the road, but is often quite overgrown with grass. There isn’t much space to park near here on this narrow road, but careful parking in front of a field gate on the left of the road about 100m beyond Machuim is possible for a quick visit. The horn-carver charges for car-parking.

Topics

or MachUIm???? 16
Moth
Moth
Jul 2003
Know any more about this one, Hamish? 11
nickbrand
nickbrand
Jul 2003
Machium (for Winterjc) 3
Martin
Martin
Dec 2001

Sites within 20km of Machuim

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