Ettrick Bay

Also known as:
Kilmachalmaig and St Colmac
Nearest town:
Rothesay (5km E)
OS reference:
NS044668
OS sheet:
63
Latitude:
55° 51' 16.34 N
Longitude:
5° 7' 31.39 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Ettrick Bay (Stone Circle) by Rhiannon

From ‘the Isle of Bute in the Olden Time’ by James K Hewison (1895).

Image credit: JKH, 1895
Rhiannon
Rhiannon Jun 2, 2016
Image of Ettrick Bay (Stone Circle) by GLADMAN

Hope this tree remains to shepherd its stony flock for as long as Nature allows.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 1, 2016
Image of Ettrick Bay (Stone Circle) by GLADMAN

A tree and stone circle... these are a few of my favourite things...

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 1, 2016
Image of Ettrick Bay (Stone Circle) by GLADMAN

The overcast sky was to break later in the day... but nevertheless a fine vibe is to be had at this ‘circle.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 1, 2016
Image of Ettrick Bay (Stone Circle) by GLADMAN

There was a ramshackle quality about this stone circle that appealed. A lot.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 1, 2016
Image of Ettrick Bay (Stone Circle) by GLADMAN

Ironically, perhaps, I was much taken by the wondrously iconic tree.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 1, 2016
Image of Ettrick Bay (Stone Circle) by GLADMAN

The four surviving uprights are lovely stones.... my favourite that to the foreground.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 1, 2016

Articles

Ettrick Bay

C
CARL Aug 2, 2016

Visited 1.8.16

Directions:
Visible from the B875 (south) on Ettrick Bay.

We parked outside a rather run down house and I walked back up the road, hopped over the metal field gate and walked over to the stones. Access to the circle is via a weathered wooden kissing gate. The stones being fenced in for their protection no doubt.

Looking at Mr G’s photos a lot of growth has occurred since his visit. The stones were surrounded by tall rough grass. In fact, the two small ‘stumps’ of stone were only visible once I had trampled the grass down.

To concur with Mr G, I also liked this circle – a lot. The views over to Arran are lovely. I am sure this point wasn’t last to the builders of the circle. The ‘modern’ large old tree now sharing the scene with the stones merely adds to its charm.

Ettrick Bay is a very popular beach destination on Bute (we also liked it – superb views over to Arran – at the risk of repeating myself) and it is well worth paying a visit to this circle at the same time.

Ettrick Bay

Hob
Hob Jan 19, 2007

Quite overgrown in summer. Some of the stones were hard to spot. However, as this is due to the fence protecting it from cattle, It’d be churlish to complain too vociferously.

One of the stones (the westernmost one I think) has a peculiar feature that at first I was tempted to see as part of an artificial chevron pattern similar to that once found at Carn Bàn in Kilmartin. Upon reflection, I concluded that it’s natural, though of course I’d like to think I’m wrong.

This circle seems to have once been the focal monument in the area, being on the natural route across the island, and hence from Southern Scotland over to Kintyre and the isles. The single stone at East Colmac allegedly forms the central point between this circle and the point at which the sun rises on the summer solstice. There’s an enigmatic earthwork, of prehistoric origin, but uncertain nature, as well as the numerous cup marked stones in the area. Ettrick Burn alone boasts 12 separate marked stones.

Visited August 2006

Ettrick Bay

greywether
greywether Mar 8, 2004

This circle is visible from the road – more visible since my last visit due to the reduction in the number of trees in which it stands.

Four stones stand to their full height and there are the stumps of four others.

Visited 7 March 2004

Sites within 20km of Ettrick Bay

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