Images

Image of Mid Gleniron I and II (Chambered Tomb) by GLADMAN

The ‘circular depression’ upon the back stone of the main chamber (highlighted by a bit of twig)

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Mid Gleniron I and II (Chambered Tomb) by GLADMAN

On the right track..... a true prehistoric skyline of three long cairns and a round cairn approaching Mid Gleniron Farm

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Mid Gleniron I and II (Chambered Tomb) by GLADMAN

Mid Gleniron II with round cairn, centre, and Mid Gleniron III to right, engulfed by cows.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Mid Gleniron I and II (Chambered Tomb) by GLADMAN

The central chamber, Gleniron I.... note the capstone... nice.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Mid Gleniron I and II (Chambered Tomb) by GLADMAN

Towards Gleniron Fell within the main chamber, Gleniron I.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Mid Gleniron I and II (Chambered Tomb) by GLADMAN

Looking towards the facade end of the monument from the central chamber, Mid Gleniron I.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Mid Gleniron I and II (Chambered Tomb) by GLADMAN

The main chamber behind the facade, Mid Gleniron I

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Mid Gleniron I and II (Chambered Tomb) by GLADMAN

Looking towards the round cairn (right) and farm house from Mid Gleniron II.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone

Articles

Mid Gleniron I and II

Visited 04.10.18

Following in GLADMAN’s footsteps there were two coincidences. I ran into a friendly farmer but forgot to ask his name. He was relaxed about me visiting the cairns. Secondly I also had “bovine bovver”. Mid Gleniron I & II are in the same field 100 yards apart. Mid Gleniron II is close to the dyke but Mid Gleniron I is in the middle of the field. Mid Gleniron I was surrounded by a large bull and beef cattle. I have visited it before so I reluctantly decided to miss it out this time. However Mid Gleniron II was close to the dyke so I explored it instead. It has been extensively robbed out but I did discover a Bullaun stone near the top of the cairn as a bonus.
Canmore ID 61594 (go to Links) gives an interesting overview of Mid Gleniron I’s evolution through time. Canmore ID 61608 (go to Links) tells the sad tale of Mid Gleniron II’s decline.

Mid Gleniron I and II

Now I read some time ago that Mid Gleniron possessed an excavated long cairn or two... so while I’m (finally) in the area I decide to go take a look. As you do. Passing Glenluce Abbey – worth a look if you’re into such things, I guess – I arrive at the entrance to the Mid Gleniron farm access track to find that, if I wish to proceed further, it will have to be on foot. Fair enough, since the splayed access allows sufficient room to park the old Rover 45.

So, in the searing heat of this Galloway morning (!!), off I go, prematurely freaking out at the large long cairns which soon materialise in the field to my left.... before realising they are, in fact, clearance cairns (this being later confirmed first hand by the farmer). However the ‘real thing’ is not long forthcoming, an open gate beckoning the traveller into a field of sopping wet grass, said traveller immediately wishing he’d elected to wear the Gortex lined boots... muppet. Incidentally there’s also one of those ‘wooden slat’ stiles in the field wall a little further on should the gate be closed.

I arrive first at Mid Gleniron II, a substantial long cairn, unfortunately lacking any sign of chambers and sporting a rather silly cairn – clearance, as opposed to ‘walker’s’, as far as I can tell. Caffeine calls, and as I rest up with the coffee, the farmer passes by. I take the opportunity to go and have a chat and ask for permission to visit the striking round cairn across the way. He’s only too happy to oblige – if I can handle the cattle – and we discuss many issues... bizarrely, it transpires that the man ‘in the chair’ at this farm is a chap named... Robert Gladstone... hell, there aren’t many of us around, but we seem to have a ‘thing’ about prehistoric cairns.

Moving on to Mid Gleniron I, it’s immediately clear that this is a far superior monument, the long cairn retaining some orthostats of a facade and three chambers:- one (without capstone) at the facade end; another (with capstone) set behind this; and, to its right (looking from the facade, that is), a capstone-less lateral chamber. Good, nay great, stuff and a fine place to hang out in the sunshine, for the surrounding countryside is verdant in the extreme. I even notice a few ‘cupmark-like’ circular depressions in the chambers, although, being ignorant of the geological properties of the stone, these are most probably natural in origin. The one picture I manage to get in this respect, in the main chamber, has been posted.

However I’ve a particular thing for round cairns, so Mid Gleniron’s fine example is next on the agenda. Just not yet...

Mid Gleniron I and II

These two sites lie together in the same field.

They were excavated in the mid 1960s and became something of a cause celebre (see Miscellaneous below).

From experience, you tend to have low expectations about the current condition of sites excavated that long ago so it was a delight to see the condition of Mid Gleniron I.

All three chambers are clearly visible and free of any rubble. The partial facade is still there to see and the outline of the cairn is well defined.

Mid Gleniron II has less to offer. The chamber is no longer visible but the cairn remains well defined.

A large round cairn lies across the track from the chambered cairns.

Visited 1 March 2004

Miscellaneous

Mid Gleniron I and II
Chambered Tomb

The 1960s excavations at Mid Gleniron provided an early indication of the multi-period nature of chambered tombs.

Mid Gleniron I started as rectangular chamber in a round cairn. This was followed by a second similar burial. These two cairns were then incorporated in a long cairn with a crescentic facade and a third burial added between the first two.

Mid Gleniron II also also started as rectangular chamber in a round cairn which was then later incorporated in a rectangular cairn with a second chamber.

Sites within 20km of Mid Gleniron I and II