drewbhoy

To many people obey the ‘No Access’ or ‘Police No Parking’ and thereby help keep these sites from being visited. I, on the other hand within reason, ignore these stupid requests and march straight on, after all fences are supposed to be jumped. After knocking at the door, no reply, I headed into the garden. Plenty of room for the car in the entrance.

I’d never heard of The Giant’s Grave until stopping in the villlage of Kirkmichael (petrol, shop, cafe, nice place good food) for some much needed lunch. Asking for some local information from the local people is always a good thing and hasn’t failed me yet. Some fantastic info (I’ll chase that up next week) was freely given including info about the Giant’s Grave.

A very nice stone standing at 1.7 meters high sits at the top of an almost 6 meter mound, e.g. The Giant’s Grave. Looks good in the garden tho!

Visited 25/7/2013.

Right beside the road. No other comments to make except beware, I was almost knocked over by two runaway sheep as I jumped onto the road. Please observe that I didn’t try to catch them :-)

Visited 25/7/2013.

The nearby massive cairn can wait till next week as time was pressing so I decided to find this wonderfully situated cairn instead. Creag Dubh Leitir provides an atmospheric and overpowering presence in the north whilst the gentler agricultural and River Ardle scenes are to the south. And either side east/west provides lots of prehistory, but that can wait till next week.

I parked just before the Straloch Bridge at the recycling area of the Glenfernate Lodge entrance. Head up the track until the first level. Look east, follow the track and jump the gate. Keep on the track for a 100 meters then look north over some ruined crofts, the cairn is just behind.

The cairn sits at 9 meters wide/0.6 meters tall and still has some large kerbs. Field clearence mentioned by Canmore seems to have been moved.

Wonderful scenery, wonderful place!

Visited 25/7/2013.

I parked at the entrance to Straloch House, plenty of room. Used the wooden stile on the opposite side of the road, to the south, and made my way down to the stone and the beautiful River Ardle.

Continuing the beast theme of previous posts I’m glad to say nothing was in the field. On the opposite side of the river some horses did say hello.

Visited 25/7/2013.

Lair was the final stop of an exciting and multi faceted day (and that was just the weather). Like the start the weather was beginning to darken and storms weren’t far away but I made it up and down without getting another drenching.

Lair is situated near the A93 just north of the B951 junction. (At the moment closed for several weeks because of a much needed upgrading.) Stop at the first track heading west. There is plenty of room for car parking.

Several tracks appear but choose the middle and head up the hill. It is a steady climb nothing to difficult. Once at the top keep going a further 1/2 mile and the cairn comes into view. Replaced turfs, made by a recent dig, confirm that the site has been reached. One thing for sure is that the builders knew exactly what they were doing. Surrounded by high peaks. Lamh Dearg, Cnoc Feanndage, Coire Goibhre and others, they surround the site almost making the cairn feel like an altar in a vast temple. Certainly high in the sky the clouds were speaking to themselves as thunder cracked out. But the rain was to late as I escaped back down the hill.

The cairn is 15 meters wide and has a ruined inner court. A lot of the kerb stones are still in situ and some stones seem to be the remnants of a double kerb but this is probably how they landed during robbing. The Canmore link has more details and figures. Funnily enough they mention the the cairn has been excavated, which proves that they have to up date their site as a much more recent dig has taken place, here and at the nearby Pitcarmick buildings.

Visited 25/7/2013.

After getting drenched and lost twice after finding the ‘other two’ cairns I’m glad to report to such happenings during this visit did not happen. Making sure I couldn’t find this site by difficult routes, in the past, I found the cairn by a much easier route.

Parking in the same place as the other two I continued walking south until a crossroads in the tracks. Headed east for at least three meters and continued south on a deer trail. Keep looking east until the top of the hill can be seen in a clearing. The cairn is easily spotted as a ‘bump’ on top. This cairn was much larger at some point but now is 7 meters wide and almost 1 meter high. Some earthfast rocks on the edge of the cairn suggest kerbs but it would be fair to say this site has taken a battering. Somehow it survives and with the growing darkness feels old, atmospheric and peaceful lost amongst the trees and time.

Not much to look at but a special place all those years ago, and for me a special place on a Friday night, totally worthwhile.

Visited 21/6/2013.

Cloch More is two massive rocks one of which would have made a very good ‘recumbent’. Other rocks are here as well, they hardly could be described as small, and like Gladman commented they have a look of being not entirely put there by nature. Situated in amongst trees this place feels old and if it wasn’t wasn’t for the trees clear views of Bennachie, Tyrebagger and the valley north would be seen.

A clachan (a wee hamlet) was supposed to situated here but no traces remain but what a place for one.

I parked at Hillhead Of Concraig and headed north west over the hill past a gigantic glacerial. From there a short walk leads to the two rocks. Nothing serious on this walk just be careful at the small bank at the site.

Visited 14/6/2013.

This is still a stunning stone in a stunning place but a found it via a safer route.

After the music lessons at Ardoyne I went to the visit the circle on the ‘heed o the hill’ having been told of a path that headed east to Petmathen.

From the circle, head south and downhill. A deer step (steps over a fence) comes into view. Climb over this a follow the path east thru a gorgeous walk amongst trees and wild flowers. All the time Bennachie keeps it eye on the walker but the resident giant, Jock, knows me well enough. The path comes to end at a dry stane dyke, climb it and keep heading east and the impressive stone will come into view.

A beautiful walk, beautiful scenery and beautiful site. Affa bonny!!!

Visited 7/6/2013.

(Ask permission to park please or I’ll get into trouble)

This cairn is only a short distance from the Baile. Canmore seems to missed out what I think is a definite kerb, almost looking like the cairn at West Town (minus the sink!) It is almost ten meters wide and just short of a meter tall.

With that done, it was up to the place were the ‘faeries’ live at Mains Of Clava.

Visited 3/4/2013.

Baile Na Creige is a very small but impressively situated cairn next to the minor road (east side) heading north from the glorious Loch Duntelchaig. The views here are also superb, with the obligatory loch, this time Ashie. It is the furthest north of two cairns between the Midtown and Bunachton farms.

Hints of a kerb remain in a cairn that is over ten meters wide and 1 meter. A very short walk east from the road, the other cairn being a short distance away.

Visited 3/4/2013.