drewbhoy

From the crannog I headed west, near the first passing place (there is a submerged crannog just to the north) there is a gate that leads north west straight to the chamber cairn, on this occasion surprisingly dry ground. The massive capstone can be seen from the road.

With the night getting darker, a mist was slowly appearing and the whole atmosphere was beginning to change, Loch Nell’s water turning grey giving an another shade. Mr G mentions in his notes that colour plays a big part here, he’s right, on this occasion it was the reduction in colour as dusk falls.

What appeared to be a cist, perhaps the cist 2m from the chamber?, caught my eye, so did the Serpent Mound and another couple of cairns. However they will be visited next time.

It would be a long trudge /squelch back to the car, I’d completely forgotten that was miles away. However, that was a good thing as I saw the sites I’d visited earlier. I also saw some Highland Coos and their friends who still be appeared to be laughing!

Visited 08/07/2022.

After the helpful push into a boggy stream, the two ‘other’ nearby cairns would have to wait another day plus time was pushing on and I wanted to get the nearby chamber cairn. A swampy trudge back, north east, to the road which I followed straight north until the crannog came into view. Easily seen from the road and further west at a passing place (near a submerged crannog). Also easily viewed from the chamber cairn.

It is well covered in trees and is 30m wide which is about the same distance as it is from the shore.

Visited 08/07/2022.

From the cairn at Kilmore House I headed north following the minor road past the junction to head towards Loch Nell. About 500 meters from the junction there is a gate, jump this and head south west. After having avoiding all sorts of bog to earlier sites, this time it was unavoidable, also add in a fence or two and a couple of wee burns. However a way was found and I remained reasonably dry.

NM 8811 2607

The largest of the two cairns still sits at over 31m wide and in some parts over 1m tall. Sadly the centre of the cairn has been mostly houked or quarried away, field clearence has been dumped on its perimeter and any discoveries found in a cist long since lost. All that remains of the cist are two slabs.

With me looking around around I became the centre of attraction for some young cows including the Highland variety. They had fun nudging me around, including a few short metres to the north west.

NM 8809 2609

Complete with my ever growing entourage I walked the few metes to the second cairn. Disagreeing with Canmore, I spy at least 1 kerb still in place and another 2 can be felt beneath the grass. Cairn material can be seen on top. Sitting at over 7m and approaching 1m tall it hasn’t taken the same punishment as its nearby friend.

Speaking of friends, the cows especially one small highland cow had obviously taken a liking to nudging me around. Great fun for them and for me, except the horns which gave reason for concern.

There are two more cairns nearby but ground to them was virtually a shallow loch such was the rain the Oban area’s recent weather, so I decided to climb the fence and head back to the minor road. However my attempts to stay ‘reasonably’ dry were thwarted by a head butt to the backside by the pictured highland cow. This made sure I landed on the other side far quicker than intended and also ensured I lost my footing to basically run straight into a small burn – knee deep.

With that I splodged back to the road, emptied the boots and rinsed the socks to continue the walk to Loch Nell. I’m sure I heard laughing cows in the distance 1-0 to them.

Visited 08/07/2022.