GLADMAN

Wow........ an exquisite site. The fact that I couldn’t make out much of the promontory defences didn’t matter. To be here.... and taste and smell the salt air after a day seeking megaliths inland is everything.

Not sure that I could actually envisage people living on here, but then – of course – they were much harder than us 21st Century softies, weren’t they? Then again, perhaps this was just a place of refuge to run to when the look-outs gave warning?

The Cornish coast is something really special and on a day like today when the sun shines and the sea reflects the blue sky, is there a better place to be than here? Right on!

Rising to 2,103ft, Drygarn Fawr is an isolated mountain within the Cwmdeuddwr Hills, near Rhayader.

Crowning the summit ridge are two enormous beehive-shaped cairns, the western of which marks the actual summit. These are extraordinary structures for such an out of the way place, so full marks to those persons unkown who actually maintain them so the traveller may continue to appreciate what an ancient cairn (probably) looked like millennia ago. They are all the more remarkable bearing in mind that these hills feed the Elan Valley reservoirs, so bad weather is not exactly an infrequent occurrence here.

The majority of the Cwmdeuddwr summits – literally ‘Valley of The Two Waters’ – boast summit cairns of varying stature, so clearly this area was one of major significance to our ancestors. Although I haven’t returned since 1995, a recent visit to neighbouring Gorllwyn confirmed these Drygarn Fawr cairns remain prominent landmarks for miles around, as clearly they were always intended to be.

Best approached from Llanerch-yrfa in the Irfon Valley to the south-west. It goes without saying that waterproofs, map, compass etc are prerequisites for a visit.

A large summit cairn just west of the Two Moors Way – although I approached via Shipley Bridge/Glasscombe Corner/Plies Hill to take in Corringdon Ball Long Barrow [the only known example upon Dartmoor] and several stone rows en-route. Quite a trek.

Sit here for a while and time seems to stand still. Just you, the sky and the murmurs of the past. Or is that the wind? Perhaps it’s all that fresh air...

Driving up from Banchory to the North Aberdeenshire coast – via Tomnagorn – I just had to stop off at Stonehead..... and Dunnideer sort of insists you pay a visit, too.

My first ‘vitrified’ hillfort, as it happens. This is apparently a process – intentional or otherwise – whereby the stone rampart is transformed into a very hard glass-like substance through intense heat.

Crowned by a large fragment of an early medieval tower, both Dunnydeer and – just – Stonehead RSCs are visible from the summit. To be honest it’s too much for the brain to take in all at once!

Note that it’s a sharp climb to the summit except if approaching from the direction of the Dunnydeer RSC. I’d therefore recommend parking at Dunnydeer Farm and ascending via the circle.......

Pobuill Fhinn....... not the most impressive stone circle you’ll ever see.... if grading by size of orthostats is your thing, but – of course – there’s far, far more to a circle than that.

Pobuill Fhinn has it all in my book – siting, views and that undefinable ‘Je ne sais quoi’. Suffice to say Barpa Langass and this site took up a full nine hours of my day and I simply just couldn’t tear myself away. Number of uprights, alignments? No idea, such was the intoxication here. Guess I’ll just have to go and check what Mr Burl says.

The only regret is that I only got a couple of half-decent photos. Hey-ho.

Jane’s right.... Cullerie’s so restored it’s like a garden centre feature – why do they insist on having gravel interiors and neatly cropped lawns? Nethertheless despite this it’s still well worth dropping in on the way to Sunhoney et al – especially if you’re lucky enough to see the circle under a blue sky! And at least it doesn’t have a church plonked right beside it.

I’d say this would make a great introduction site (in the manner of Loanhead) prior to getting down to business with the more atmospheric Aberdeenshire circles........

A wonderful stop-off when driving up from Loch Tay-way to Aberdeen..... a very well preserved longbarrow where you just wouldn’t expect to find one. Right on! Scotland keeps the sassenach a’ guessing.

First – signposted – left turn on the forestry track brings the traveller to this beauty – a great place to hang out and eat a sausage roll in the sun.

Would you believe such a thing as Skara Brae existed if it wasn’t here before you? I mean, ‘flushing toilets’, damp-course for the walls, and – best of all – a mighty mantelpiece for the women to place their best ornaments and whatnot on, so as to impress the neighbours over for tea. (sorry if that sounds sexist...) It’s just so, well..... civilised... so like 21st century us. Are we really that different?

I was taught that it was the Romans who brought these things to ‘barbarian’ Britain. Seeing as they only gave up human sacrifice when forced to by ‘barbarians’, me-thinks history was written by the victors to suit their own ends. Wouldn’t be the first time, would it?

Shame the traveller can’t actually enter the dwellings, but fully understand why. What a place! Even the usually dreaded ‘visitor centre’ was good.

Cheers Lianachan... superb site, in my opinion far superior to Carn Liath down the coast – you’ll get no semi-interested tourists here.

Park just within the Caithness boundary, where there’s a little service link-road off the southern carriageway. The broch is out of sight, at the end of the deep gulley down the hill to your left – if you’ve a map and compass (and a hopeless sense of direction such as I have) a bearing might be a good idea at this point.

The broch is overgrown, but very well preserved internally, with a great entrance passage and guard chambers, not to mention stair passage, too. The farmer came to ‘check me out whilst I was there’ – unless driving up to walk his dogs for two minutes is normal practice – but no problems in this respect.

Incidentally there’s a great view where the gulley meets the sea – I’ve therefore posted a photo.

A great little site not far from Chesterblade with superb all round views.

In fact this is two sites for the ‘price’ of one, since 13, 14 – or so? – denuded round barrows crown the high ground in centre of the hillfort. The ramparts themselves are not particularly powerful, but easily traceable all the same.

The fact that the barrows were not used as spoil to help construct the ramparts strongly suggests to me that the Iron Age inhabitants were fully aware of the ancient sanctity of hilltops (such as Small Down Knoll) and were clearly quite prepared to embrace them within their enclosures...whether out of fear of retribution from supernatural forces, or genuine respect I guess we’ll never know. However this is far from an isolated occurrence in my experience, strongly suggesting a continuity of belief down the ages

Incidentally, I asked at Small Down Farm for permission to visit, which was readily given. Right on!

Visited: 14/4/06

Some pretty substantial round barrows to the south east of Anmer – in the vicinity of the Peddars Way.

Well worth a visit if you happen to be in the area, I’d have thought.

Visited 2/4/06.

After some 20 years walking the Welsh Hills I finally ‘bothered’ to haul my aching frame up here... suffice to say it was 20 years too late. Muppet.

Although the ramparts are bisected by very substantial drystone walls, there’s still quite a bit to be seen. If you can tear your eyes away from the majestic view of the Dwyryd Estuary, with Central Snowdonia’s peaks rising beyond, that is.

The Italianate – and frankly, bonkers – Portmeirion is visible to the right of Porthmadog across the water [I am not a number, I am a free man...etc] and The Rhinogydd rear up to the south-east, offering some of the roughest walking in these Isles.

I can’t imagine this hilltop offered the most comfortable living of the Iron Age, but I’d say it arguably possesses the finest views of any in the UK. Why, there’s even two cairn circles below to the west.....

A lttle hillfort occupying a summit of Llantysilio Mountain, not far from Llangollen.

I approached via a very minor, steep road heading north west from Rhewl. This terminates by a gate, whereby a bridleway leads along the flank of Moel y Gamelin to a col, a short ascent to the left bringing the traveller eventually to the ramparts.

These may not be the best preserved you’ll ever see – and there’s even what appears to be some sort of off-road circuit below [only in Wales, my friends] – but, given reasonable weather, the views of the Vale of Llangollen will blow you away! You can also extend the walk to Moel Morfydd to the south east and Moel y Gamelin itself to the west, the famous Horseshoe Pass [Bwlch Oernant] visible and easily reached from the latter.

Couldn’t agree more.........

A fabulous, triangular promontory fort with two substantial ramparts and ditches, the outer ditch of such a depth that it makes it’s companion bank seem much taller than the inner one.

The views are great – as you would expect in The Derbyshire Peaks – and if you’re feeling up to it there’s also a superb walk along the escarpment of Combs Edge to be had, with some excellent rock scenery en route.

The fort is a short, steep climb up from the minor road from Dove Holes to Combs where there is a parking space or two. If these are occupied by climbers there’s another space near the entrance to Whitehills, a little further along .

Quality.

A small, yet powerful hillfort sited upon Great Hetha Hill, one of the Cheviot foothills near Hethpool... and therefore boasting superb views in all directions.

Two stone ramparts surround the enclosure, with an entrance at the north-west, or so it would appear. At the north-east the defences deviate to enclose an oval enclosure, perhaps an annexe for livestock?

A glance at the map will show that Great Hetha Camp is just one of many defended hilltops in the region, the largest and most famous of which is, of course, Yeavering Bell, well seen from the ramparts in the distance. Nearer to hand (below to the north east) lies the Hethpool stone circle.

These two magnificent cairns are located at the 2,076ft summit of Garreg Las, western outlier of Mynydd Du [Black Mountain]. Note the peak is sometimes also called Twyn Swnd by locals.

This long ridge of shattered rock is perhaps best approached via Cwm Sawdde Fechan, although longer routes starting from the A4069 to the west and extensions from the main Mynydd Du massif itself are possible. Whichever way you choose you won’t need me to remind you these are serious hill walks and should be treated as such.

The rewards upon reaching the cairns go without saying... although I’ll try. Firstly the views...north lies the fertile Dyffryn Tywi, whilst to the east, the barren landscape of the major peaks of Mynydd Du is one of great beauty in sunlight – and of glowering hostility in poor weather. In short, this is no place to be when the mists come down, unless you know what you’re doing.

Then, of course, there are the cairns themselves. Two very substantial examples indeed, which appear much less disturbed than similar examples throughout South Wales and beyond, no doubt due to the isolated nature of Garreg Las lying well away from main hillwalking routes.
As a result the traveller is almost guaranteed solitude here, a rarity in today’s world and just the ticket if losing yourself in timeless melodrama for a few hours is your thang.

Coming into Inverness from the surrounding countryside is a culture shock, to say the least. I mean plastic ‘Nessies’ at the petrol station...c’mon! Since I’m not exactly adept at finding my way around city centres either, the fact that I managed to locate this site is a small miracle in itself. Although perhaps the ‘Druid Temple Crescent’ and housing estate may have helped... a little. Persevere.

Seriously, it would appear the area is being quickly urbanised, so come see the Druid Temple clava cairn before it features beer cans and crisp packets courtesy of local kids. It’s worth it. And then some.

I parked and walked down the farm track and -after receiving permission from a friendly lady in the house -squelched through deep mud to the site situated in a copse behind the farm. A massive monolith dominates the circle enclosing the cairn in clava fashion, the kerb of which is in pretty good condition, too. But it is the atmosphere here which sets Druid Temple apart and makes it so special – the canopy of foliage no doubt helps, perhaps evoking ancient human instincts relating to the times we used to live in such surroundings. To put it simply, I didn’t want to leave.

Can only agree with Vicster – a fantastic site with wonderful views of the main Cairngorm plateau and a very substantial monolith in true clava cairn style.

The cairn stands in pasture land grazed by horses from the adjacent riding school. These are pretty friendly creatures, hence only the one photo. Not sure there’s a technical photography term for ‘horse nudge’, come to think of it, but that’s my excuse.

One little Shetland pony nearly broke my wrist after I gallantly tried to untangle it’s bridle from the fence – so be warned if you’re not comfortable around these complex beasties.

Update – I lied – one additional picture escaped the equestrian assault.....

Ignored by the tourists who head straight for the – admittedly excellent – castle, this ruined site is dominated by the great mass of The Quinag rising beyond across Loch Assynt.

Well worth a look if you’re passing since several uprights still remain..... and if the chamber isn’t aligned upon Spidean Coinich I obviously don’t know my alignments.

And hey, the views are great, too.

Not exactly what you would expect up in the wilds of Caithness..... a large stone circle. Even with half the circumference missing this is a great site.

Checked with the farmer, who was only too willing to let me have a look and give directions – great bloke, with a face that could tell a story or two, I’ll warrant. From the passing area near the farm, go through the metal five-bar gate and follow the fence-line steeply downhill. An improvised ‘stile’ gives access to what is literally a water-meadow – i.e make sure you’ve got your boots or you’re in for a paddle, my friends.

The rush of the nearby stream fills the air as it makes its convoluted way towards the sea, but this only adds to the aura of calm here, strangely enough. As for the stones, I count eight, but then my arithmetic’s never been up to much. Pretty substantial, too

Back in the car after a couple of hours I suddenly notice the phalanx of wind-generators on the skyline beyond. Talk about juxtaposition of ancient and modern power... right on!

‘Aberdeenshire’ has so much to offer that even after four trips over the years I still regarded sites with ‘only’ recumbents and perhaps flankers as not worth the effort. Too much else to see. Before I came to Stonehead, that is.

Anyway, decided to stop off Dunnideer way and made the deceptively long walk to Whitebrow to find an empty plot where I assume the farm used to be?? Hmm – any ideas, or is it just me getting lost again? Entering Stonehead’s field the size of the recumbent and particularly flankers is overwhelming – despite this, however, they paradoxically appear so fragile as to require tethering down to stop them floating off into space.... Perhaps this is just the ambience Stonehead creates, but there’s no doubt this remnant [but what a remnant!] of an RSC is a piece of ancient art which evokes a power today’s Turner Prize winners could never hope to match.

Dunnideer looms in the distance, with Dunnydeer Farm just down the road. This is a special place indeed and I feel a bit of a muppet for ever doubting M’lud Yatesbury. That I do.

At first sight – from a distance – this looks a bit of a mess..... but persevere since the siting is magnificent, with trout (I think) jumping all over the place, and the construction techniques of your ancient broch builder well seen. Boy, these people were dudes when it came to building dry stone walls!

Clearly the level of the loch has risen over the millennia – unless the inhabitants were like Kevin Costner in Waterworld – since the broch interior now resembles a pond... ditto a perfectly formed wall chamber with mural stairway exposed

So, not as good as Ousdale, perhaps, but – particularly taken as part of the Yarrows complex – this broch had my poor old brain in overload mode. Suggest it’s a good idea to do the Yarrows walk in ‘reverse’, so to speak. Not to be intentionally contrary you understand, but so you can relax here at the end of a long afternoon....

I’m normally wary about ‘official’ trails and walks – best left to the tourists, eh? – but this Loch of Yarrows walk is a gem... as long as you make sure you’ve got yer boots and waterproofs (this is Scotland, after all).

White posts guide the way – so no need for compass – past numerous chambered cairns etc and I reckon this is arguably the pick of the bunch. All the more infuriating, therefore to find old beer cans within the passage on my visit prompting me to crawl down and retrieve the damn things. What kind of muppet takes the trouble to come to this sort of place and then does this? Beggars belief. Suffice to say they’re there no longer and the roof didn’t fall in on my head either – it’s probably the tightest fit I’ve encountered – apart from The Lion Sleeps Tonight (sorry, that’s pretty bad).

Oh.... The views are pretty good, too. Great mini hillwalk, great cairns – what more could could you ask for? Are we talking a Scottish Carrowkeel here? Not quite, but it’s pretty close.

And no, I didn’t take a picture of the farmer.

The most picturesque site possible on a beautiful sunny evening to find two relatively well preserved chambered cairns – there’s another nearby, by the way. Also the reason I thought it’s high time I began to contribute to TMA – this is what TMA’s all about.

I would re-enforce the ‘wellies needed’ bit – even my winter mountain boots were no match for Loch Calder and I ended up in way past my knees trying to cross to cairn B after taking them off..... much to the amusement of local fishermen.

I’d say your best bet is to use the concrete ‘dam’ wall and advance to each site through the trees -but watch your eyes!

An exquisite site, even coming after the Warehouse cairns.