GLADMAN

Interior of southern chamber, long cairn. Probably pushing my ‘no flash’ rule a little too far. But there you are.

Round cairn interior.

Round cairn, natural light.

Long cairn...

Looking down the passage of the southern chamber, long cairn.

Long cairn, northern chamber.

A trio of orthostats within the northern chamber, long cairn. Again, just the natural light.

Looking ‘up’ the long cairn. Note the bulge emphasising – as reconstructed, anyway – round cairn.

The reconstructed horny front of the long cairn. The authenticity of the work has apparently been questioned.... but it’s certainly no Newgrange.

Looking ‘down’ the long cairn.

Southern chamber, long cairn.

Long cairn from a’top the round...

Two fine monoliths flank the entrance to the round cairn chamber, looking down the passageway.

The passage within the round cairn... for reference the visitor must bend double and inch gingerly forward to avoid smashing in the noggin. Not quite an Orcadian rite of passage, but not far off. [Natural light].

Looking across the great round cairn toward the horned long cairn

Retrospective of the stony backbone – so to speak – of this wondrous mountain....

Looking vaguely toward Glen Lyon.

Looking very approx NNW to Dunalastair Reservoir from the summit.

Looking approx east.... more or less the reverse of the famous ‘Queen’s View’ beside Loch Tummel. Incidentally the excellent Na Carraigean ‘four poster’ is located a little above and beyond the loch.

Looking toward Loch Rannoch......

You know, I’ve always been slightly peeved that Schiehallion doesn’t possess a nice big Bronze Age cairn on top. Clearly, however, that is irrelevant. The whole summit is one massive, natural cairn.

Note the 25 litre rucksack for scale...

Has this ever been opened, I wonder? According to Canmore, apparently not. As with Knocknarea’s Miosgan Meadhbha.... could the folklore be based upon elements of truth?

Retrospective descending Creag Chaisean...

Creag Chaisean from the Kenny’s Cairn .... the track provides a less steep alternative to an approach from the south-west... or a nice descent back to Loch Turret.

The nascent Barvick Burn cascades into Corrie Barvick down a breach in the Blue Craigs (centre far left – another source can be seen approx centre of image upon the flank of Stonefield Hill).

This is an impressive stone pile to find at over 2,500ft.

Carn Chainichin – or King Kenneth’s Cairn – rises beyond the modern cairn located to its approx west.

Looking across Loch Turret to Carn Chois from Choinneachain Hill.

The dying embers of the day... or final flourish?

Some landscape context highlighting the exquisite siting... the ‘fort – centre background right – can be seen to the right of the wondrous Dun Mor from the southern flank of Meall na Suiramach. I don’t believe the foreground height possesses a name? Suffice to say, it deserves one.

Ben Uarie accords a panoramic view of what is to my mind – Pumlumon notwithstanding – perhaps the UK’s most underrated prehistoric archaeological landscapes.... Strath of Kildonan.