strathspey

This cairn is situated an a hillside, approx 1/2 mile from the Boath road, by a forestry track.
The entire cairn is covered in a thick layer of heather and ferns and stones are very difficult to see – unless you fall off one!
There is a very deep depression (about 1.5m) close to the centre with a large flat stone lying 3-4m away.
A 2nd cairn apparently lies a short distance to the North, but I couldnt see it.
Visited 23rd Nov09

This relatively small cairn has been heavily robbed out and unfortunately has suffered damage by forestry thinning operations fairly recently (makes a bit of a nonsense of its Scheduled Status).
Access is pretty easy, the cairn lying on the crest of a small hill within a pine plantation about 100m from a forestry track.(Although the “Danger Archery” sign and the forbidding feel of the thick conifer plantation give it a bit of a “Deliverance” feel!
The cairn consists of an almost complete circle of outer kerb stones which are just visible beneath a mossy covering. One section of this has been damaged by a forestry vehicle.
The central cairn is a large mound approx 1m tall with no individual stones visible beneath the moss.
There is a large depression on the SE side between the central cairn and the outer kerb stones.
The mature conifers growing through the entire cairn look a wee bit out of place!!
Visited 23rd Nov09

This Scheduled Monument is actually quite difficult to find in the heavily afforested slopes of Cnoc Navie.

Enter the plantation from the Scotsburn road and follow a forestry Commission track around the southern slopes until it comes to an abrupt end. (The last mile of the track is not shown on the latest OS map).

Directly uphill and North of the tracks end is an old dry stone dyke. Follow this steeply uphill through very rough terrain until you are on the western spur of the summit of Cnoc Navie.

The remains of Carn na Croich lie about 200m west in a small clearing surrounded by Pines of varying maturity.

The monument has been well robbed out (dry stone dykes!!) but the outer circumference of the cairn can be easily seen.

The central chamber depression can be seen but individual stones are difficult to see due to a deep covering of moss and heather.

Its isolation in a very quiet, atmospheric and secluded spot makes this a worthwhile site to visit.

Its also a cracking walk through some excellent Pine, Larch and Birch woodlands – but be warned, its virtually all uphill.