goffik

We stayed at the marvellous Clansman Hotel on the banks of Loch Ness. Continuing up the road toward Inverness, we noticed a settlement marked on the map, so took a diversion.

On the A82 from Fort William toward Inverness, just under 2 miles after the Clansman Hotel is a left turn to Abriachan. (You need to go right first, onto a funny little turning bit, cos the corner is so tight!). Continue up the steep, wniding road for about 2 miles, and you will find the small parking area with noticeboard. To your right is the remains of the prehistoric village.

It’s in a beautiful location, but to be honest, at the time of year we were there (early September) there wasn’t a lot to see! A few stones, presumably from the huts, were poking out from the heather here and there, and you could *just* make out a few circular outlines... A very peaceful place. Boggy. Unspoilt. Worth a look if you’re in the area, but not really worth going out of your way for! Might be better at other times in the year when the heather’s lower..!

The best bit was the view, continuing along the road to get back on the A82! Didn’t realise how high we were!

Access: Parking by the information board, the site is across the very quiet road, through a gate. Paths had been cut into the grass, which were surrounded by low lying heather.

We liked it here, the missus and me...

Hob brought us up here one sunny(ish) afternoon. Last Friday in fact! Seems like ages ago!

A short walk through the golfcourse in Wooler stand several of these magnificent stones, carved with magical motifs. This particular one being within the ramparts of the hillfort.

Dripping water into the shapes and letting it run naturally into the grooves (giving it a gentle rub to spread it to the edges) really highlights the shapes.

The sun came out at just the right moment to take a few pics of the “ring of fire”... the water looked like molten metal for a couple fo minutes – fab!

We were happy here... I forgot for a while that I was on a golf course – wonder how many of these golfers know what they’re walking among? Better than whacking a ball with a stick, I reckon!

Wow. What an amazing place this island is! Very barren... very windy!

Walking down the “main road” (said with a wry smile!) from the lighthouse to the bird observatory, we came across this tall fellow...

In a field near the observatory, unmissable due to the lack of much else! There is an electric fence around the drystone wall here, which suggests the owner would rather people didn’t go into the field... I’m sure it’s passable, but out of politeness, and respect for the cows, we stayed outside the perimeter.

But it’s a bit of a beauty! Very tall, broad yet somehow slender, with a wee hole in it about three-quarters of the way up.

I’ve heard that the stone is still in use today – at New Year, the islanders gather round it and sing songs! Fantastic!

According to Orkneyjar (orkneyjar.com/history/monoliths/stanstane.htm) it could well be an outlier to a long-gone stone circle... It’s certainly in a good location, and I was surprised there weren’t more standing stones on the island...

Dress for rain! And wind!

---

Access: From the airport, turn right at the war memorial, and follow the main road from the airport to the bird observatory. The stone is unmissable in a walled field on your right. Just past the walled field is an open field. Half way along the wall is a style.

N.B. The wall and style are surrounded by a low voltage electric fence, which I am led to believe means the landowner would prefer you not to enter the field. Which stands to reason. Use your discretion.

Visited the fogou 9th June 2004.
(rewritten 23/06/04 cos I was half asleep first time!)

What a lovely place!

I was a bit nervous of this place after all I’d read about the odd happenings here, but found it to be a very peaceful place. We’d meant to visit many times but ALWAYS forgot to call ahead or bring the phone number with us (had to call Moth for it this time!)

The setting is very beautiful – I found it strange to think there was a house close by cos it just felt so secluded!

I find fogous odd anyway (I’m sure I’m not alone here!) – I start off full of beans, happily exploring and snapping away with the camera (normally just so I can see where I’m going! The torch normally gets swallowed up into the darkness...) and feeling like this is just a man-made hole in the ground... Then, unexpectedly, I get a shiver, and have felt quite scared (at Halligye I fair shat meself after about half an hour of feeling fine!)

So what is it with fogous? Boleigh is very beautiful, and very peaceful, as mentioned above, and is not exactly in the middle of nowhere...

I loved it here – it felt like I was in a time machine... I thought I was there for about 10 minutes, but emerged from the hole in the ground over an hour later!

Rob and (I’m so sorry I didn’t catch your name!) his wife/partner (sorry again!) were absolutely lovely. Very welcoming indeed. The house itself is amazing, and some rooms are being let for a really relaxing B&B style holiday, along with a HUGE cottage that sleeps around 6!!! (Check out rosemerrynwood.co.uk/ for more info)

We shall definately return to Boleigh – not just for the fogou, but to spend the week (or 2) – maybe I’ll even pluck up the courage to explore the fogou at night – wooo! Big chicken... ;o)

I’d been to Madron before, and was aware that the well itself was away from the wishing well and chapel, but thought the only way to get to it was wearing waders!

On my last visit, however, I was impelled to try one of the many gaps in the trees on by the path, and try to find this path I’d heard of – found it! The path is a nuber of small logs – well, branches – laid out across the mire – very slippery when I was there (May 2003) and I was glad of my sturdy walking boots! I felt like Indiana Jones, leaping across huge puddles, swinging on overhanging branches (just like he did in that film, oh, Indiana Jones & the Fat Bastard, I think it was – not one of his best...)

After what seemed like ages, I came to the end of the path, and discovered some old clouties hanging above what looked like a pond – the well! Some stones were visible, but due to the amount of water, it was suitably submerged.

I felt I was in the middle of nowhere – it was so quiet. Gorgeous. Must pop back during drier weather...

G

Wow. That’s what I say, anyway! What an absolutely peaceful place this is... only the wind, sheep and birds making any noise. Oh, and the occasional low-flying aircraft! Bloody MOD...

But what a weird one! I knew this was made up of smallish stones, but I was shocked at how small! Some of the stones are weeny, but the whole place feels really powerful... Just so peaceful, calm and relaxing... I will most certainly come back here... and so should you!

Directions: On the A386, come off the big roundabout at Yalverton. There is a row of shops, and a small road leading off behind them towards Meavy. Follow the signposts to Sheepstor until you see a sign for Nattor – head for Nattor – the car park is at the end of the road.

From the car park, the circle is roughly North-West and can be reached in a number of very squidgy, marshy routes: Direct – through the stream – very wet!; From the left – along the fence – still boggy and streamy!; from the right – boggy, soggy, marshy, but probably the driest and there are some discernable paths...

Go on then! Off you go!

Came to see this last September on a bit of an exploration of other local bits ‘n’ bobs. It is easy to find, marked on the OS map, and a brief walk from the road. If you’ve got the car, there is nowhere to park in the immediate vicinity that I found.

It’s a nice stone – very tall! There is a massive chunk missing, that I’m sure I read somewhere was lopped off to become part of a road (although I could be confused with another story!) – I also read about the way that, due to this, it changes shape quite dramatically from each angle – which it does! It’s not in the most ambient of locations, but that’s not to say it’s not worth another visit. Maybe it’d be different if I wasn’t so paranoid about my parking!

There are several other stones from teh direction we came from, some of which formed a distinct circle. I will post the pics of that soon – it’s not marked on the map if it is anything, but it is a circle of stones for sure! About 10-15 metres round (from memory). I re-checked me pics t’other day, and it really does look deliberate!

But... where I did park was a bit precarious, so I had to leg it back before anyone complained. Not that anyone was around, but that’s the conscienscious person I am... :o)

On our way for a wee bit of a visit to the smaller less-visited bits of Avebury and surroundings (main target: Swallowhead Spring) I suddenly remembered the Mound.

Taking a cheeky diversion through the main gates (“Private”) I drove down to the car park (“Private”) and thought if anyone should ask, I’m lost and am just turning round! Ooh, I’m such a rebel!

Nearly drove straight past it! It’s massive and I didn’t expect it to be so close to the road! So we parked up, reasonably happy that it was before term starts, and it was Sunday. Saw a security type chap that just gave a friendly wave, bless him!

Surprised by it all, really. Didn’t read up on it before I went. Surprised by the shell grotto (which I thought was quite nice really! Sorry!); totally surprised by the water tank at the top! Yuk! And what’s that chimney for? Didn’t even know there was a white (yellow!) horse nearby – modern or not!

It is very high, and the views that you can squeeze out of the trees are pretty good. I liked it and will probably hazard a return at some point. Mightily impressive.

I quite like the fact that, enormous as it is, you don’t really notice it till you know it’s there!

Never did get to that spring though...

Popped in here on the way to the Lizard Peninsula for wells, fogous and the such. Was a bit wary of knocking, despite plenty of people saying the owners of the cottage are happy to let you see it! I’m terrible for access if I even get an inkling it’s private, but this is a bit blatant! You can see it from the little back road but it’s not the same... ;o)

We heard someone in the garden so knocked at the gate (couldn’t see how to get in any other way anyhoo!) There was a lovely lady there on her tea break (she was decorating for the owners, who were not there) and she let us in. Must be my winning smile...

The stone is probably the weirdest that I’ve seen! It’s leaning quite a bit, and triangular... You can see that from the pictures, though... But it’s a lot bigger than I expected. It was stone cold on a  lovely summery day, and damp. It seems to be almost perpetually in the shade of the cottage. Who’d build a cottage so close to this lovely stone? It’s a shame, but nice that the owners/decorators are so welcoming to visitors.

Very nice stone. Wonder what it meant?

Ah, yes, the Chalice Well theme park and gardens. ;o)

To be honest, I wasn’t overly impressed with the well itself, and all it’s concrete gullies and gutters... The gardens themselves are rather nice, and worth a visit, but I feel that this is one of them there places that have had the soul sucked out of them.

It all seems a little commercial. Several old people “om"ming on benches; More concrete. It’s really just a part of the big Glastonbury hype.

I like Glastonbury, I really do, but it does seem to cash in rather heavily on all this Arthur stuff. (Nah, really?) I know what I’m trying to say, anyway...

I know I’m not alone here: it seems that the less well (ahem) known sites are the ones that retain the atmosphere. Regarding wells, my favourite and the most peaceful ones I’ve visited have all been a little out of the way, seldom visited (you can just sense it, OK?!) and hardly touched. Alsia well and the Fairy Well are perfect examples of this. No concrete. No admission fee. No old people “om"ming. Just peace and tranquility. And mighty fine tasting water!

Anyway...