This chambered tomb sits on a prominent position on the hillside and must be visible for miles around (weather permitting). On the day of our visit it was relatively clear and the view from a high level like this is probably the only place you can describe Uist as having any scenery!
I am sure I read somewhere that it was a little unsafe and indeed the entrance seems to show some signs of collapse. If you can get past your fears then once inside you'll find a relatively roomy and well constructed inner chamber.
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Driving along the A303 Stonehenge takes you by surprise. One minute your looking at the map thinking "must be close" next its right there in front of you in all its glory! But...
The last time I saw a fence like the one surrounding Stonehenge was around an army base on the outskirts of Londonderry (its that bad) which would have been pretty depressing if I hadnt been so excited by being there after such a long journey down from Scotland.
What the hell though..you have to see this, really, despite English Heritage turning the place into such a circus! Its majestic and iconic and completely a one off in terms of construction. What this must have been like in its heyday is just mind blowing which is why its now regulary swarming with familes on a day out and tourist parties. Lets face it if they gave access the stones themselves some idiot would attack/deface them. The only way to avoid this is to lessen its impact as a tourist destination and frankly its already too late. The proposed tunnel and vistors centre is only going to turn this into another "Newgrange" where you get an alotted time to go round before being herded on the bus again, sad but you wait and see..
See it, marvel at its brilliance and then get in your car, turn the ignition on and turn your face north to Avebury and beyond cos this is a lost cause!
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Since there always seems to be news and discussion about this site how could I miss it on a trip south to see Avebury and Stonhenge? It is a popular spot and no mistake! I counted forty people at one point all milling around (some with dowsing rods kindly supplied by the lady in the hut). The stones themselves had been vandalised the previous week with yellow paint which was another reason I wanted to see the stones.
The form of the vandalism itself is (to me anyway) pretty strange. Someone has taken the time to go round every single stone with a small brush and paint small strips of yellow on each. Now, this must have taken some time and is not what you would call a purposeless attack by your average tanked up idiot with a grudge. It looks to me like the work of a seriously obsessed individual with a fixation for this colour!
The stones themselves are very strange. Gnarled and worn the space they make draw you into the the centre where you can find a spot to sit and enjoy the good vibes. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.
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With a close proximity to the road and the unfortunate location of neds'r'us (Aryshire branch) Ballochmyle feels doomed. The sheer disrespect of someone who feels compelled to carve their name onto such a unique and ancient piece of art is both astounding and deeply deeply depressing. Erosion so noticable around the bottom part of the wall will probably get it eventually if human folly, Buckfast and a closed mind don't get it first.
It _is_ intially hard to find but once you know where it is you notice that there are paths to it. The one friendly local who went out of his way to show it to us left us with the dire warning 'don't tell anyone how to get to it or those kids will find out and destroy it'. Sadly this is so true. It would have been better if that fabled dog walker who discovered it had been turned back because the rain came on.
On a happier note some of the vandalism seen on earlier pictures (black paint and crayon) seems to have been washed away.
The sheer variety and frenzied activity of the two walls here, for me, denotes an extremely important site. It's just my opinion but I reckon this was a stopping point on a route around the area to other sacred sites, a 'station' if you will.
For me this site far outstrips Achnabreck and Cairnbaan and is well worth a visit if only to scare the 'neds' off!
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Driving past Croft Moraig there was a wedding taking place in the middle of the stones! They didn't look like they were going anywhere soon (the people getting married that is) so the decision was made to push on to Acharn. The village is very quiet with parking available at the foot of the path to the falls (in front of the local shop).
The climb to the falls themselves is long and steep. Once at the head of the falls follow the 'proper' road as it curves up to the right (don't worry it goes left on the next bend). Thinking we could find a short-cut we ignored this road and got hopelessy lost and ended up retracing our steps, a cautionary tale!
It's a hell of a climb but as noted elsewhere there is something a little bit special about this circle. It could be the views up and down Loch Tay and it could be that the stones themselves have masses of character with their faces unbelievably weatherbeaten and lichen encrusted.
Well worth the effort.
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Myself and my girlfriend visited this site in the summer of 2001. The visitors centre was very busy and we were told there was a limited number of trips to Newgrange. Luckily we managed to get on the last-but-one bus out to the tomb. The lesson is go early especially if you want to see the other sites in the valley. It is sad that this place has been so commercialised but it is inevitable with the level of interest.
They had rigged a spotlight up to simulate the sun shining through the lintel above the doorframe which was cool, this was accompanied by a knowledgeable commentary by the guide. I can't remember if there was a ban on taking photos inside, I certainly took some pictures (sneakily mibbe). My only gripe is that the time alloted to see inside the tomb and take pictures of the artwork is only _just_ enough if you are a very quick worker. Don't expect any time to take in the 'vibes'. Still, it is worth a visit. The carvings are absolutely stunning (as you can see from the photos here) and the tomb itself is a must-see.
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The photos submitted above are from my second visit to Achnabreck. There had been some discussion previously as to what the artwork would look like in the rain and I got to find out this time as it was chucking it down. I can report that the surface of the rock takes on a sheen that does reveal the patterns to a slightly greater degree than on a dry day. The only problem was that the gradual soggy feeling I had was interfering with my contemplation of this amazing place. I don't think though that you can come here (even in the rain) and fail to be impressed.
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I think that one of the best ways to see the tombs and stones at the top end of the valley is to walk past the museum and down to the bottom of the road. Cross the field diagonally and you will find a stile onto a path which takes you to each of the cists and then onto Temple Wood and the great cross.
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wee_malky ponders the mysteries of Achnabreck.
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