Hob

Quite overgrown in summer. Some of the stones were hard to spot. However, as this is due to the fence protecting it from cattle, It’d be churlish to complain too vociferously.

One of the stones (the westernmost one I think) has a peculiar feature that at first I was tempted to see as part of an artificial chevron pattern similar to that once found at Carn Bàn in Kilmartin. Upon reflection, I concluded that it’s natural, though of course I’d like to think I’m wrong.

This circle seems to have once been the focal monument in the area, being on the natural route across the island, and hence from Southern Scotland over to Kintyre and the isles. The single stone at East Colmac allegedly forms the central point between this circle and the point at which the sun rises on the summer solstice. There’s an enigmatic earthwork, of prehistoric origin, but uncertain nature, as well as the numerous cup marked stones in the area. Ettrick Burn alone boasts 12 separate marked stones.

Visited August 2006

Passed this small stone without getting a decent photo, but it looked like the thing described by RCAHMS as 1.6M tall, leaning over. Apparently older maps showed a second stone at the same spot. Given it’s proximity to the circle at Ettrick Bay, it’s tempting to wonder if this stone has some sort of alignment to the circle in the same way as the nearby stone at East Colmac

Almost visited August 2006

This single stone can be considered an outlier for Ettrick Bay circle, as apparently in conjunction with the circle, it forms an alignment for Summer Solstice sunrise. It was once thought to be part of a circle of its very own, but this idea seems to have fallen out of favour as there is no evidence for other stones.

I didn’t tromp through the crop, and had to content myself to a view through a zoom lens from the edge of the field.

Visited August 2006

I can confirm Merrick’s observation about wheelchair access, the right hand fork also has a better surface.

I’d also agree with the comments below about the strange ambience induced by the cairn’s peculiar combination of ruinous state and Heritage manicure.

The largest stone has some interesting natural features, reminiscent of cup marks, but also hinting at fossilised mussel shells. I’d like to think these marks had something to do with this particular stone being chosen for inclusion into the body of the cairn.

A nocturnal visit produced no evidence of the ‘shadowy phantoms’ mentioned below.

Visited August 2006

It’s a lucky stone to have survived the building of the Castle, as we were told that in creating the castle grounds, the Laird in those days destroyed a whole village that was in the way. Presumably megaliths were considered to be fashionable for statey homes at the time, I’ve seen ones elsewhere get physically lifted to act as posh garden ornaments.

Nowadays, it sits as a spectator to the footy played on the pitch it’s only a couple of feet away from. The proximity to the goalposts and a picnic table makes it seem more than a tad incongruous. But kinda nice at the same time.

Visited August 2006

I’ll agree with Iron Man in that this cairn, despite the state it’s in (or probably because of it) has a more satisfying feel than the reconstructed ones near it. The thickness of the grass and the way the stones peek through imparts the sense that this monument is a survivor. I don’t know how true that really is,as it’s quite wrecked, and is probably the one most people would miss out as it looks less impressive from a distance, but it feels like it has endured.

In the dark, it was the only one in the Glen that seemed to me to possess a ‘sense of presence’. Ri Cruin and Dunchraigaig are just a bit dank at night whilst I found Largie South and North are somewhat soulless, even at the witching hour, but Central Largie felt almost like a living thing. Nice.