Visited this in August this year and did not have any access problems.
Reading the previous post and Burl’s notes, it sounds as if both tried to access the circle from the footpath running past How Farm.
I took the road to Seascale Hall and parked at the gate where the footpath from the W joins it (roughly NY040027). Following the footpath under the road and along Newmill Beck both avoids any fences and, until the last minute, views of Sellafield.
When visited in August this year, someone had chalked in a cup and ring mark on the large flat horizontal stone to the right of the axeheads. Widely spaced rings with a groove.
Not something you would do on a whim so did someone see something which only shows up in certain lighting conditions?
Photo posted.
Revisited the Kilmartin area on this year’s August Bank Holiday although why I chose this particular day when I could go there on any day remains a mystery to me. The main Kilmartin sites were overrun with visitors making anything from photography to contemplation well nigh impossible. Only at Ri Cruin was there a brief gap in the crowds.
I had planned to leave Achnabreck to the last to get any low sun that might be around. A good strategy as it turned out since all remaining clouds disappeared (along with the visitors) and I had over an hour to become aquainted with the carvings before another group arrived just as I was packing up.
I’ve cross-referenced the posted images with the drawings and location plans in the PSAS 103 article.
References to Achnabreck Wood are to the panel further up the path from the main panels (NR857906) – named, of course, before the Forestry Commission cleared away the surrounding trees.
This may be the only Pictish symbol stone to get a full entry on TMA – the justification being that it is considered to be an earlier menhir to which symbols were later added. Honest.
3m high. In a field to the left of the road N of Edderton village.
By car, follow the signs for West Linton golf course from the W side of the village. After the final turn, drive past the clubhouse until you come to an “Authorised Vehicles Only” sign. Park here or, if like me you were not convinced of the legitimacy of this sign, drive a few hundred yards further on until the golf course crosses the road. Park here. The site is on a rise to the right with the information board just visible.
Not a spectacular site by any standards and rather overgrown in August this year but worth a look if you’re in the area.
Ruined cairn at edge of forest and accessible by forest tracks.
Cairn originally about 23m diameter – part of chamber with lintel exposed.
Lies about a quarter mile SW of the more famous Balnuaran of Clava cairns. Most prominent feature is 2.4m high monolith from surrounding stone circle. Other stones are visible but difficult to establish a clear overall pattern.
Can be reached from the Historic Scotland site of Garrywhin 400m to the NE or by extending the Loch of Yarrows Archaeological Trail.
18m diameter round cairn with passage and chamber.
Two circles and a low cairn off an unfenced road in W Tiree.
The N circle is is an oval 33 x 40m. 10 stones – one upright and the rest fallen or stumps.
The S circle is close to the cairn and measures 40m diameter. 12 stones – fallen or stumps.
The cairn is 7m diameter by 0.7 m high.
In the car park of Grannie’s Heilan’ Hame pub and holiday park in Embo. Strangely, their website does not mention the cairn as an onsite attraction.
Originally cairn covering two circular chambers. Chamber stones still visible.
1.5m high stone standing on a low cairn just east of the A87 above Uig.
Similar to Calf of Eday NW.
10m diameter cairn covering passage and four-part chamber (both accessible).
20 x 8.2m long cairn covering two chambers – round one at W end and long stalled one running from centre to E end.
Just off the B864 near Lairg. Forestry track on other side of the road for parking.
Circular cairn roughly 21m diameter with a chamber and some facade stones visible.
Chambered tomb with no cairn. Parking on the verge just north of the site.
Two cairns, probably chambered – the N being in better condition standing some 5m high.
Plenty of parking available on the minor road running N from the site.
Another site with access arrangments under the Dumfries and Galloway Archaeosights scheme building on work already done by the Carsphairn Heritage Centre.
Not that easy to find though.
Drive to almost the end of the metalled road alongside Water of Deugh. At August 2003, the sign had fallen but the stile is the giveaway. Once over the fence you need to search about a bit for the forest track marked with boards. Halfway up, you emerge in a forest ride. Cross over going slightly to the right for the rest of the track (more boards).
The site is in a clearing at the top of this section. It is a cairn of the Bargrennan type with two chambers almost back-to-back.
Long cairn 30m in length with no visible chambers. A modern cairn has been added and parts of it have been used for lambing pens. More impressive from a distance than up close!
You can approach it though as it the Southern Upland Way runs close by and access across the intervening fields has been arranged as part of Dumfries and Galloway’s Archaeosights arrangements.
You might be able to get permission to park at Balmurrie Farm but I parked at the cattle grid at roughly NX203658.
Can easily be combined with a visit to Caves of Kilhern.
This site is just off the Southern Upland Way and can be freely accessed thanks to Dumfries and Galloway’s Archaeosights access arrangements.
Park on the road running NW from New Luce at NX192650 (plenty of room).
Cairn with four chambers visible, one with capstone.
The exact grid references for the sites are
– Girdle Stanes NY254961
– Loupin Stanes NY257966
Access to the sites is now freely available under Dumfries & Galloway’s Archaeosights scheme. The sights are signposted from the road. Parking seems to be allowed in the nearby hotel.
On the B8007 single track Salen/Ardnamurchan Point road. There is parking close by.
Clyde chambered tomb of which the two chamber entrance stones and a stone from the facade are currently the most prominent features.
In a clearing next to a forestry track just off the A714. Easy parking.
Under excavation when I visited it late one day in August 2003. See link to interim excavation reports.
In September 2003, the heather had been burnt away making the stones more visible. Two new images added – the most complete arc of the circle and the stone setting which may be the one Burl is quoted in Canmore as saying may be related to Four Posters.
Take the track to the W signposted to the cemetery off the B842 about 2.5 miles N of the Carradale junction. This is easily driveable until the signpost to the L for the “Toothie Stane” after which it becomes a little rougher. You may wish to park at the sign.
The site is a Clyde chambered cairn excavated in the early 50s. The main stones of the chamber and the two portal stones are visible. The N portal is nearly 3m high and is known as Carragh an Talaidh (Pillar of the Soothing) or the Toothie Stane- see Folklore.
This famous site is said to be able to determine the dates of winter and summer solstices – see the Megalithic Sites link for a full description.
Access to the site is by the track off the A83 at NR730527. There is limited parking here but ample about 0.25 mile further south where the road crosses the Ballochroy Burn. The people in the Balochroy bungalow near this parking point do not own the land on which the stones stand but they thought getting permission was unnecessary.
By a forest walk with parking.
Ring cairn 14.3m in diameter surrounding unusual setting of three standing stones and a slab. The latter was examined following damage in 1988 but no definitive burial evidence was found.
Clava cairn with stone circle of which five stones remain standing.
Park on A95 and walk down drive to Ballindalloch Castle (open to the public).
Clava cairn passage grave with surrounding stone circle of which four standing stones remain.
Park on the minor road running S from the A95 then climb the hill.
Once at the site, the remains of Lower Lagmore (NJ180359) can be seen to the E.
See notes for Drannandow.
Two standing stones 2.2 and 2.0m high
To be honest, there’s not a lot to see here but the trip may be worth it by also taking in the Auld Wives’ Lifts – a natural rock formation which looks like a dolmen. Look out for the many carved heads on the “capstone”. The Lifts are to the left of the track up to the cairn.
Best parking is near Blairskaith Quarry. Ask permission at North Blochairn.
Park on the B821 near where it is crossed by the West Highland Way and follow the Way north.
These stones have been described as the remains of a facade of a chambered tomb.
Two standing stones 1.4 and 1.0m high.
For access, see Glenvoidean.
Ruined Clyde tomb. A two-part chamber and portal stones opening on the E are visible.
Wonderful views down the Kyles of Bute to Arran.
For more detail, see accompanying photographs.
Visited 7 March 2004
2m high stone on the E side of a kerbed cairn containing another sloping stone 1.1m high.
Ruined Clyde cairn by side of road – with difficult parking.
Ruined Clyde cairn by the edge of a playing field.
A large elipse (41x33m) where construction seems to have been abandoned with the stone holes built and the stones in place but not erected.
Signposted path in forest to 80m long barrow.
Large cup-and-ring marked boulder on the W side of the lane running past Newbigging. On the sharp bend in the lane – see Streetmap.
See access notes for Avielochan or approach by one of the many footpaths at the N end of Aviemore crossing the railway at Knockgranish.
Excellent ring cairn with some fallen stones from external circle.
Historic Scotland site with difficult parking (unless it has improved recently).
Round cairn 350m W of Warehouse E
Long cairn with substantial cairn, passage and chamber visible.
Round cairn 18m x 16m. Passage and chamber visible.
Long cairn heavily robbed. Part of chamber visible.
Long cairn – 73m long. Modern walling in forecourt.
Leaflets available from Tourist Information offices. Parking at grid reference.
Trail includes one broch, the two South Yarrows chambered tombs and the three Warehouse tombs plus other sites.
It could be extended to include Kenny’s Cairn and Garrywhin.
Footpath from car park beside bridge.
Two grass-covered unexcavated chambered tombs lying at right angles to each other. Historic Scotland site with parking and signposting.
Involves crossing the Skelpick Burn but this was possible at time of my visit. There is a bridge about 0.5 mile to the north.