Moth
The passage looking in, ‘pivoting’ blocking stone on left peeking out of its recess (shot through the shut gate, after the guide had gone home – we were the last visitors for the day)
Image credit: Tim Clark
Access I walked along the coastal path from Warebeth beach towards Breckness. I’d guess it’s a mile or so on a reasonably good path, but it’s probably only good if you’re OK on your feet – it undulates and has been damaged by subsidence in a few places.
The stones are easily visible from the path but a real struggle to reach. I ended up being a bit naughty and nipping through the barbed wire and walking up the field margin – you’d have to get through the fence to reach them anyway....
Friday 25 June 2004
As Wideford has said, Orkney is littered with stones, often in pairs, some of which seem to be acknowledged as ‘bona fide’ standing stones, and some that don’t.
These are in a lovely spot and it’s a really nice walk from Warebeth beach, round the ‘corner’ from Stromness.
The nearby stone that Wideford has mentioned looks every bit as much a ‘real’ standing stone as these, though many others seem maybe less convincing. Bottom line is that unless proved otherwise, many could be ancient boundary markers, and many might not be.
I passed a big pile of at least 5 or 6 similar stones stacked by the coastal path on the way up from the beach. Were they ‘old ones’ taken down & stacked by a farmer, or ‘new ones’ ready for use? Or both?
Leafea stones looking towards the beautiful Warebeth beach
Image credit: Tim Clark
Leafea standing stones with further stone to left, looking up from coastal path
Image credit: Tim Clark
Distant view of the cairn on the horizon along the wild & woolly shore of the Head of Work
Image credit: Tim Clark
Gulls and oystercatchers were constantly circling, adding to the loneliness of the cairn
Image credit: Tim Clark
View of Helliar Holm Island from cairn – notice chambered cairn on centre horizon
Image credit: Tim Clark
Approaching up the hill from the small car park
Image credit: Tim Clark
Looking up from near the bottom of Wideford hill
Image credit: Tim Clark
Jane (with famous torch) illustrates height of main chamber
Image credit: Tim Clark
Main chamber showing entrances to south and west side chambers
Image credit: Tim Clark
Wideford Hill from the ‘Fairy Knowe’ or Cuween Hill. Wideford Cairn is about 3/4 up and about 3/4 left. If you know where you’re looking, you can just make it out
Image credit: Tim Clark
The remaining part of the tomb from the north(ish). Some significant finds were made in the area in the foreground
Image credit: Tim Clark
Low view of main chamber along stalls, showing concrete room (shame!) and the famous ‘skateboard’ lurking in the entrance on the right
Image credit: Tim Clark
Best not to overshoot on the ‘skateboard ride’ out....
Image credit: Tim Clark
Overview of Liddle bronze age hut (or workshop, depending on who you believe) from the lower slope of the burnt mound
Image credit: Tim Clark
The neat little culvert going under the wall of the Liddle hut/workshop
Image credit: Tim Clark
The remaining burnt mound by the house/’workshop‘
Image credit: Tim Clark
Unstan chambered cairn is around halfway along the nearest promentary into the loch from the right
Image credit: Tim Clark
The remaining stone looking towards where the ‘missing’ stone should be
Image credit: Tim Clark
From their position, these fragments could well be the remains of the destroyed stone
Image credit: Tim Clark
Ring cairn looking along ‘Clava’ valley towards main site
Image credit: Tim Clark
Foundations of the ruined chapel (I think) with possible ringcairn on far left
Image credit: Tim Clark
The large-ish stone in the possible cairn by the ruined chapel (or whatever) down the shallow valley – towards the main ‘Clava’ site
Image credit: Tim Clark
The start of the path up to the ringcairn etc. They once tried to fix my car at the garage to the right, but that’s a long story.
Image credit: Tim Clark
Inside the chamber of long cairn looking out. Shame about the concrete roof, but the start of the corbelling remains
Image credit: Tim Clark
Lovely corbelling – the ‘roof’ of the ‘round’ cairn
Image credit: Tim Clark
Brogar across Loch of Harray from road up ‘behind’ Maeshowe towards Staney Hill
Image credit: Tim Clark
Brogar from viewpoint on opposite side of Loch of Harray
Image credit: Tim Clark
The Comet Stone in the foreground, looking to Brogar
Image credit: Tim Clark
Maeshowe across the loch, centre, just right of nearest stone
Image credit: Tim Clark
