Showing 1-20 of 324 fieldnotes. Most recent first | Next 20 
Visited 27.05.23
Moss Knowes Rocking Stone is located in South Ayrshire, c. 0.5 mile W of the S end of Loch Ricawr in Galloway Forest Park. It is marked on OS Mapping. The rocking stone is a sub-rectangular stone measuring c. 10 x 5 x 5 feet. The long axis runs E-W. It is balanced on a large wedge-shaped boulder measuring c. 11 feet high by 15 feet wide in the SW side sloping down to 3 feet high in the NE side. A choke stone on the NE slope of the wedge-shaped boulder appears to have wedged the rocking stone in position. As a result, the rocking stone doesn't rock. It is unclear whether the choke stone is natural or a later addition by man.
Moss Knowes Rocking Stone is accessed via Carrick Forest Drive, which is currently closed to vehicles. A mountain bike is the best way to reach the rocking stone from the W terminus of Carrick Forest Drive at NX 41312 95695. Follow the Carrick Forest Drive for c. 1.7 miles to reach a right turn just before Loch Riecawr. Take the right turn heading S for c. 1.1 miles to reach Moss Knowes Rocking Stone. It is c. 25 yards SE of the forest track in an open area of felled forest.
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Visited 15.05.23
There is a submerged crannog in the centre of Cults Loch, c. 1 mile NE of Castle Kennedy in Dumfries and Galloway. An additional crannog site can be found in the NW corner of Cults Loch.
Cults Loch Central Crannog is visible as a scrubby island c. 100 yards off the W bank of Cults Loch. According to Canmore ID 61693, the island "measures about 7.5m from N to S by 5.1m transversely." An underwater archaeological survey in 2002 estimated the dimensions of the submerged crannog to be 19.5m N-S by 17m transversely, rising 2.5m above the loch bed.
Cults Loch NW Crannog was located on a sub circular promontory, projecting c. 50 yards into the NW corner of Cults Loch at NX 1203 6058. Archaeological excavations carried out between 2007 and 2010 established that the promontory was man-made. Traces of a ditch and wooden palisade defensive structure were found at the neck of the promontory. The excavation of the interior yielded evidence of multi-phase occupation. Canmore ID 276231 has further detail of the archaelogical excavations of Cults Loch NW Crannog. The present waterlogged condition of the site on the N margin of the loch precluded me from making any investigation of the promontory.
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Visited 04.05.23
Captain's Bridge (Drummochreen) W Hillfort is located immediately W of Captain's Bridge on the B741, c. 4 miles S of Maybole in South Ayrshire.
The E flank of the hillfort has been truncated by the construction of Captain's Bridge, leaving a 20 foot sheer rock face. The N and S flanks are protected by natural contours. There are remains of a defensive ditch and rampart on the exposed W flank of the fort. The ditch is c. 10 feet wide and 1 foot deep, the rampart c. 5 feet high. The open enclosure, sloping gently from W to E, has a sparse population of trees. It measures c. 20 yards E-W and 18 yards N-S. There are no man-made features visible in the enclosure.
Canmore ID 40869 has further details of Captain's Bridge (Drummochreen) W Hillfort.
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Visited 02.05.23
Captain's Bridge (Drummochreen) SE Dun is located c. 20 yards SE of Captain's Bridge on the B741, c. 4 miles S of Maybole in South Ayrshire.
The small dun which reaches up to 20 feet high on the W end has steep defensive sides on the N and E flanks. The S and W flanks provide possible access to the SW-NE sloping summit plateau. It has been populated by mature trees making measurement difficult. Canmore ID 40868 quotes the internal dimensions of Captain's Bridge (Drummochreen) SE Dun as "11 m by at least 8m". There are no significant stones visible on the summit plateau.
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Visited 09.05.23
Barnsallie Fell Cairn is a small grassy mound, located c. 130 yards N of Whitefield Loch, in the SE corner of Barnsallie Fell in Dumfries and Galloway. It is in a clearing in scrubland on the W edge of Craigenveoch Wood. A tree growing out of the central hollow of the cairn has all but obscured the ancient remains. Viewed from the S, a tree surrounded by a circle of brushwood can be seen. According to Canmore ID 62154 the mound measured "5.0m in diameter and 0.8m high" in 1976. This was difficult to check accurately due to impenetrable vegetation but it seemed to be a good visual estimate.
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Visited 12.05.23
Loch Heron is located immediately S of Three Lochs Holiday Park between Glenluce and Newton Stewart in Dumfries and Galloway. The aforementioned three lochs, from SW to NE, are Loch Ronald, Loch Heron and Black Loch. According to Canmore ID 62396, there were two crannogs on Loch Heron.
Loch Heron NW Crannog was constructed on an artificial island c. 80 yards E from the centre of the W bank. The small isle has been intensively populated by trees and shrubs obscuring any view of the crannog's remains. Canmore gives the dimensions of a mound on the isle as 51m NW-SE, 26m transversely and 2.2m high.
Loch Heron SW Crannog is a submerged islet located c. 50m SE of the wooded isle. There are no signs of it from the W bank. Details of Loch Heron SW Crannog are available in Canmore ID 62396.
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Visited 02.04.23
Ballageich Hill Cairn is located on the E edge of the summit plateau of Ballageich Hill, c. 2 miles SW of Eaglesham in East Renfrewshire. There is a lay-by on the B764 at NS 53933 50021, opposite to Greenfield Farm track. A path from the lay-by, heading NW, leads c. 180 yards up to the elevated remains of Ballageich Hill Cairn. The grassy sub-circular cairn measures c. 3 feet high and 66 feet in diameter. The surface of the cairn is irregular with exposed stones protruding through the turf. There is a round excavation pit, measuring c. 6 feet across and 1 foot deep, in the S half of the mound. Ballageich Hill Cairn has expansive views to the N, E and S. The W view looks across moorland towards the summit of Ballageich Hill. Canmore ID 43978 lists the cairn under the alternative spelling "Ballagioch".
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Law Knowe was the site of a cairn on a natural knoll on the N fringe of East Kilbride in South Lanarkshire. The cairn measured 8 or 10 yards and had a kerb of large flagstones according to Canmore ID 44899. Canmore states that a large part of the cairn was robbed by the end of the 18th Century and no traces of the cairn remained in 1955.
A Playsport golf course has been constructed on the site of the cairn. The location, in the SW corner of the golf course, has a Marker Cairn with an information plaque constructed on top of Law Knowe.
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Visited 21.04.23
There was a hillfort on a natural knoll on the lower E slopes of Caerketton Hill, c. 0.33 miles S of Hillend Ski Centre in Midlothian. The knoll reaches up to a height of 10 yards above the surrounding area. The enclosed area of the oval fort was c. 80 yards E-W and 70 yards N-S. According to Canmore ID 51763 virtually all traces of the fort have been erased by cultivation. There are remains of a defensive bank and ditch extant on the W Arc. The only surviving sign of habitation on the summit plateau is a small hut circle c. 5 yards S of the central summit.
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Visited 21.04.23
There is a stony footprint of a cairn on the summit of Caerketton Hill, c. 0.5 mile SW of Hillend Ski Centre in Midlothian. The round cairn, which measures c. 50 feet in diameter, has been razed to ground level on all but the S Arc. A fence running E-W bisects the S half of the cairn, leaving a perimeter of original cairn stones c. 6 feet wide on the S Arc. A modern cairn, c. 3 feet high, has been constructed in the centre of the cairn. Caerketton Hill Cairn has panoramic views in all directions due to it's elevated location, c. 480m above Sea Level.
Canmore ID 51764 has details of surveys of Caerketton Hill Cairn in 1928 and 1969.
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Visited 21.04.23
Galachlaw Cairn is a sub-circular mound in woodland on the S edge of a housing estate in Fairmilehead on the S fringe of Edinburgh. The cairn, which measures c. 45 feet in diameter and 5 feet high, has been almost entirely robbed of stone, leaving several putative kerb stones on the S Arc, as noted in Canmore ID 51710. The largest stone measures c. 1.5 x 1 x 0.5 feet. An eroded path crosses the centre of the cairn on an E-W Axis. There is a significant excavated hollow in the N half of the cairn. Galachlaw Cairn would have had a 360° vista previous to afforestation and urban development.
Galachlaw Cairn on Google Maps
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Visited 20.02.23
Rosesnannon W Barrow is located on Rosenannon Downs c. 3.5 miles SW of Wadebridge. The oval mound is c. 500 yards W of Rosenannon N Barrow in rough moorland.
Historic England List Entry Number:1021224 lists its dimensions as 28m E-W, 25.5m N-S and 1.7m high. There is a shallow excavation in the centre of the barrow leaving stones exposed.
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Visited 14.04.23
Brae Farm SW Cairn is one of a group of 3 cairns on Brae Farm, c. 5 miles NNW of Port William in Dumfries and Galloway. The SW cairn is located in the corner of a field c. 270 yards S of the B7005 and 20 yards W of Brae Farmhouse.
Brae Farm SW Cairn is the best preserved of the group, retaining original cairn stones on the N Half. The round mound measures c. 60 feet in diameter and 3 feet high. There is a stone covered hollow in the W Quadrant, possibly a result of a 1942 excavation mentioned in Canmore ID 62913. Some medium-sized field clearance stones have been dumped on the W Quadrant.
Brae Farm NE Cairn is located c. 300 yards NE and Brae Farm Central Cairn is located c. 100 yards N of Brae Farm SW Cairn.
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Visited 14.04.23
Brae Farm Central Cairn is one of a group of 3 cairns on Brae Farm, c. 5 miles NNW of Port William in Dumfries and Galloway. The Central cairn is located in pasture c. 170 yards S of the B7005 and 30 yards W of Brae Farm road.
Brae Farm Central Cairn is constructed on a natural rocky knoll according to Canmore ID 62900. The round mound measures c. 50 feet in diameter and 2 feet high. The grassy surface is pock-marked with small clusters of exposed stones.
Brae Farm NE Cairn is located c. 200 yards NE and Brae Farm SW Cairn is located c. 100 yards S of Brae Farm Central Cairn.
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Visited 03.04.23
High Moor Hut Circle is a circular grassy footprint in rough pasture c. 5 miles NNW of Port William in Dumfries and Galloway. The hut circle is located c. 70 yards W of Corwall Farm track, c. 0.5 mile yards S of the B7005.
Usually, when I am searching for a hut circle, I seem to spend 30 minutes grid searching moorland without success. High Moor Hut Circle is a glorious exception to the norm. Heading S from Brae Moor Cairn I spotted my quarry from 100 yards away.
High Moor Hut Circle measures c. 33 feet in diameter and up to 1.5 feet high. There is only one substantial stone on the perimeter, an upright stone c. 1.5 feet high, in the S Arc. The SW Arc of the circle has been obscured by gorse bushes. The probable entrance is a gap in the bank, measuring c. 3 feet wide, in the SE Arc according to Canmore ID 62228. The interior of High Moor Hut Circle is flat and featureless.
Brae Moor Cairn is located c. 200 yards NNE of High Moor Hut Circle.
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Visited 03.04.23
Brae Moor Cairn is a sub-circular grassy footprint in rough pasture c. 5 miles NNW of Port William in Dumfries and Galloway. The cairn is located c. 15 yards W of Corwall Farm track, c. 600 yards S of the B7005. There are intermittent remains of an earth bank on the perimeter, best preserved on the SE Arc up to a height of 2 feet. The cairn is c. 50 feet in diameter with an exposed cist on a NE-SW Axis in the centre. The rectangular cist, which is surrounded by bracken, measures c. 3 x 1.5 x 1.5 feet.
Canmore ID 62227 has further details of Brae Moor Cairn.
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Visited 03.04.23
Brae Farm NE Cairn is one of a group of 3 cairns on Brae Farm, c. 5 miles NNW of Port William in Dumfries and Galloway. The NE cairn is located in pasture c. 20 yards S of the B7005 and 120 yards E of the Brae Farm road end.
Brae Farm NE is constructed on a natural rocky knoll according to Canmore ID 62898. There are large putative kerb stones on the SE and NW perimeter of the mound. The sub-circular grassy cairn measures c. 20 feet in diameter and 2 feet high. A modern clearance cairn has been accumulated on the field margin 10 yards N of Brae Farm NE Cairn.
Brae Farm SW Cairn is located c. 300 yards SW and Brae Farm Central Cairn is located c. 200 yards N of Brae Farm SW Cairn.
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Visited 02.04.23
Craignarget Hill Cairn is a stony cairn on the S slope of Craignarget Hill c. 5 miles SE of Glenluce in Dumfries and Galloway It is situated 0.4 miles of the Rocks of the Garheugh (pronounced Garchy locally) on Luce Bay.
The cairn measures c. 10 yards in diameter reaching up to c. 5 feet high in the undisturbed N Arc. There is a carpet of moss on the N & E Arcs. The S half of the cairn has been extensively robbed leaving a hollow in the centre of the mound.
Canmore ID 62200 has further details of Craignarget Hill Cairn.
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Visited 26.05.12
Tinnis Hill Summit Cairn is located c. 4.25 miles ENE of Langholm. The round cairn lies 0.25 miles E of the Scottish Borders/Dumfries and Galloway border. There is an oval grass mound on the summit of Tinnis Hill. There are low remains of a stone wall enclosure at the base of the mound. On the N & S Axis the wall is c. 40 yards from the summit and c. 25 yards from the summit on the E-W Axis. The cairn was constructed on the centre of the mound. It has been greatly reduced over the centuries to a low grassy mound measuring c. 20 yards in diameter and 2 feet high, according to Canmore ID 67879. A trig point has been erected on the E edge of the cairn. A horseshoe-shaped stone shelter up to c. 4 feet high surrounds the trig point on the N,S & W Arcs.
When visiting this isolated site it is worthwile extending your route 1 mile S to visit Windy Edge Long Cairn and Windy Edge Stone Circle sites in Dumfries and Galloway.
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High Gillespie Cairn is a ruined grassy mound located in pasture land c. 4 miles SE of Glenluce in Dumfries and Galloway. The surface of the sub-circular cairn has been smothered by gorse bushes. Field clearance stones have been dumped on the N perimeter of the cairn. The current mound measures c. 110 feet in diameter and 5 feet high on a summit plateau.
Canmore ID 62207 states that High Gillespie Cairn had a facade on the E Arc with 5 visible stones. There are no signs of a facade and visible stones in the E arc today. In fact there is evidence of recent excavation on the E Arc. This may be related to a badgers sett dug into the E perimeter of the mound.
Canmore ID 62207 also states that the main axis of the cairn was ENE-WSW, with at least 6 chambers constructed therein. This is difficult to confirm given the ruinous state of the cairn. I located a possible square capstone, measuring c. 4 x 4 x 1 feet, on a collapsed cist on the NE Arc and an exposed cist, measuring c. 5 x 3 x 3 feet on the S Quadrant. The S cist consists of a buried N end slab, an E slab measuring c. 5 x 3 x 1 feet, a missing S slab and a W slab measuring c. 7 x 3 x 1 feet.
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Showing 1-20 of 324 fieldnotes. Most recent first | Next 20 |
I love to travel, especially to antiquarian sites. I'm working through the extensive Cornwall site list with an annual week holiday. Avebury is my favourite spiritual destination. Las Vegas is my favourite sinful destination.
I also enjoy hill climbing however as time passes the hills grow steeper. I have climbed around 30 munros, however, I've also climbed The Cobbler, Stac Pollaidh and Suilven so height is not the only criteria.
I used to play golf (9 handicap) and support Queen of the South however I gave up both bad habits. Horse racing was a more recent obsession. Epsom and Newmarket are my favourite racecourses. At the moment my current obsession is music gigs: Arcade Fire, Dinosaur Jr, Sparks, Jesus and Mary Chain and Belle & Sebastian, my favourite band.
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