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Directions to Airyolland W Cairn: Take the Elrig turn off the A747. Follow the road through Elrig for c. 1.9 miles to reach a left turn onto a dead-end lane signed for Barhobble Church Site. Travel c. 140 yards down the lane to a concrete lay-by on the left. Walk c. 400 yards NW to a gateway on the left. A green lane heading W starts here. Follow the green lane for c. 400 yards to reach a gate. Continue on the lane for c. 139 yards to a double gateway on the left. Go through the SW gate. Follow the stone wall S for c. 370 yards to reach Airyolland E Cairn, 15 yards W of the wall. Airyolland W Cairn is c. 50 yards SW of Airyolland E Cairn. My walking route is viewable on Airyolland Cairns.
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Directions to Airyolland W Cairn: Take the Elrig turn off the A747. Follow the road through Elrig for c. 1.9 miles to reach a left turn onto a dead-end lane signed for Barhobble Church Site. Travel c. 140 yards down the lane to a concrete lay-by on the left. Walk c. 400 yards NW to a gateway on the left. A green lane heading W starts here. Follow the green lane for c. 400 yards to reach a gate. Continue on the lane for c. 139 yards to a double gateway on the left. Go through the SW gate. Follow the stone wall S for c. 370 yards to reach Airyolland E Cairn, 15 yards W of the wall. Airyolland W Cairn is c. 50 yards SW of Airyolland E Cairn. My walking route is viewable on Airyolland Cairns.
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Directions to Balmalloch Chambered Cairn: Take the dead-end Forest Road at Blair Farm off the A714 c. 0.5 mile SE of Barrhill. Follow this narrow lane for c. 2.7 miles to Darnaconnar Farm at NX 27654 83371. There are three options from here. If you have a 4x4 you can follow the track running N from here or go by off-road bike or walk if necessary. The track is little used and overgrown in the centre. Follow the track for c. 0.8 miles to Balmalloch ruin at the end of the road. Walk NW along a path between trees for c. 120 yards to reach a forest clearing. Balmalloch Cairnfield is located c. 100 yard W from here. The area is planted with small pine trees. Balmalloch Chambered Cairn is c. 350 yards NW of this point across ditches and small trees. Make your best way towards NX 26393 84533 to reach Balmalloch Chambered Cairn.
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Directions to Laggan Cairn (Barrhill): Take the dead-end Forest Road at Blair Farm off the A714 c. 0.5 mile SE of Barrhill. Follow this narrow lane for c. 1 mile to a ruined house on the left of the road at NX 25692 82407. Park up and follow an overgrown track NW for c. 600 yards to a corner at NX 25263 82699. Walk N towards a gate in a deer fence. Walk W through rough boggy ground for c. 150 yards to the deer fence. Follow the deer fence N through similar terrain for c. 300 yards to Laggan Cairn (Barrhill) at NX 25354 82970.
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Directions to Barnshangan Cairns: Take the W turn to Glenluce off the A75. Turn left for New Luce after 0.2 mile. Stay on this road for c. 5 miles to reach New Luce. Park on Main Street. Walk straight on at the top of Main Street for c. 300 yards to reach Barnshangan Farm track. Follow the farm track for c. 0.6 mile to a gate on the right at NX 18156 65377. Head S into the field for 75 yards then SE towards a gate into an adjacent field. Barnshangan W Cairn is c. 75 yards NE from here. Return to the farm track then walk c. 400 yards E to NX 18429 65423. Barnshangan E Cairn is c. 50 yards to the right, next to a dry stane dyke.
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Visited 25.10.23
Laggan Cairn (Barrhill) is located in a recently planted forest c. 1.3 miles ENE of Barrhill, a village in South Ayrshire. Laggan is a ruin on Forest Road off the A714. The sub-circular cairn is on a slope with a grassy perimeter running from NW to SE up to 1 yard high. The central hollow retains several stones surrounded by ferns. I estimated the diameter of the cairn to be 18 yards. This corresponds to the 16 yards quoted in Canmore 62530.
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Visited 25.10.23
Balmalloch Chambered Cairn is located in a pine forest clearing c. 2.5 miles NE of Barrhill, a village in South Ayrshire. The stony mound measures c. 20 yards in diameter and 2.5 yards high. Excavation pits are visible on the S and W arcs of the cairn. Two chambers have been exposed by the removal of stones: one in the SE quadrant, the other in the NW quadrant. The larger NW chamber is covered by a split capstone measuring c. 6 x 6 feet. There is no visible passage. The smaller SE chamber has a capstone measuring 4.5 x 3 feet. There may have been a passage ENE of the SE chamber.
Given its rural location, it is not surprising that Balmalloch Chambered Cairn has survived relatively well. There are details of the cairn on Canmore ID 62520.
Balmalloch Cairnfield is c. 200 yards SE of Balmalloch Chambered Cairn.
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Visited 25.10.23
Balmalloch Cairnfield is located in a pine forest clearing c. 2.5 miles NE of Barrhill, a village in South Ayrshire. The extensive site is centred on NX 2648 8439. According to Canmore ID 62526 there were around 23 small cairns. The largest measured c. 6m in diameter and 0.8m high.
Unfortunately, Balmalloch Cairnfield has been furrowed and planted with pine trees. This has effectively destroyed the site. I couldn't see any remaining mounds on my visit on 25.10.23. When the trees are harvested in due course there will be further damage to Balmalloch Cairnfield.
Balmalloch Chambered Cairn is c. 200 yards NW of Balmalloch Cairnfield.
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Visited 25.10.23
Barnshangan W Cairn is located c. 700 yards W of Barnshangan Farm, c. 0.65 miles NE of New Luce in Dumfries and Galloway. Until recently, the small field in which it is located was used to enclose Beef Cattle. As a result the ground was churned to mud. The cattle have been moved and the field has grassed over. The low mound is almost invisible in the pasture. Viewed from W, there is a ridge c. 1 foot high. Otherwise the cairn has been reduced to ground level. A 1986 visit listed in Canmore ID 61370 estimated the diameter of Barnshangan W Cairn to be 20m but this is difficult to confirm in its current state. Field clearance stones, previously dumped on the cairn, have been removed (as noted in a comment in Canmore ID 61370). There are no visible stones on the grassy surface of the low mound.
Barnshangan W Cairn has a companion cairn, Barnshangan E Cairn, located c. 165 yards E. The E cairn is better preserved with scattered stones on its surface.
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Visited 06.10.23
St Mirren's Well is located c. 1 mile N of Kilsyth, in North Lanarkshire. The natural spring has been enclosed in a water tank distributing the water to Colzium according to Canmore ID 45896. A stone slab with 1687 deeply inscribed on the top is exposed on the W corner of the water tank. There is a piped outflow SE of the tank leading down a series of stone steps to a small pool of water. This pool feeds a boggy area around it. This is the new location for St Mirren Well, c. 20 yards SE of the water tank.
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Visited 20.09.23
I was suffering from Stone-Fatigue after a week in and around Carnac. I opted to drive for 3 hours to Cairn de Barnenez as a relaxing change. The monument was well sign-posted. The entry fee was a reasonable 6 euros. The epic scale of Cairn de Barnenez was intimidating at first. There are 11 parallel dolmens in the cairn running SE-NW, however all but one of the passages are closed to the public. It took me 45 minutes to fully capture the essence of the monument. Cairn de Barnenez is a recommended visit.
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Visited 19.09.23
Like Jane, I struggle with the concept of rectangular "Stone Circles". I am conditioned to expect rectangular structures to be modern and stone circles to be ancient. I had the same problem with Quadlatiere du Manio. I left Cromlech de Crucuno with more questions than answers.
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Visited 19.09.23
Dolmen de Crucuno is very easy to visit. It is situated adjacent to a house in the centre of Crucuno, a hamlet between Plouharnel and Erdeven. You can park 10m away from the monument. These facts don't make Dolmen de Crucuno any less impressive when you are standing beside it. A giant capstone measuring c. 7.5m long and weighing an estimated 40 tons is supported by 9 large orthostats.
Take the Crucuno turn off the D781 at the Toul Siac'h roundabout. After c. 0.8km turn right into a car park in the centre of the village opposite the dolmen.
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Visited 19.09.23
If you are near Carnac, Dolmens de Rondossec are a must-visit. There are three extensive dolmens in a mound in the centre of Plouharnel. There are numerous capstones on the wide passages and large chambers partially covered by capstones.
From Carnac take the D781 towards Erdeven. Follow the D781 through two roundabouts in Plouharnel then turn right onto Rue Hoche to find the tumulus.
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Visited 19.09.23
Dolmen de Kergazec is located c. 100m SE of Kergazec, a small village in Morbihan. The exposed dolmen is in reasonable condition, consisting of a large capstone on four supporting orthostats and dry walling. It retains a passage measuring c. 2m long. There is a small capstone on the SE end of the passage.
The best way to find Dolmen de Kergazec is to visit Dolmen de Kernevé then walk c. 140m SW along the C106 to the edge of an open field. Follow a dirt track heading NE for c. 300m to reach Dolmen de Kergazec.
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Visited 19.09.23
Dolmen de Kernevé is located c. 10m down a path from Kernevé to Crucuno that starts c. 450m along the C106 from St Antoine roundabout on the D781. A large capstone and several orthostats have been incorporated into a garden wall. There is a convenient lay-by 20m NE of the path.
Dolmen de Kergazac can be found by walking c. 140m SW along the C106 to an open field. The dolmen is visible c. 300m NW from a track starting at the field edge.
Travel c. 1.8km along the C106 to reach Dolmen du Cosquer.
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Visited 19.09.23
Dolmen du Cosquer was a relaxed start to the day. The small dolmen is by the roadside in Cosquer, a hamlet c. 2km N of Plouharnel in Morbihan.
Follow the D781 for c. 2.2km from Plouharnel to the St Antoine roundabout. Take the first exit for C106 Kernevez. After c. 2.3km on this road you will reach Dolmen du Cosquer.
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Visited 18.09.23
Allée couverte de Mané Roullarde is located in a private residential area off Rue de Kerisper in Trinité-sur-Mer in Morbihan. It is still an impressive monument despite its ruinous state. The site has been fenced off to protect the site and discourage visitors. The c. 20m long passage retains four capstones and some inaccessible carved stones. The elevated position of Allée couverte de Mané Roullarde on a promontory would have yielded extensive sea views.
In the centre of Trinité-sur-Mer take the D781 Locmariaquer exit off the Alain Barriere Roundabout. After c. 50m bear left onto Rue de Kerisper. Follow this road for c. 150m to reach a private residential lane on the left. Park up as close as possible. Walk c. 150m up the lane to Allée couverte de Mané Roullarde on the right.
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Visited 18.09.23
Dolmen de Kermarquer is located c. 100m NE of Kermarquer, a small village in Morbihan. The circular mound, which measures c. 25m in diameter and 1.5m high, contains one dolmen with an unusual double chamber. A passage running ESE for c. 3m has two large capstones. It leads to a main chamber, open to the sky, measuring c. 2.5m square. A lateral chamber, separated by two portal stones, is located South of the main chamber. This subsidiary chamber, measuring c. 1.3m square, retains one capstone.
There is room to park beside a hedge at 47.596867, -3.038629 just off the D186 in Kermarquer. Walk c. 120m NE along the D186. Climb up a steep bank on the left-hand side of the road. Dolmen de Kermarquer is located in a clearing.
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Visited 18.10.23
Dolmen de Kervilor Mané-Bras is located c. 250m N of Kermarquer, a small village in Morbihan. It consists of a sub-circular mound, measuring c. 30m in diameter, with three dolmens therein. There are two central dolmens with partially covered passages. Dolmen North-Central has a c. 5m passage running from ESE towards a square chamber measuring c. 3m. There is one capstone on the W end of the chamber. The South-Central dolmen has a c. 6m passage running ESE towards a sub-circular chamber measuring c. 3.5m in diameter. There is a large capstone on the junction of the chamber with the passage. Viewed from the E, these dolmen give the mound a pleasing symmetry. It is for that reason that I considered the dolmen on the S edge to be a later addition. Also, it is a simpler construction than the central Dolmens. Dolmen South has a c. 3m passage running SE towards an irregular quadrilateral chamber measuring c. 2m x 1.5m. There are no cover stones on Dolmen South.
I found Dolmen de Kervilor Mané-Bras by accident while looking for Dolmen de Kermarquer. I saw a wooden sign at 47.597594, -3.036248 on the roadside and followed the path through a wood for c. 200m to reach a large mound in a clearing.
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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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