markj99

Visited 03.06.15

When I drove past the Cock Crowing Stone my curiosity was raised by the bold graffito on the stone. Obviously, I took some pictures and resolved to investigate the unusual stone on Google. The search was not particularly productive as to the naming of the stone. Huddersfield Exposed suggested that “the stone might rotate at the sound of a cock crowing on a specific day of the year, or it might be standing on top of a treasure hoard”. An alternative explanation was that it was a frequent perch for a cock grouse crowing in the morning.

I checked out the photos on Geograph and found that the quoted OSGR for the stone is not accurate: It is located at SE 08202 09036 (or 53.57784, -1.87758 on Google Maps).

Directions to Cnoc Nan Dursainean Cairn: Park up at the Free Church of Scotland Car Park in Garrabost. Walk SE up the single track road for c. 200 yards until it reaches a dead end at a derelict building. Continue SE on a moorland path for c. 450 yards to reach a white footbridge on the left. Cross the footbridge then walk c. 20 yards SW to a triangular standing stone called Clach Glas on a grassy mound. Retrace your steps back to the path then head SW along a vague path winding through the heather for c. 600 yards to reach Cnoc Nan Dursainean, a green patch in brown moorland. There is an arc of several stones in the SW of the cairn probably containing a ruined chamber and a single standing stone in the NE. Walk NW along a rough moorland path towards Garrabost. After c. 450 yards you will reach the outskirts of the village. Head N over a burn towards an open field. Walk N across the field towards the A866. Walk c. 300 yards ENE along the A866 to reach the Free Church of Scotland Car Park. My route is viewable on Garrabost Standing Stone & Chambered Cairn. Walking Boots and GPS Navigation are recommended for this circular route.

Directions to Cnocan Nan Cobhar from Broadford: Take the B8083 Elgol turn in Broadford. Stay on the B8083 for c. 11 miles. Turn left for Old Kilmarie Graveyard. After 0.5 mile on the single track park up at Old Kilmarie Graveyard. Walk c. 280 yards NW back to Kilmarie House. There is a gate on the right just above Kilmarie House. This leads to a path beside a river. Follow the path NW for c. 50 yards to a footbridge. Cross the bridge then walk SE for c. 50 yards to reach Cnocan nan Gobhar Cairn. My route is viewable on Cnocan nan Gobhar Cairn (Kilmarie).

Visited 03.06.25

Cairnholy 15 Carved Panel is located c. 6 feet SE of Cairnholy 13 Carved Panel on a rocky knoll c. 0.5 miles NNW of Cairnholy Farm in Dumfries and Galloway. The panel measures c. 2 feet ENE-WSW and 2.5 feet NNW-SSE. There are two eroded carvings on the central portion of the W half: a cup and ring carving measuring c. 4 inches in diameter and 0.25 inches deep and a cup carving measuring c. 1.5 inches in diameter and 0.1 inches deep. The cup carving is obscured by a white patch of lichen but a slight depression can be felt.

Visited 04.05.25

Cairnholy 13 Carved Panel is located c. 12 feet SE of Cairnholy 4 Carved Panel on a rocky knoll c. 0.5 miles NNW of Cairnholy Farm in Dumfries and Galloway. The rock art is carved on a sub rectangular panel measuring c. 5 feet ENE-WSW and 5.5 feet transversely, split in two by a grassy ravine. There are 7 cup carving right of the ravine on the N edge: a group consisting of 2 parallel lines of 3 cup carvings and a single carved cup. On the left of the ravine there are 2 central cup carvings and a cluster of carvings in the SW. The SW cluster has an eroded central cup and ring carving surrounded by several cup carvings. Canmore ID 368423 has further details of Cairnholy 13 Carved Panel.

On the SW corner of the panel there are two parallel deep grooves, measuring c. 6 inches and 1 foot respectively, which may be natural depressions smoothed and extended by domestic activity.

Visited 05.04.25

Cairnholy 14 Carved Panel is located c. 6 feet E of Cairnholy 4 Carved Panel on a rocky knoll c. 0.5 miles NNW of Cairnholy Farm in Dumfries and Galloway. Cairnholy 14 is a flat panel, shaped like South America, on the N edge of the ridge. There is a line of natural hollows running E-W on the S side of the panel. There are 2 carved cup markings in the centre of this alignment. The carved cups are c. 1.5 inches in diameter and 0.25 inches deep, adjacent to 2 deep natural hollows. Further details of Cairnholy 11 are available in Canmore ID 368424.

There are 6 carved panels on the knoll: Cairnholy 4,11,12,13,14&15.