markj99

Visited 22.08.19

I parked at the Kintra campsite. I had to turn back at the ford to get my wellies and stick for the burn crossing. They came in handy later. Frachdale ruin was easily reached and a rough road ran up the hill to Frachdale Chambered Cairn and Coille A’chnoic Mhoir standing stone, easily spotted a quarter of a mile up on the right. As drewbhoy observed Frachdale Chambered Cairn was less accessible. I went through the gate at the top of the hill and followed my GPS South down a steep ferny slope crossing a boggy valley to the summit of the mound. The cairn itself is vegetation free, unlike its surroundings. I retraced my steps to return, avoiding further adventures.
Canmore ID 37607 (go to Links) give further details of Frachdale Chambered Cairn.

Following in the stumbling footsteps of drewbhoy, I spent 20 minutes searching for Princess Yula’s Stone only to bump into it as I was leaving, unsuccessful in my quest. It was at this happy point that I realised there were less than 20 yards between the two stones! To prevent future Antiquarian’s frustration I have devised a GPS free solution:
Take the A846 out of Port Ellen, reaching Ardbeg after Laphroaig and Lagavulin. The road narrows to a single track for a further 2 miles until you reach the scenic Loch a Chnuic bay. There is an uphill hairpin at the end of the bay. 20 yards before the apex of the hill there is space to park snugly beside a black wrought iron gate on the right.
Walk down the hill 10 yards, look right to the smaller stone nestled in the edge of the wood. The low fence is easily negotiated. To find the second stone stress free, stand on the left of the smaller stone facing the trees, walk 10 yards forward at which point you should notice a faint path to your left. Follow this path for 10 yards and you will find the Fairy Dell that hides Princess Yula’s final resting place.
Canmore ID 38030 (go to Links) casts doubt on the relationship between the two stones , stating that the road side stone “is a smaller, insignificant set stone of doubtful association.”

Cairn MacNeilie, Cruise lies in a field N of Cruise farm on the minor road between Glenluce and New Luce, around 1 mile from New Luce.

Canmore ID 61666 (go to Links) describes it as a circular cairn of 17 metres across which has been expanded by field clearance stones. The top of the cairn is covered in whins which discouraged my investigation of a possible cist.

Cairn Macneilie, Inchparks is 7.4 km WSW of this site.

Wallace’s stone is situated at Blairston Mains, the 1st non-private left turn on the B7024 to Maybole after leaving Alloway.
The stone is surrounded by a solid stane wall in a strip of trees.
The carving is suggested as a representation of Wallace’s sword but looks more like a cross to me, however some interpretation is required.
Canmore ID 41595 (go to Links) has more information on this site, suggesting the carving is “a cross in false relief” dating from the “10th to 12th century”.

Bain’s Hill or the Stinnie Stane is located at the northern boundary of Trump Turnberry. Park in the Malin Court Hotel restaurant car park. Head up to the flagpole and you will see the stone at the top of the hill.
Bain’s Hill is listed under Canmore ID 40856 (go to Links).

Logan House Garden is open from 1st February to 31st August. Follow the sign after going through Ardwell on the A716.
The standing stone is on the left of the one way avenue after around half a mile. The trees on the left make way for a large field in which the Logan House standing stone can be seen.
Canmore ID 61138 (go to Links) states “it is possibly a prehistoric standing stone.” The stone is c. 1.5m tall.

Kells farm is on the A710 along with its neighbour, Home Farm, which has two stones to visit. Kells Standing Stone is a 5 foot granite slab in a field SW of Kells.

It is listed as Canmore ID 65404 (go to Links).

I found this stone by sight as I was travelling S out of Twynholm. On passing Ingleston farm I noticed a large stone on the right side at the top of a hill.
I couldn’t find any online references to this stone but found it marked on my OS landranger map.
The Ingle Stone is a massive erratic measuring around 10x10x8 feet. There is a small moss-covered stone resting on top of the Ingle Stone. It is no wonder that the Ingle Stone has not been moved and has given the farm it’s name due to its prominence in the landscape.

The Devil’s Jump is located between St Breward and Camelford. There are two granite crags either side of a wooded valley. The western side is more prominent and easier to access via Carwether Village public path. There is a public path on the eastern side however access is limited.
I thought that a pillar of granite on the western side bore a diabolical resemblance maybe giving the site its name.

Visited 06.07.11

The 12 foot tall standing stone is easy to spot but the second stone is more reclusive. Canmore ID 8132 (go to Links) gives its location as ND 1992 3374. The split stone is around 6 feet high beside whins at the edge of the field. I’m not sure of the relationship between these stones. They’re like Arnold Schwartzenegger and Danny De Devito in Twins.
There is a large recumbent stone c. 70 yards SW of the taller menhir at the edge of Latheron. It seems like a better partner for the 12 foot stone. Canmore ID 8660 makes no mention of it.

Visited 24.01.12

Dun Flodigarry broch is located within the grounds of the Flodigarry Hotel. It is in a ruinous state, being reclaimed by natural forces.
Canmore ID 11388 (go to Links) gives details of an excavation on Dun Flodigarry carried out from 1978 to 1981.

It should be easy to visit Kirroughtree House Cairns, High & Low Lessons and Creebridge Cairn in the same day if you have not already visited them.

Take the A712 turn off the A75. Take the second left for Kirroughtree /Conifers Lodges, a single track road with passing places. After 500 yards there is a passing place at NX42646579 where you can stop safely.
Kirroughtree House N lies 250 yards N in a field. It look just like a natural grass mound until you are close enough to the slight hollow in the summit. It is a naked cairn that blends into the landscape.
Canmore ID 63431 (go to Links) verifies its status as a cairn.

Take the A712 turn off the A75. Take the second left for Kirroughtree /Conifers Lodges, a single track road with passing places. After 500 yards there is a passing place at NX42646579 where you can stop safely.
Kirroughtree House W cairn is visible 200 yards SSW.
It is around 20 yards across with a large tree growing out of the mound and an outline of a circular stone enclosure. The summit is stony and grass-covered with no visible cist.
The cairn itself and its lower location make it less impressive than its neighbour, Kirroughtree House E.
See Canmore ID 63442 (go to Links) for more details.

Take the A712 turn off the A75. Take the second left for Kirroughtree /Conifers Lodges, a single track road with passing places. After 500 yards there is a passing place at NX42646579 where you can stop safely.
Kirroughtree House E Cairn is a large cairn around 20 yards across, planted with a ring of mature trees and surrounded by a tumbledown dry stane dyke. Kirroughtree House W cairn is visible 200 yards NNW. Head for this and take a gate left into an adjacent field. Kirroughtree House E is 200 yards E.
The cairn has a commanding view towards Creebridge and the A75. The trees and the wall lend the cairn a greater presence in the landscape.
There are some exposed stones on the cairn but no cist visible.
Canmore ID 63441 (go to Links) gives a fuller account of the cairn.

Visited 17.07.13

It was third time lucky on the MV Glorious out of Girvan. We were turned back by the waves on two previous trips but persistence rewarded me with around two hours on the rock.
The rock has a lighthouse, two foghorns, a ruined tower house and industrial remains on the shore. It is famous for Ailsite granite curling stones which are prized for their durability. Some unshaped stones can be found on the beach.
There is more vegetation than is apparent from a distance and the grassy summit is 338 metres above sea level.

There is a parking lay-by at NX42746533 on the B7079 just before the A712 junction. Walk towards Creebridge observing Low Lessons in the field to the right. Around 200 yards there is a gate into the field with Low Lessons lying 200 yards WNW. High Lessons lies a further 200 yards WSW beside the stone wall, partially fenced off. Only an outline remains with a stony base. There is a gate just beyond High Lessons onto the footpath.
Canmore ID 63434 (go to Links) give futher information on Low Lessons and Canmore ID 63433 (go to Links) on High Lessons.

Visited 28.11.17

Sharpitor Cist is around 100 yards from the B3212 to Princeton. There is a well preserved cist and two orthostats, NW & SE of the cist.

You can park at SX557707 approximately. Walk NE parallel to the road for around 150 yards until you see two parallel stones, 3 feet high. The cist is between these stones.

Visited 15.10.13

I didn’t find anything at the grid reference given but I did find three stones adjacent to Kerrowe at SW451377. Stones I & II could have been part of a stone setting, however Stone III was approximately 100 yards SW of the others.

The Devil’s Bowling Green is an unusual rock feature found 500 yards NNW of the summit of Craignaw in the Galloway Hills. There is a an extensive strata of flat rock with a scattering of assorted rocks on top giving the surprising impression of a bowling green. Whether found by accident or targeted this site is a genuine rarity.

Visited 04.07.11

I visited Clach Stein (Garrabost) while on a Hebridean tour. Clach Stein is located on Point, a peninsula east of Stornaway, connected by a narrow isthmus 1 mile long. Head for Garrabost and turn left for Pabail Larach. The broken recumbent stone is accessible from there.
The original height of the stone would have been 10 feet according to Canmore ID 4396 (go to Links).
There appears to be no written record of the erect stone.

The Tor of Craigoch hillfort has been occupied by the Agnew Monument. Aside from the rounded hill it is difficult to find any traces of a hillfort. The view is dominated by the Agnew Monument built in 1850 in memory of Sir Andrew Agnew MP, who died the previous year.
Canmore ID 60830 (go to Links) gives extensive details of the fort and contains several good aerial photos.

Long Tom is a standing stone on Milldown Hill 400 yards from the Ayrshire/Dumfries & Galloway boundary.

It is accessed by a 4 mile walk from Cairnryan to the forestry above. The first 3.5 miles are by forest road but the last 0.5 miles are by forest lanes and firebreaks. It is the very definition of “in the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find”. I used a GPS to get there and would consider it a necessity.
Long Tom is situated in a clearing. It is a 6 foot pointed menhir, in splendid isolation.

It is listed under Canmore ID 60886 (go to Links) for further information.

Visited 27.10.18

The Taxing Stone is on the Stranraer Coastal Path from Stranraer to Glenapp. There are parking spaces available on the outskirts of Cairnryan before the ferry terminal. Follow the SCP signs uphill to Little Laight farm for approximately 1 mile. On the top of the hill there is a WWII gun battery. The Taxing Stone is sited on the path at the battery entrance. As previously noted there is some graffiti on the face of the stone.

Terally Standing Stone is on the landward side of the A716 to Drummore. You will see it on the right around 0.6 mile after New England Caravan Park. There is a parking bay around 250 yards on the left after the stone.
Canmore ID 61121 gives a full account of this broken stone.

Visited 07.02.19

About 1 mile out of Sheffield on the B3315 towards St Buryan there is a crossroads. Trevelloe farm is on the left and Trevelloe House is on the right. Turn right down a farm track until you can see Trevelloe house on the right. There is a parallel private drive which is tarmacked. The Trevelloe Carn is visible within the grounds of Trevelloe House. It seems to have been incorporated into the garden. It does not seem that public access is encouraged so I settled for a distant view.

Visited 06.02.19

Head for Land’s End on the A30. Around 3 miles from Land’s End turn right towards the airport on the B3306. Go past the airport and through Kelynack village. Bosavern House is around 0.5 mile on the right with public parking on the left for a footpath. If you walk right towards St Just you will see Tom Thumb Rock on your left at the edge of the field. Walk to the edge of the field and follow the hedge down to the rock. The massive stone egg-shaped rock measures c. 20x10x5 feet. Two large basins on the edge of the rock have been eroded to form seats.

Visited 07.02.19

Rosemorran Farm is on a minor road off the B3311 at the edge of Penzance. The narrow lane is enclosed by a dyke at Rosemorran Farm. The top of the standing stone can be clearly seen above the dyke at SW4752532552. The stone is on the first corner after the farm. The menhir has been hemmed in by the wall but retains its own character. Around 25 yards towards the farm there is a suspiciously stone like inclusion in the wall though it is much smaller.

Visited 08.02.19

If you park at Lamorna Cove the SWCP goes past Kemyal Crease. Kemyel 2 is a menhir 200 yards SE of Kemyel Menhir in an adjacent field towards the sea. It can’t be seen due to the high dykes until you are in the enclosed field. It is just under 6 feet high and rounder than its neighbour. It is situated at SW4579524577.

There was a gatepost at SW4570524137 which looked like a re-purposed menhir at least if not an original menhir. Is it Keymel 3?

Visited 08.02.19

If you park at Lamorna Cove the SWCP runs past Kemyel Crease farm. The menhir is situated at SW4569024667 around 200 yards south of Kemyel Crease farm. It is around 6 feet tall and pointed. The menhir is not marked on the OS Explorer map.

Visited 07.0219

I parked up in Castallack and walked up the muddy bridle path to Castallack Round at SW44852539, at a right angle in the path. The grass in the field was short however there was no sign of a hut circle. On the OS Explorer map the hut circle is just north of the round in an impossibly overgrown area.
At the northern edge of the round this a pointed menhir wedged in the dyke and a Bullaun stone a few feet away. A Bullaun stone is a stone with a deep hemispheric depression which often collects water.

Visited 08.02.19

I followed the right of way path and found the large menhir in the middle of some cabbages. I skirted round the field to find the other menhir incorporated into the hedge at SW 42765 23920. I was convinced that the hedge was built round this standing stone. The second stone is around 60 yards WSW of the visible stone. There is an interesting capstone shaped stone at SW 42814 24011 on the eastern edge of the field, around 75 yards north of the visible menhir.

Visited 17/01/19

Drummore Castle is situated 300m South of Drummore Stone Circle up the slope, obscured by trees. Mother Nature is slowly reclaiming the fort. The oval structure is still visible, as are the double rampart and ditch defences. The enclosure is flat with no remnants of occupation.
Canmore ID 63925 (go to Links) yields more information on the fort.

Visited19/01/19

As promised I returned to Drummore Stone Circle on my way to Drummore Castle (300m S of the stones).
The site is a natural amphitheatre with the stone circle as the focus of attention. There are only 4 stone remaining however a stone circle with missing stones seems more likely than a giant four poster.

Visited 01.12.18

I was staying in Crieff for a few (rainy) days so I visited the Knock of Crieff. The Cradle Stone is around 250 yards up the Knock Walk from the Lower Car Park, then 100 yards into the woods on the R. The OS Grid Reference is spot on. It is adjacent to a smaller boulder, also cleft in half, curiously.

There is a local belief that placing a coin in a crack in the Cradle Stone will make a wish come true. I invested 5p but I’m still waiting...

The Cradle Stone is a listed as Canmore ID 25498 (go to Links).

Visited 12.11.18
My previous attempts at clearing up the Machermore mystery were thwarted by the presence of a bull in the wrong field. Third time lucky, armed with Canmore data I visited the remaining cairns. There are a lot of clearance cairns in this area to confuse the picture. After careful analysis of Canmore sites I have come to the following conclusions:
Canmore searches for Machermore are not relevant as they are all discredited or clearance cairns.
Canmore searches for Culroy have produced several clearance cairns, three ruined cairns and two well preserved cairns.

1) Canmore ID 62210 See White Cairn, Culroy
2) Canmore ID 62231 See Culroy Farm Cairn
3) Canmore ID 62260 A dilapidated cairn covered by whins and some clearance stones
4) Canmore ID 62271 This is the well preserved Barrow listed as Machermore/Culroy
5) Canmore ID 62282 A possible cairn with whins & clearance stones added.

Culroy Farm Cairn lies around 300 yards N of Culroy Farm. It is a grassy mound around 4 feet high and 60 feet in diameter. There are many scattered rocks on the flattened plateau of the cairn. It is listed as Canmore ID 62231 (go to Links).

Visited 05.11.18

Head for Creetown Gem Rock Museum. Turn R up the hill just before the museum, turn L at the crossroads after 1/4 mile onto a single track road. After 400 yards the Chapelton White Cairn is in the field on the R.

Chapelton White Cairn is somewhat of an ironic name as the cairn is a grassy mound with no visible stone structure except for a large stone on the cairn summit. Canmore ID 63303 (go to Links) makes no mention of this stone so it may have been erected post 1970.

It is an unassuming site, on the way to Glenquicken and Cauldside sites so it is worth a short detour.

Visited on 5th Nov 2018

This ruined cairn can be found by parking at Cambret Hill just above the cattle grid on the road to the Cambret Hill mast. Head downhill towards the summit of Cairnharrow opposite. Cauldside Cairn South, a large well preserved cairn will be visible half way up Cairnharrow across the valley. Cross the fence at the bottom of Cambret Hill and line up the summit of Cairnharrow with Cauldside Cairn South. You should see a green area, a reed bank, stand out from the brown moorland around 100 yards straight ahead. The ground is boggy up to the cairn. The ruined cist is surrounded by reeds and an earth bank.
The history of this cairn is detailed in Canmore ID 63692 (go to Links).

Visited 05.11.18

While visiting the Cauldside Burn Cairn North (Canmore ID 63692) I tried to find the Stone Setting. When GPS failed I tried a 30 yards by 30 yards grid search S of the Cauldside Burn Cairn North but found no stones of any size.
I think the pictures already submitted here depict the Cauldside Burn Cairn North and the Cauldside Stone Circle, respectively.
For a more detailed description of the Cauldside Burn Stone Setting see Canmore ID 63682 (go to Links).

The Boreland Stones can easily be visited along with the two nearby cairns. Visit the Boreland cairn first then follow the directions for the White Cairn, Boreland. This will take you directly past the Boreland Stones. Three sites for the price of one!

Visited 14.10.18
The Machermore cairn should be called Culroy Cairn as it is on Culroy farmland. A Canmore search for Culroy will find these cairns.
The cairn is almost perfectly preserved except for some exposed stones on the E flank. It’s location in a flat field elevates this cairn into my top 10.
I found the cairn to the E, however it is covered by whins and in poor condition.
Culroy White Cairn lies 50 yards of the Y junction at Culroy farm around 1/2 mile up the road.
I have plans to revisit to sort out the remaining cairns. Canmore’s 1911 visit seems to have been over enthusiastic in it’s cairn nominations.

Visited 14.10.18
Turn onto the A747 Port William road from the A75 at Glenluce. Take the first L for Whitefield Loch after around 1.5 miles. This is a narrow lane with few passing places! Continue past the loch until you reach a Y junction at Culroy farm after around 2 miles. The White Cairn lies 50 yards N of the Y junction, in the moorland. Retrace your route to return as this is a dead end.

I expected to see a gleaming white cairn from a distance. The reality was somewhat different. I found the cairn more by GPS than sight.
The cairn is constructed of white stones however it is hidden under vegetation and the centre has been robbed out. A horseshoe wall structure is all that remains.

“A large cairn, which, at the date of visit, was being broken up for road metal. One half had already been removed and the remainder lay ready for removal. It was about 45’ in diameter and no cist was exposed.”
RCAHMS 1912, visited 1911

The quote is an extract from Canmore ID 62210 (go to Links) explaining the sad demise of this cairn.

Visited 16.05.15.
The Grey Man is a mimetolith c. 1 mile SE of Merrick summit. A mimetolith is a natural rock which resembles something else, in this case, a bearded face in profile. The Grey Man lives at NX43658450, in the middle of nowhere. To find him requires competent map and compass work or GPS navigation. It is a 10 mile walk in the Galloway hills so good walking boots, a good fitness level and good weather would be recommended.
Avoid the Merrick path which starts at Bruce’s Stone, continue down the road, cross a bridge and bear left onto the Loch Valley path. The path is defined but boggy in places, continuing upwards towards Loch Valley, then Loch Neldricken. From here head N over boggy ground towards the small Loch Arrow. Continue N to climb Craig Neldricken. Loch Enoch lies straight ahead, a substantial body of water. When you reach the loch head turn L round the shore. Look out for a valley between two rigs, heading SW. Hug the R side of the valley until you emerge into the expansive Rig of the Gloon. The Grey Man should be on the rock face on your R, silhouetted on Benyellary. The optical illusion works best viewing the rock face from the E. The view from the W is less convincing.
I retraced my steps to return, however it is possible to head for the summit of The Merrick and return by the Benyellary and Culsharg Bothy route given a long day and plenty of energy.

Directions: From Newton Stewart town centre take the A714 Girvan road. Follow the A714 for 8.5 miles until you reach Bargrennan. Take the R turn for Glentrool village. Drive past Glentrool Village, take the R turn for Loch Trool & Bruce’s Stone. Follow this narrow road for 4 miles until you reach the Bruce’s Stone/Merrick Car Park. The public road ends here and it becomes a rough track.

Visited 04.10.18

Following in GLADMAN’s footsteps there were two coincidences. I ran into a friendly farmer but forgot to ask his name. He was relaxed about me visiting the cairns. Secondly I also had “bovine bovver”. Mid Gleniron I & II are in the same field 100 yards apart. Mid Gleniron II is close to the dyke but Mid Gleniron I is in the middle of the field. Mid Gleniron I was surrounded by a large bull and beef cattle. I have visited it before so I reluctantly decided to miss it out this time. However Mid Gleniron II was close to the dyke so I explored it instead. It has been extensively robbed out but I did discover a Bullaun stone near the top of the cairn as a bonus.
Canmore ID 61594 (go to Links) gives an interesting overview of Mid Gleniron I’s evolution through time. Canmore ID 61608 (go to Links) tells the sad tale of Mid Gleniron II’s decline.

Visited 29.08.18

Beinn Ghott Cairn is a small cairn c. 0.5 mile NW of Scarinish on the Isle of Tiree. On approach I found a round cairn c. 4m across, 0.5m high with a prominent stone c. 0.5m high in the SE, the only stone on this half of the cairn. The cairn is covered by turf however there is a scatter of small to medium sized stones on the NW arc. There are several medium sized stones embedded in the SW kerb.

There was another possible cairn 50m further SE, however, I thought that this was a natural knoll.

Beinn Ghott Cairn is listed as Canmore ID 307523 (go to Links).

Directions: Parking is available in a large roadside lay-by 500m from Dun Beinn Ghott on the way from Gott to Scarinish. Head for the old military building then veer left to the summit of the dun. Looking SE from the summit a medium sized stone can be seen in the field 100m away, marking Beinn Ghott Cairn.

Visited 15.09.18

See Boreland for directions to Car Park NX 3575 5797. Drive on the B7052 Sorbie for 50 yards, turn R onto a single track road. After approximately half a mile, park in a gateway on the R from which the Boreland Standing Stones can be seen, 150 yards to the N.
The cairn can easily be visited after Boreland Standing Stones. The White Cairn, Boreland lies in a concealed hollow 200 yards N of the two stones.
The cairn is around 30m across by 2m high. The cairn’s earth bank is well preserved in places however the summit plateau has many scattered stones.
There are som aerial pictures of the cairn on Canmore ID 62849 (go to Links).

Visited 29.09.18
There are no less than 5 crannogs listed for Whitefield loch on Canmore. The only crannog surveyed since 1976 is Dorman’s Island which yielded evidence of occupation in 2003 & 2006 archaeological excavations (Canmore ID 62160).
The overgrown island is in the right location and the right size for this crannog, however I didn’t find the causeway. The water’s edge had a blue green algae and I didn’t want to get too close.

Visited 22.09.18

See the Loch Head Fieldnotes on how to get to Elrig Loch car park. It makes sense to visit Carlin Stone and Loch Head together since they are 500m apart and share the same car park.
The Carlin Stone is near the dry stane dyke in the field opposite the car park. Walk around 200m NW along the road looking N across the field to see the stone. You can walk around the perimeter of the field to access the Carlin Stone. It is around 1.5m high and pointed.
According to Canmore ID 62702 (go to Links) the Carlin Stone was one of six stones forming a small stone circle. There are no traces of the missing five stones so we are left with a single yet quite impressive standing stone.

Visited 22.09.18

Loch Head is a small hamlet around a crossroads. The easiest way to get there is to take the Elrig turn off the A747 1 mile W of Port William. This is a sharp turn onto a narrow road. Continue through Elrig and you will glimpse a loch on your right. This is Loch Elrig. As you reach the crossroads the cairn is on the right opposite the first house in Loch Head. Parking is available if you turn left at the crossroads, travel around 100 yards to a large car park on the left for Loch Elrig.
The grassy cairn is around 50 feet across by 3 feet high. There are some scattered stones remaining in the circle on the SW perimeter.
Carlin Stone is 500m N of the cairn and can be accessed from your current car park.
Loch Head cairn is recorded as Canmore ID 62701 (go to Links).