markj99

Visited 09.09.22

Greenbarrow was an obvious target on the SW horizon viewed from Greenbarrow NE Cairn. This impressive grass-covered barrow measures c. 25 yards in diameter with a central mound measuring c. 4 feet high. There is an earthfast Kerb Stone in the W Arc. There is also a large stone on the N Arc of the platform, possibly a displaced Kerb Stone. A ditch is visible between the Central Mound and the raised platform on the N Arc. The hollow centre of the barrow has irregular excavation pits.

Greenbarrow is listed as Cornwall & Scilly HER Number: 1634.20 (go to Links), part of a Bronze Age cairn cemetery. The NGR is recorded as SX 1298 7294.

Visited 09.09.22

I spent a pleasant afternoon surveying cairns, stone rows and standing stones on Greenbarrow & Trehudreth Downs. I found Trehudreth Downs W Cairn, a round grassy mound with an irregular surface measuring c. 20 yards in diameter and 3 feet high. There is the footprint of a stone structure measuring c. 5x4 yards in the E Arc of the cairn. It is located at SX 12475 72749.

Visited 09.09.22

I spent a pleasant afternoon surveying cairns, stone rows and standing stones on Greenbarrow & Trehudreth Downs. I found Trehudreth Downs E Cairn, a round grassy mound with an irregular surface measuring c. 7 yards in diameter and 2 feet high. It is one of 6 sites listed on Historic England List Entry Number: 1005458 (go to Links). It is located at SX 12676 72864.

Visited 09.09.22

I spent a pleasant afternoon wandering Trehudreth Downs. I was successfully searching for cairns but also stumbled on this short stone row running WSW-ENE. The stones were low lying and difficult to locate in rough moorland. Upon consulting my GPS I noted that this was the W end of a long stone row. At the time I couldn’t locate its remaining portion. The Stone Rows of Great Britain includes Trehudreth Down (go to Links). Stone 19 (SX 12464 72955) and Stone 13 (SX 12499 72967) gives the full range of the stones I found.

Visited 10.09.22

Two Stone Circles for the price of one! Trippet Stones & Stripple Stones are a classic double. Hawk’s Tor is a bonus. Stripple Stones were restored in 2015 by The Heritage Trust. A modern wall bisecting the henge was removed, the henge was restored and fallen stones re-erected. The current monument has 11 standing stones & 4 recumbent stones in the stone circle and 2 central recumbent stones orientated towards 338°. The large recumbent central stone measures c. 12 ft by 33 inches. The smaller parallel recumbent central stone measures c. 40 inches by 12 inches.
Pictures of all 17 stones in Stripple Stones are available in Historic England List Entry Number: 1006693 (go to Links).
Directions: Take the St Breward/Temple turn off the A30. Follow the St Breward road for c. 0.8 mile to the 1st crossroad. Turn left and park up on the grass verge after c. 0.2 miles. Walk c. 170 yards NNW to Trippet Stones. Walk NE for 0.3 miles to the corner of the common. Follow the track NE for c. 0.35 miles. Walk SE for c. 0.2 miles to the summit of Hawk’s Tor. The Stripple Stones are located 0.25 miles SE of the summit. My route to Stripple Stones is on OS Maps (go to Links).

Visited 12.09.22

Seven Lords’ Lands Cairn was an unexpected bonus on a visit to Hound Tor Medieval Village in Dartmoor National Park. It is located c. 80 yards NE of the B3387, adjacent to a stone wall. This round cairn has a diameter of c. 12 yards and reaches up to 2 feet high. There is an intermittent kerb of upright stones measuring up to 2.5 feet in the W Arc. A gap in the SW Arc of the kerb provides an entrance into the interior of the cairn. The irregular grassy surface of the interior has been robbed of stones. There is an excavated hollow offset c. 5 feet W of the centre of the cairn. The grassy hollow is c. 2.5 feet across & 1 foot deep with a small embedded central stone.
Seven Lords’ Lands Cairn is listed on Historic England (go to Links).

Visited 09.09.22
On the way to the Trippet stones I took the opportunity to revisit Manor Common Barrows. I had located the N Barrow but failed to find the S Barrow in 2019. This time, I revisited the N Barrow quite easily then used my GPS to home in on the location of the S Barrow. I saw a low tumulus c. 2 feet high covered in burnt gorse bushes. Maybe the cairn was hidden by gorse on my last visit. The cairn measured c. 12 yards E-W but the S Arc was obscured by gorse.

Manor Common Cairns are not listed on Historic England, but they are marked on OS Mapping. However, by using a new Search Engine, Heritage Gateway, I discovered a Bronze Age Barrow Cemetery listed on Cornwall & Scilly HER Number: 1642 (go to Links). There are three barrows in the listing. Manor Common N Cairn corresponds to Cornwall & Scilly HER Number: 1642.10. Manor Common S Cairn corresponds to Cornwall & Scilly HER Number: 1642.20. Cornwall & Scilly HER Number: 1642.30 refers to a putative small cairn located in between the N & S cairns. I didn’t search for it because I found this information subsequent to my visit.

Visited 25.08.22

For some perverse reason I felt compelled to revisit Long Tom (Cairnryan) Standing Stone. My original route from Cairnryan was blocked by a no unauthorised entry sign, presumably for a Wind Farm Construction Site. Back to the drawing board or in this case OS Maps. Glen App Wind Farm is now operational and accessible on foot (or bike). I plotted a route through the wind farm leading to Turbine B10. From there I could see a route to Long Tom (Cairnryan) via forest rides and firebreaks. The conditions underfoot were rough and boggy with care required on some sections to avoid sinking, however I persisted to reach my goal. A standing stone in perfect isolation! A just reward for a difficult expedition. All too soon I had to retrace my sodden footsteps to Turbine B10 and dry roads.

My route to Long Tom (Cairnryan) is viewable on the following link: explore.osmaps.com/route/13702299/long-tom-milldown?lat=55.018030&lon=-5.023700&zoom=12.6373&overlays=&style=Leisure&type=2d
Parking is available at NX 07423 74657, W of the A77 opposite Glenapp Church, just N of Glenapp Schoolhouse. Walk S along the A77 for c. 200 yards to reach the Glen App Track, the start of the route.

Visited 09.04.18

Withey Brook Round Cairn lies on the slopes of Withey Brook Valley on the edge of Langstone Downs. It is located in a Bronze age field system incorporating a hut circle settlement.

Withey Brook Cairn is a round cairn, 40 feet in diameter by 5 feet high, covered in grass with large exposed stones on the surface. The cairn is largely undisturbed except for a hollow 5 feet across by 1.5 feet deep on the summit of the cairn.

Historic England 1010308 (go to Links) notes its unusual setting on a lower slope however it is situated on a crest top in an occupied Bronze Age area denoting its context in the ancient environment.

Directions: From the E edge of Minions turn into the Car Park then sharp R into a narrow country lane. Follow this for 1.33 miles until you reach the dead end L turn for Sharptor. The lane leads through Sharptor where the public road ends after 0.5 miles. There is room to park at SX 2579 7304 between Sharptor and Wardbrook Farm. Follow the dismantled railway track past Wardbrook Farm for 0.75 miles. Withey Brook Cairn lies within 50 yards on the L of the track, an obvious prominence in the landscape.

I visited the Langstane o’ Craigearn on 19.09.19, approaching from N. Access to the stone is restricted. It appears to be enclosed in a private garden.

Directions: At the S edge of New Luce, beside the church, take the un-signposted turn up the hill. Stay on this narrow lane for c. 1.1 miles until you reach the sign for the Southern Upland Way (SUW) at NX19106500. There is room to park here. Follow the SUW path for c. 0.5 miles to reach a SUW Post halfway up Knockcraven Wood at NX1937564690. Continue uphill for c. 65 yards to reach Knockcraven Wood Carved Stone, c. 7 yards on the left of the path.

Knockcraven Wood Cup Carved Stone lies on the edge of Knockcraven Wood, c. 1.25 miles E of New Luce. The Southern Upland Way (SUW) follows the W edge of Knockcraven Wood. The carved stone is located between the SUW and the edge of the wood c. 50 yards from the SW corner of Knockcraven Wood. It is c. 7 yards W of the wood edge and c. 7 yards E of the SUW.
There are two carvings on Knockcraven Wood Cup Carved Stone, an irregular earthset stone measuring c. 4 by 3 feet, with a rounded top c. 1 foot high. There is a deep oval cup carving on the W edge of the stone measuring c. 6 inches on the N-S Axis and 4 inches on the E-W Axis. It is c. 4 inches deep with smooth walls suggesting some kind of grinding activity. On the E edge of the rock there is a long shallow groove measuring c. 8 by 3 inches and up to 1.5 inches deep in the centre. This groove is smoother than the surrounding rock, perhaps due to a repetitive scraping action.
Knockcraven Wood Cup Carved Stone could be associated with domestic activity of the occupants of the adjacent Dranigower Hut Circles.

Visited 26.07.22

My first experience of Hardcroft Cairn was in fading light so I decided to revisit on a bright Summer day. The high ferns made progress difficult, however I enjoyed a more leisurely investigation of Hardcroft Cairn. There are prominent thorn bushes on the E & W Arcs of the cairn and ferns obscure the E Arc. A raised earth bank up to 4 feet high delineates the kerb of a circular cairn measuring c. 50 feet in diameter with a hollow centre.

Directions: At the S edge of New Luce, beside the church, take the un-signposted turn up the hill. Stay on this narrow lane for c. 1.1 miles until you reach the sign for the Southern Upland Way (SUW) at NX19106500. There is room to park here. Follow the SUW path for c. 0.5 miles to reach a SUW Post halfway up Knockcraven Wood at NX1937564690. Leave the path, walk W for c. 0.33 miles over pathless moorland heading for NX 1899 6433. There are no landmarks so GPS navigation is essential to find this cairn.

Visited 02.06.13

The Giant’s Foot is large recumbent stone on the W edge of Shap. It is considered by Historic England (go to Links) to be be a remnant of Shap Stone Alignment. It is an irregular flat stone measuring c. 9 feet long, 7 feet wide and 4 feet high.
Directions: A path leading W starts off Shap Main Street between the tennis court and Croft Avenue. After c. 50 yards the path continues SW across a field for c. 120 yards to a junction of dry stane dykes. The path turns SE along a dry stane dyke for c. 50 yards to reach the substantial recumbent Giant’s Foot stone.

Without local knowledge finding the Fyfield Down Polisher Stone could be tricky. I have visited it in 2011 via Mother’s Jam but I would like to suggest an alternative “foolproof” route to Fyfield Down Polisher Stone.
Park up in Avebury. Walk E out of Avebury on the Wessex Ridgeway. After 1.5 mile you reach a crossroads with The Ridgeway. Continue E along Wessex Ridgeway for c. 450 yards to reach Overton Down Gallops. Follow the Gallops uphill NNW for c. 0.33 miles to the N end at SU12727144. Head NE downhill for c. 120 yards to a solitary thorn tree. Walk c. 20 yards E downhill to a Pyramid shaped rock. Fyfield Down Polisher Stone lies on the edge of a gorse bush c. 10 yards ESE of the Pyramid Rock.

There is a large flat slab with a large rock basin on its upper surface c. 50 yards E of Fyfield Down Polisher Stone. I wonder if the Rock Basin was made by the same people who made the Polisher Stone?

Fernworthy SE is a ruined cairn c. 30 yards SE of Fernworthy Stone Circle. The cairn is listed as Monument Number 443898 on Historic England Research Records (go to Links). It is said to denoted the N end of a ruined stone row which has been obscured by afforestation. The cairn measures c. 20 feet across by 1.5 high with putative remains of a cist in the centre. This consists of two earthset stones set at right angles to each other, c. 9 inches high.

Visited 10.07.22

Kildoon Fort is located on the E end of a E-W ridge c. 1.5 miles S of Maybole. The oval enclosure, measuring c. 60 yards E-W by 30 yards N-S, is protected by natural steep slopes on the N,E & S flanks and a triple ditch & rampart system in the W flank. A monument to Charles Fergusson, Baronet of Kilkerran has been erected in the E end of Kildoon Fort enclosure. The entrance to the enclosure is in the SW corner of the inner rampart. The enclosure slopes from W-E and S-N with an undulating grassy surface. There are no features in the enclosure except for a pointed dressed recumbent stone measuring c. 4 ft long by 1.5 ft wide on the S inner rampart.

Directions: Take the Kilkerran / Dailly road opposite the Police Station in the SW of Maybole. Follow this road out of Maybole for c. 0.7 miles past the 60 mph sign. Take the next right, an unsigned lane. Follow this road for c. 0.8 mile to reach a farm track signed for Kildoon Hill at NS 2989 0803. There is room for one car to park here, c. 50 yards N of Drummullan Farm road. Walk E up the track for c. 0.55 miles, reaching a gateway. From here head W for c. 0.25 miles along an ill defined ridge with Kildoon Hill at the E end.

Visited 19.03.13

I found this large recumbent stone E of Castallack Standing Stone in an adjacent field. The shape and size of the stone would be more suitable for a capstone than a standing stone to my eye. It is possibly the only remnant of a cairn which couldn’t be removed due to its bulk.

Visited 11.05.22

Cunningham Standing Stone lies prone on an E-W Axis within 10 yards of a gateway on Cunninghame Farm road. It is an oval boulder c. 40 inches in diameter and c. 50 inches long with a rounded point on the W. The ground round the stone has been eroded by cattle leaving the stone on a grassy island. Canmore ID 62845 (go to Links) observed that it bears a similarity to the stones in the Torhousekie Stone Circle which is c. 500 yards NNW from the stone.

Visited 08.05.22

Fauldinchie E Burnt Mound is c. 100 yards N of the Fauldinchie Farm Track c. 50 yards after the junction with the Southern Upland Way. The mound is 110 m E of Fauldinchie W Burnt Mound according to Canmore ID 61587 (go to Links). It measures c. 15 feet across by 2 feet high on the edge of marshy ground.

Directions: At the S edge of New Luce, beside the church, take the un-signposted turn up the hill. Stay on this narrow lane for c. 1.1 miles until you reach the sign for the Southern Upland Way (SUW) at NX19106500. There is room to park here. Follow the SUW path for c. 200 yards to reach a stream. Follow the W bank of the stream heading N for c. 70 yards over rough boggy terrain to find Fauldinchie W Burnt Mound. Head E for c. 120 yards to an ill-defined mound N of boggy marshland.

Visited 05.05.22

Fauldinchie W Burnt Mound is on the edge of marshy ground c. 70 yards of the Southern Upland Way path c. 200 yards E of its junction with the public road. The round mound is c. 12 yards in diameter and 1 yard high with a hollow in the SSE slope. Canmore ID 61585 (go to Links) states there is a raised crescent on the NE Arc of the mound.

Directions: At the S edge of New Luce, beside the church, take the un-signposted turn up the hill. Stay on this narrow lane for c. 1.1 miles until you reach the sign for the Southern Upland Way (SUW) at NX19106500. There is room to park here. Follow the SUW path for c. 200 yards to reach a stream. Follow the W bank of the stream heading N for c. 70 yards over rough boggy terrain to find Fauldinchie W Burnt Mound.

Visited 07.05.22

Blair Hill (The Thieves) Standing Stones are erected in moorland c. 600 yards NW of Nappers Cottage on Drannandow Moor. According to Canmore ID 63579 (go to Links) the stones could be the remains of a stone circle. However, there is only one substantial stone in the immediate vicinity of the stones. A half-buried stone slab on its narrow edge, orientated on a NNW-SSE Axis lies between the stones. It’s narrow edge tapers from c. 4 to 3 inches wide. Using my walking stick as a probe, it extends underground from the top and bottom of the visible portion to at least 5 feet long. The impressive stones lie on the SE Arc of a round turf enclosure said by Canmore to be modern.

Visited 11.03.17

This stone is listed as Canmore ID 63668 (go to Links).
It is a moss covered stone with a large worn ring mark and several cup marks visible in its current state. Canmore lists more ring marks but I didn’t remove the moss to look for them.
Access to the site is by climbing up the slope of Cairnharrow for about 0.5 mile across rough ground or by a longer detour from Cambret Hill.

Visited 27.04.21

Cambret Moor Cairn is a round cairn measuring c. 7.5m in diameter and 0.5m in height according to Canmore ID 90631 (go to Links). It has been almost entirely robbed out, leaving a footprint of moor grass which is almost invisible in the rough moorland. There is a large stone on the perimeter of the E Arc, possibly a kerb stone and a rough circular hollow c. 2m across in the centre of the cairn. A small stone setting remains on the NW Arc of the hollow opposite an exposed cist stone in the S Arc of the hollow.

Visited 27.04.22

There is a robbed out cairn on the summit of Cairnharrow. It is roughly circular, measuring c. 12m in diameter and 1.3m in height according to Canmore ID 90588 (go to Links). There is a modern stone cairn in the centre of Cairnharrow Cairn, presumably constructed from stones removed from the surface of the cairn. The dry stane dyke S of the cairn could also account for the destruction of the cairn. The resulting turf footprint is covered by rough grass with a circular depression in the N Arc.

Visited 21.04.22

West Cairngaan Stone has been given a spring clean since my last visit in 2011. All of the field clearance stones have been removed leaving West Cairngaan Stone high and dry on a E-W rocky earth plinth. It is visible from the West Tarbet Path which starts at West Cairngaan Farm. Follow the path E then turn S to reach a gate at NX 13093 31346. West Cairngaan Stone is located in an arable field c. 200 yards E of the gateway.

Visited 11.04.22

Stroanfreggan Craig Hillfort was an Iron Age fort on a ridge rising from the B729 c. 0.5 mile WNW of Stroanfreggan hamlet. The ruined hillfort enclosed c. 0.5 Acre on a lower summit of Stroanfreggan Craig. There is an extensive spread of stones on the N and W flanks, remains of a double wall enclosure according to Canmore ID 64376 (go to Links). The S flank is protected by a steep slope with a possible entrance to the fort up a natural gully. There is also a possible entrance on the E flank via a SE path. The rocky interior is featureless except for a linear scatter of stones in the N quadrant and a modern cairn marker in the centre of the enclosure.

Benlaight North Cairn is an oval green spot in brown moorland at NX 21190 61119. It measures c. 20 feet E-W and 15 feet N-S up to a height of c. 1 foot in the centre. Small earth-set stones protrude from the centre. It is probably a robbed out small cairn.
There is a cairn c. 25 yards W at NX 21170 61117 on a W facing slope. The shape is irregular and there are scattered small stones in the centre indicating that it could be a clearance cairn.
Canmore ID 62411 (go to Links) has an account of some low cairns and hut circles in this area.

Benlaight South Cairn is a robbed out cairn on a natural knoll in a pasture field c. 2 miles N of Glenluce. The circular footprint of the cairn measures c. 25 yards in diameter and c. 5 feet high. It has been converted into a clearance cairn with large stones concentrated on the N and W Arcs. There is a bed of small stones in the centre. There are also several wooden feed troughs dumped on the N Arc. Canmore ID 62412 (go to Links) has a detailed listing of Benlaight South Cairn.

Benlaight South Cairn is c. 500 yards W of Ballach-a-Heathry cairn, a large robbed out cairn which has been similarly mistreated. Benlaight North Cairn is a small robbed out cairn, a green spot in brown moorland c. 500 yards N.

Rutherford’s Well is a natural spring associated with Samuel Rutherford who was appointed Minister of Anwoth Old Kirk in 1627. It rises c. 100 yards E of Anwoth Old Kirk on the W margin of Bog Hall Wood. According to Canmore ID 63639 (go to Links) a 19th Century Well House with modern repairs and a turfed roof covers the spring. It reaches a height of c. 6 feet.

Lingdowey Burn E Cairn is a robbed-out cairn c. 0.3 miles SSW of Cairnerzean Farm SW Cairn. All stones have been removed leaving a grassy circular footprint in open moorland. It is “situated on top of a natural knoll” as described in Canmore ID 61552 (go to Links). The cairn has a diameter of c. 18 yards with a central platform c. 12 yards across and up to c. 1 foot in the centre. There is an intermittent earth bank up to c. 1 foot high in the W half of the cairn but the E half has an outer ring of reeds obscuring the perimeter. In the E Arc there is a gap in the reeds. There are several earthset possible kerb stones on the edge of the 12 yard platform on the SW, W and NW points of the circle. The platform has an irregular grassy surface with a concentration of grassed over stones c. 1 foot high in the centre. These stones may be the protruding cist stones noted in the 1985 visit by RCAHMS.

Lingdowey Burn E Cairn is c. 0.4 miles NE of Lingdowey Burn N Cairn over rough moorland.

I have made an alternative shorter route including a new cairn, Cairnerzean Fell E, which I propose to visit soon. Cairnerzean Cairns II is 3.3 miles long, starting at the Cairnerzean Farm Cairns. It is viewable at osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/11462554/Cairenzean-Cairns-II

Directions: Take the A77 S from Ayr to Cairnryan. Drive 2.5 miles S from the 30mph speed limit on the S of Cairnryan. There is an unsigned left turn into a single track road to New Luce in the middle of a long straight at NX 0859 6374. Travel on this narrow road for c. 7.5 miles to a parking place at NX 1503 6754. This large parking space is c. 0.25 miles S of Cairnernerzean Farm Track on the right.

Directions: Take the A77 S from Ayr to Cairnryan. Drive 2.5 miles S from the 30mph speed limit on the S of Cairnryan. There is an unsigned left turn into a single track road to New Luce in the middle of a long straight at NX 0859 6374. Travel on this narrow road for c. 3.5 miles to a parking place beside an old WWII bombing target at NX 1142 6753. Cairnerzean Fell lies c. 2.5 miles E of here. My walking route is viewable on osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/11356088/Cairnerzean-cairns
Good walking boots, a GPS device and good stamina are requirements for this 5 mile walk over pathless open moorland.

Visited 14.02.22

Giant’s Dike Hillfort consists of a ruined wall surrounding the upper slopes of Barstobrick Hill c. 1.75 miles N of Ringford in Dumfries and Galloway. According to Canmore ID 64189 (go to Links) there are remnants of the wall running from N to S on the hill, the E Flank relying on a steep craggy slope for natural defence. The internal area of the fort has no significant features beyond the modern addition of Nielson’s Monument on the summit of Barstobrick Hill.

Visited 08.02.22

Cairnerzean Farm SW Cairn is c. 350 yards E of Cairnerzean Farm. It lies c. 15 yards SW of Cairnerzean NE Cairn. The round cairn measures c. 10 yards across but the interior has been entirely robbed-out. There is an earth bank on the N half of the cairn up to c. 1.5 feet high. The S half of the cairn has been eroded reducing the earth bank to ground level. Canmore ID 61507 (go to Cairnerzean Farm NE) describes the features of the Cairnerzean Farm Cairns.

Visited 08.02.22

Cairnerzean Farm NE Cairn is c. 350 yards E of Cairnerzean Farm. It lies c. 15 yards NE of Cairnerzean SW Cairn. The round cairn measures c. 15 yards but the interior has been entirely robbed-out. There is an earth bank round the cairn up to c. 2 feet high with a gap in the N Arc. The only feature in the interior is an earthset stone measuring 1x1x1.5 feet in the E Arc. Canmore ID 61507 (go to Links) describes the features of the Cairnerzean Farm Cairns.

Visited 09.02.22

Lingdowey Burn S Cairn is c. 250 yards SE of Lingdowey Burn N Cairn. The round cairn measures c. 20 yards but has been extensively robbed especially in the N quarter. The other quarters are covered in a scatter of small to medium stones. The centre of the cairn has two unfortunate additions: a Modern Cairn and a small shelter constructed c. 3 yards W of the Modern Cairn. Canmore ID 61530 (go to Links) furnishes further details of Lingdowey Burn S Cairn.

Visited 09.02.22

Lingdowey Burn N Cairn is c. 0.5 miles E of Cairnerzean Fell Summit Cairn. It is a large round cairn with grassy areas in the S half exposed by substantial stone robbing. It measures c. 25 yards in diameter. The NE Arc of the cairn is relatively intact leading up to a c. 10 feet high summit. A full description is available in Canmore ID 61519 (go to Links).

Visited 09.02.22

Cairnerzean Fell S Cairn is a probable cairn according to Canmore ID 61469 (go to Links). It is the most Southern of a group of three cairns on Cairnerzean Fell. It consists of a circular grassy depression in open moorland measuring c. 20 yards across. There is a natural rock knoll in the centre casting some doubt on it being a ruined cairn. The circle has been entirely robbed out however there is a dry stane dyke nearby which could account for the loss.

Visited 09.02.22

Cairnerzean Fell Central Cairn is a ruined cairn located c. 250 yards S of Cairnerzean Fell N Cairn. It is the central cairn of a group of three cairns on Cairnerzean Fell. Only a narrow crescent of the NE Arc survives up to a height of c. 4 feet. The robbed-out interior of the cairn is a stone-free marshy circle. The original diameter of the cairn would have been c. 20 yards. Canmore ID 61497 (go to Links) has a full description of the cairn.

Visited 09.02.22

Cairnerzean Fell N Cairn is a round cairn located c. 400 yards SE of Cairnerzean Fell Summit Cairn. It is the most Northern of a group of three cairns on Cairnerzean Fell. The cairn is constructed on a low platform c. 20 yards in diameter. A perimeter of stones delineates the platform surrounding an intact mound of stones c. 12 yards across reaching a height of c. 5 feet. It is listed as Canmore ID 62486 (go to Links).

Visited 09.02.22

Cairnerzean Fell Summit Cairn is located on a knoll at the highest point of Cairnerzean Fell. It is a largely robbed out cairn measuring c. 20 yards across. The cairn has a low stony bank on the N Arc. This becomes a low kerb of loose stones for 180 degrees on the E and S Arcs. The W Arc is occupied by a ruined sheep ree built from cairn stones. The empty interior of the cairn has a grassy surface with a few scattered small stones concentrated in the centre where a modern cairn c. 4 feet high has been constructed. Further information is included in Canmore ID 61458 (go to Links).

Visited 13.11.21

There is a natural spring bubbling up on the shore of Front Bay, S of Monreith in Dumfries and Galloway. It could be the source of the legendary St Medana’s Well.
According to Canmore ID 62764 (go to Links) Medana, a beautiful Irish lady, plucked out her eyes to spurn an unwelcome suitor. The saints took pity on her, causing a spring to appear, the water having the property of restoring her sight. Canmore gives the OS Grid Reference for St Medana’s Well as NX 3642 4006, c. 30 yards W of the natural spring.

Visited 30.04.10

Nether Largie Standing Stone is located c. 150 yards NNW of the Great X of Kilmartin. The c. 5 ft tall stone had a c. 30 degree lean to the SE when I visited but it was reset to a vertical position in 2015. Canmore ID 39487 (go to Links) has pictures of the erect stone taken in 2019 in My Canmore contributions.

Visited 03.09.21

Despite being on the fashionable NC500 route the footfall on Badnabay Chambered Cairn is unlikely to increase dramatically. It is c. 70 yards SW of the A894, obsured by long grass. The visible remains of Badnabay Chambered Cairn consist of 4 grey standing stones measuring c. 3 ft delineating the N and W Arcs of the chamber. Several other stones just break through the turf or are hidden in heather. Canmore ID 4684 (go to Links) states that the “main compartment is oval, 10 ft 4 ins by 8 ft 9 ins, and built of taller stones, the largest 3 ft 8 ins high.”

Visited 03.09.21

Ach A’ Chorrain S Cairn lies c. 230 yards E of the A838 on a heathery slope c. 1 mile S of the Kyle of Durness. According to Canmore ID 4827 (go to Links) Ach A’ Chorrain S Cairn measures “about 15.0m in diameter and 1.7m high, largely of bare rubble stones.” There is a cavity in the E Arc with a possible displaced capstone.
Ach A’ Chorrain Chambered Cairn is c. 0.5 miles NNE around 0.25 miles E of the A838.

Visited 04.09.21

Cnoc Freiceadain N Cairn lies c. 0.33 miles N of the more famous Cnoc Freiceadain Long Cairn. It is a grass-covered cairn measuring c. 35 ft in diameter and 3 ft high according to Canmore ID 7899 (go to Links).
The hollow centre of the cairn has a possible exposed capstone measuring c. 2.5x1.5 ft.

Visited 06.09.21

Watten Standing Stone is in a field on the E edge of Watten on the N side of the A882 between Thurso and Wick. It is an irregular pointed stone measuring c. 1.7 x 0.9 x0.7 m according to Canmore ID 8789.
Canmore also states that c. 50 years prior to 1871 there were an additional two standing stones close to the survivor. I found a semi-buried recumbent stone c. 6 feet NW of the standing stone.

Visited 06.09.21

Rangag West Standing Stone is still maintaining its E lean as noted in passing by from Thurso.

Directions: From the A75 at Dumfries take the A76 Kilmarnock road off the Cuckoo Bridge Roundabout. Stay on the A76 for c. 2 miles. Take the L turn onto the B729 Dunscore/Moniaive opposite Holywood Village. After c. 0.25 miles there is a lay-by on the L side. There is an information panel on a rock. The Twelve Apostles of Hollywood are accessed via a gate at the end of the lay-by.