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Mid Float W is a standing stone c 100 yards N of Mid Float Farm. It is a roughly conical stone up to 15 feet round at the base tapering to a rounded top at c. 4.5 feet.

Canmore ID 60457 (go to Links) considers it to be an earthfast glacial erratic. This seems likely as the stone doesn’t conform to the usual standing stone pattern.

Directions: From Stranraer follow the A716 Drummore for 6.5 miles until you reach Sandhead. Turn R onto the signposted B7042 Portpatrick road for 0.3 miles. Turn L onto the unsigned road at the end of the wood. Follow this road for 1.4 miles until you pass Auchentibbert Cottage on your R, then turn L after 100 yards. Follow this narrow lane for 0.7 mile to the next junction. Turn L for 0.25 miles to reach a gateway with room to park just before Mid Float Farm. Mid Float W is c. 70 yards NE of the gate.

Mid Float W is 250 yards W of Mid Float E.

Mid Float W is not on OS mapping.

Mid Float E is a standing stone 250 yards NE of Mid Float Farm. The base of the stone is triangular c. 3x3x3 feet in cross-section. It rises to a rounded point at 5.5 feet. The flat SW face shows signs of cattle rubbing. The E face is flat and irregular. The N side of the stone is angular with sheared faces.
Canmore ID 60456 (go to Links) suggested there were 4 cup marks on the SW face in 1970 however a later visit in 1984 came to the conclusion that they were probably natural.
Canmore also proposed the stone may be a glacial erratic which was placed in a vertical position, presumably as a rubbing stone. However the shape of the stone and the fact that it is has a footing in the ground leads me to think it may be prehistoric. If we consider the nearby, now recumbent, standing stone at Whirlpool c. 550 yards N, it is possible there may have been an alignment.

Directions: From Stranraer follow the A716 Drummore for 6.5 miles until you reach Sandhead. Turn R onto the signposted B7042 Portpatrick road for 0.3 miles. Turn L onto the unsigned road at the end of the wood. Follow this road for 1.4 miles until you pass Auchentibbert Cottage on your R, then turn L after 100 yards. Stay on this narrow lane for 0.6 miles observing the 3 wind turbines on Whirlpool Farm on the R. You can park at a double gate at the base of a hill. Turn R in the field following the field perimeter SE for c. 0.33 mile until you can see Mid Float E on your R in an adjacent field.

Mid Float E is 250 yards E of Mid Float W.

Mid Float E is not on OS mapping.

There is a standing stone in a field NW of Mayon, a hamlet adjacent to the N edge of Sennen. The stone is a rough slab c. 5 feet high. The cross-section is c. 2 x 1.5 feet at the base tapering to a broad point at the top. The N face is flat and the S Face is rounded with a patina of yellow lichen.
Mayon Standing Stone has the look of an ancient stone but it is not included on OS maps.

Directions: On the way to Lands End the A30 passes through Mayon. A public footpath heads NW 50 yards after the Mayon Garage. Parking is available on the street near the Spar Shop. Follow the path for 100 yards and Mayon Standing Stone will appear on your left, 30 yards from the path.

While on an annual trip to Cornwall in 2019 I attempted to find the Manor Common Barrows. I found a possible candidate for Manor Common Barrow N but failed to find anything at the Manor Common Barrow S grid reference.
My proposed Manor Common N Barrow is located at SX 1293 7433 adjacent to a path on Manor Common.
The barrow measures c. 20 yards across with an intermittent kerb 3-4 feet high. One possible kerb stone measuring c. 3 feet high by 4 feet wide is earthfast in the N perimeter of the barrow. There is also a Recumbent Slab measuring c. 4 feet by 2 feet lying c. 5 yards NE of Manor Common N Barrow. The barrow is grass covered with a hollow centre.
Directions: At the Temple/St Breward junction of A30 take the St Breward turn off. After c. 0.6 miles park in a large passing place beside a body of water at SX 1311 7435. Walk 50 yards N on the road until you reach a path heading E into Manor Common. Stay straight on this path following an ESE bearing for c. 130 yards. At this point take a faint path heading SW for 20 yards. Manor Common Barrow is on your left.

I visited Mains of Kilcoy in 2012 after visiting Carn Glas (Mains of Kilcoy). Mains of Kilcoy NW is c. 200m SE of Carn Glas. The field was ploughed and the Mains of Kilcoy cairns were verdant islands in a dark sea.

Mains of Kilcoy SE is the more impressive of the pair, looking like a long cairn. However only one cist was visible on the surface, an off-centre shallow cist measuring c. 1m x 0.5m. According to Canmore ID 12840 (go to Links) the centre of this c. 30m cairn was excavated but no cist or chamber were found. It does seem to be a contradiction; all this construction for one shallow burial.

Mains of Kilcoy NW was excavated in 1961 by AA Woodham (Canmore ID 12836 (go to Links)). He found a large cist, 8 feet by 2 feet containing traces of cremated bone. However, his restoration of the cairn was incomplete, leaving a trench 4-5m wide bisecting the cairn. No remnants of a cist were found in the trench.

I visited this site in 2012. It was in a poor state with still impressive exposed chambers. The site was not being maintained. This changed in February 2014 with the vegetation being cleared by local volunteers. A Brookes photos in late 2014 reflect the improved condition of the cairn at this time.
Subsequent to this it was decided to partially restore the chambers of Carn Glas (Mains of Kilcoy). Between November 2014 & September 2015 work was carried out on the chambers by the Adopt-a-Monument team. The chamber floors were then covered with chipped stones, and a new display board erected on the edge of the cairn. Further details of the restoration can be found in Canmore ID 12837 (go to Links).
No pictures of the restored cairn have been submitted so we will see if it has been a sympathetic restoration all in good time.

Dranigower Hut Circles lie on unimproved moorland 1 mile E of New Luce just off the Southern Upland Way (SUW). The ground is wet and tussocky so wellies are strongly recommended. Watch out for Beef Cattle in the area within 200 yards of the Hut Circles.

Dranigower Hut Circle E is smaller and less defined than its companion. It is around 7 yards internally on a N-S axis with a surrounding stony earth bank up to 2 feet high & 4 feet wide. The earth bank is intermittent and covered in ferns. The interior of the circle is also covered in ferns. On the E arc there is a large scatter of stones which Canmore ID 61638 (go to Links) has interpreted as the remains of a small hut or pen.
Dranigower Hut Circle W lies 75 yards W.

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. Head W for 70 yards from this point to reach Dranigower Hut Circle E. Walk 75 yards W from here to reach Dranigower Hut Circle W.

Dranigower Hut Circles lie on unimproved moorland 1 mile E of New Luce just off the Southern Upland Way (SUW). The ground is wet and tussocky so wellies are strongly recommended. Watch out for Beef Cattle in the area within 200 yards of the Hut Circles.

Dranigower Hut Circle W is slightly larger and better defined than its neighbour. It is around 9 yards internally on a N-S axis with a surrounding stony earth bank up to 3 feet high & 4 feet wide. There is a 4 feet gap in the bank in the S quadrant denoting a probable entrance according to Canmore ID 61638 (go to Links). The SE perimeter has many exposed stones and there is a large earthfast stone incorporated into the SW bank. The interior of the hut circle is relatively flat and clear of vegetation however the S arc is partially obscured by ferns.
Dranigower Hut Circle E lies 75 yards E.

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. Head W for 70 yards from this point to reach Dranigower Hut Circle E. Walk 75 yards W from here to reach Dranigower Hut Circle W.

Lamford Burn Cairn is a cairn in Dumfries and Galloway c. 1 mile from the border with East Ayrshire. According to Canmore ID 63853 (go to Links) in 1963 it was a ‘cairn 48 feet in diameter and circa 6 feet high.’ A subsequent report from 2004 gave the following detail: ‘The Scheduled Lamford Burn cairn was substantially damaged in July 2004. Unauthorised excavations at the cairn had left it severely truncated.‘

When I visited in 2012 I found the cairn razed to ground level on the N hemisphere and up to 1 foot high on the S hemisphere. There was a perimeter of earth and stones delineating the original footprint of the cairn with a stripped interior on the N side and scattered stones on the S side.

Glenesslin Schoolhouse Cairn is a small cairn located in a narrow wood 2 miles W of Dunscore. The cairn is c.100 yards SE of Glenesslin Schoolhouse in a patch of woodland beside the road. It measures around 50 feet across by 5 feet high. It is covered in vegetation with 2 mature trees sprouting from the summit.

The cairn is listed as Canmore ID 74892 (go to Links).

Directions: From the centre of Dunscore take Kirkgate which leads onto Black Brae at the outskirts of Dunscore. Keep on Black Brae for 1.5 miles then take a R turn to Corsock after a row of cottages. Go through a crossroads after 0.6 miles, continue straight for 500 yards until there is a narrow wood on your L just before a dead end R turn at Glenesslin Schoolhouse. The cairn is in the wood 50 yards back from the junction.

Arden Fort is an oval fort 0.5 miles W of Twynholm, a village in Dumfries and Galloway. It is situated on a natural hillock covered in gorse and hawthorn. The interior measuring c. 25 by 10 yards is protected by double ramparts and ditches and an elevated location. The fort measures c. 60 yards on the NE-SW axis and 40 yards on the NW-SE axis.
Canmore ID 64045 (go to Links) describes Arden Fort in more detail.

Directions: Take the A75 then turn off into Twynholm. From Twynholm Main Street take the minor road to Kirkcudbright on Burn Brae beside the Star Hotel. Stay on this road for 0.25 miles passing a church to reach the crossroads on the edge of Twynholm. Turn R into Arden Road. After 0.25 miles you pass the last house on this lane to reach the 60 mph speed limit. Around 250 yards later there is a wide gateway on the L with room to park. Arden Fort lies around 200 yards SE of the gateway, hidden under gorse and hawthorn.

Hough Cairn is a cairn on the Isle of Tiree. It lies within 10 yards E of the edge of Hough Stone Circle S. It is a small robbed-out cairn measuring around 7 yards across by up to 0.5 yards high. There are two large stones exposed through the turf which covers the cairn. One stone is in the W kerb, the other in the E of the interior of the cairn. The grassy interior of the cairn has a lumpy profile probably concealing underlying stones. The incomplete perimeter has a kerb measuring 1.0 feet high by 2 feet wide running from NE to SE and a kerb measuring 1.5 feet high by 2 feet wide running from W to N.

Hough Cairn is described in Canmore ID 21433 (go to Links).

I have added Glenterrow Cairn, an almost destroyed cairn 50 metres SE of Glentirrow/Glenterrow Stone circle to TMA. All signs for the stone circle have been removed so after some trial and mostly error I would recommend the following route for visiting Glentirrow/Glenterrow Stone circle.

Directions: Take the New Luce turn off the A75 at the E end of Castle Kennedy village. After 3.5 miles there is a gateway on the L at NX 1478 6240. I would be cautious if there are beef cattle in the field as they can be dangerous. There is a farm track leading N at first then bearing NW into a gateway at a boggy corner. Go through the gate and head SW up the field parallel to the fence for 350 yards. Glenterrow Cairn is in the SW corner of the field. Glentirrow/Glenterrow Stone circle lies 50 metres NW in rough moorland and can be seen from the field corner.

There are few things in life as welcome as an unexpected cairn. I was searching for an enclosure in moorland and daylight was running out when a cairn shaped mound lit up the gloom. I had accidently stumbled upon Hardcroft Cairn. It was then that I discovered that my phone had died and daylight was running out. I plugged in my charger hoping that the camera would work before the light disappeared. Fortunately my phone only took 5 minutes to recover so I was able to capture Hardcroft Cairn in the fading light.
Hardcroft Cairn is a turf covered cairn measuring 20 yards across with an earth bank perimeter up to 4 feet high and 4 feet wide. The interior is a robbed-out hollow with little original structure. It lies around 500 metres SE of Hardcroft Farm on the edge of moorland.
Canmore ID 61593 (go to Links) provides further details of this site.

Glenterrow Cairn is an almost destroyed cairn 50 metres NW of Glenterrow Four Poster. It is in the SW corner of a rectangular field on the edge of moorland. The cairn, 20 yards across, has been reduced to ground level with the exceptions being a 1 foot high earth bank running 90 degrees from SW to NW and a 2 feet high earth bank running 45 degrees from E to SE. The cairn has been stripped of stones except for a clump of stones at the NW point of the bank. There is a large boulder measuring 0.9 x 0.8 x 0.4 metres, a possible kerb stone, with three smaller stones.
It is only a matter of 50 metres SE to Glenterrow Four Poster lying in moorland beyond the fence. This is the easiest and driest route to Glenterrow Four Poster which is now un-signposted and unloved.
The real significance of this cairn is not its condition but its location. Its proximity to the four poster raises the question of the relationship between the two monuments. Were they built at the same time or do they represent different phases of occupation?
A Canmore search for Glenterrow produces Glenterrow Cairn as Canmore ID 61689 (go to Links) as well as two other destroyed cairns within a 500 metre radius.
This changes Glenterrow Four Poster from an isolated site to a site surrounded by other monuments.

Directions: Take the New Luce turn off the A75 at the E end of Castle Kennedy village. After 3.5 miles there is a gateway on the L at NX 1478 6240. There is a farm track leading N at first then bearing NW into a gateway at a boggy corner. Go through the gate and head SW up the field parallel to the fence for 350 yards. Glenterrow Cairn is in the SW corner of the field.

The Glaid Stone is a natural erratic stone deposited on top of Barbay Hill, 2 km N of Millport. It is c. 12 feet long with a 4x4 feet cross section. The Glaid Stone is quite impressive however the panorama from the summit is more impressive.
Barbay Hill is the highest point on Great Cumbrae at 127 m above sea level.
A minor road from Millport winds past the Glaid Stone completing a picturesque 7 km circuit back to Millport.

Finnarts Hill Standing Stones are a small pair of stones on the Ayrshire Coastal Path (ACP) between Glen App and Ballantrae. Finnarts Hill lies on the Loch Ryan coast. The standing stones are small, 1 yard and 0.5 yards high respectively. The stones are 15 yards apart in a N-S alignment. They are situated in wet moorland adjacent to the ACP.
Canmore ID 60914 speculates that the smaller stone may be a stump of a taller broken stone. The top of the stone has a possible c. 30 degrees shear plane. However there are no other stones within a 10 yard radius.

Directions: Opposite Glenapp Church on the A75 there is a small car park at the start of the ACP. Follow the road S for over 0.5 miles until the ACP veers R off the road uphill onto a rough rocky track. After ascending for c. 1 mile the ACP reaches a pass between Finnarts Hill and Sandloch Hill. Finnarts Hill Standing Stones are on the L side around 20 yards from the track.

Elephant Rock is a large boulder balanced precariously on two flat rocks around 250 yards S of The Beacon summit on Hendra Downs. The delicate balance of the rock may be an optical illusion as it has survived longer than many logan stones however I elected not to test this hypothesis. I wanted to preserve Elephant Rock for fellow TMAers.

Dun Boraige Beag is a ruined dun on Balevullin Bay in Tiree. It is sited on a rocky promontory barely above sea level. A course of large stones remains on the SE arc of Dun Boraige Beag. There is a gap in the outer wall on the SW quadrant, possibly the entrance to the dun. The grassy interior is around 10 yards in diameter, uneven ground with no obvious features save a large central stone. The purpose of this boulder measuring c. 5x3x3 feet is unclear.
Canmore ID 21447 (go to Links) furnishes further details on this site.

Directions: From Scarinish head N on the B8065 for around 7 miles until you reach Balevullin. At the road end follow the Baile a Mhuilinn sign R then 250 yards later turn R down a narrow lane signed with a blue parking sign. You will reach the car park in 500 yards. A rough track heads NW out of the car park. Follow this track round the coast for around 300 yards and look N for a low lying promontory with a line of large stones on the coast. Dun Boraige Moire is around 300 yards W of Dun Boraige Beag on a natural knoll 100 yards from the shore.

Drumuie Standing stone, c. 6 feet high, is erected 2.5 miles N of Portree on the Isle of Skye. It can be viewed from the A87, the road to Uig. However it is easier to take the L cul-de-sac signposted to Drumuie.
There is a passing place down this road allowing easy access to the standing stone.

Directions: approaching Portree from S take the A87 Uig L on the edge of town. Follow this road uphill for 2.5 miles until reaching the L cul-de-sac Drumuie Junction. Park in a passing place 100 yards down this road to access Drumuie Standing stone.

Drumacissock South Cairn is one of a pair of robbed out cairns on moorland 0.75 miles S of Penwhirn Reservoir. It is 20 foot across, reduced to ground level with a 4 x 5 foot scatter of stones on top.
According to Canmore ID 62509 (go to Links) these stones may have once been a small pen or shelter, now ruined. It lies 50 yards E of the minor road between Craigcaffie and Penwhirn Reservoir.
Its companion, Drumacissock North is 100 yards N, parallel to the road.
Directions: From Stranraer follow the A77 Ayr road. After passing the A751 Innermessan junction take the next R 500 yards later into an unsigned single track road. Follow this road for 3.5 miles to reach the bombed factory site. Cross the cattle grid, proceed for 0.33 miles to a passing place and look R into the moorland to locate Drumacissock North Cairn 50 yards E of the road.

Drumacissock North Cairn lies 50 yards E of the minor road between Craigcaffie and Penwhirn reservoir. It is a robbed out cairn around 15 yards across reduced to ground level with an incomplete arc of stones. It is difficult to spot Drumacissock North Cairn from the roadside in its moorland location.
Canmore ID 61510 (go to Links) gives further information on Drumacissock North Cairn. As the name implies there is a Drumacissock South Cairn. It is 100 yards S of Drumacissock North Cairn parallel to the road.

Directions: From Stranraer follow the A77 Ayr road. After passing the A751 Innermessan junction take the next R 500 yards later into an unsigned single track road. Follow this road for 3.5 miles to reach the bombed factory site. Cross the cattle grid, proceed for 0.33 miles to a passing place and look R into the moorland to locate Drumacissock North Cairn 50 yards E of the road.

Laigh Sinniness Fort is on the Luce Bay coast between Stairhaven and Auchenmalg. Its main axis run from NE to SW. The fort is naturally protected by a cliff on the E & the coast to the S. A  substantial 7 foot earth rampart protects the N & W landward sides.
Canmore ID 62239 (go to Links) states there was an internal stone wall but it has now been reduced to a flat scatter of stones 20 x 10 yards in area. A ruined dry stane dyke overlies the stone scatter on the SE.
Canmore names the fort as Garliachen, however, since the name is not in current use Laigh Sinniness farm, 300 yards N of the fort seems a more appropriate reference point.

Directions: Directions: At the top of the A75 Glenluce Bypass take the A747 Port William road. After 3.5 miles you reach Auchenmalg. Around 500 yards later The Cock Inn car park is a convenient starting point or the grassy bank on the coast 500 yards further on if that is busy. Head onto the beach and walk W past a house with a picket fence. Around 200 yards later there is an obvious cutting on the R which leads up to a private farm road. Follow this road W round a corner up to the Stairhaven Coastal Path which cuts off L up a slope. This path is roughly defined through overgrown vegetation and walking boots are recommended. Follow this path for 1.25 miles until you see the fort on your L and Laigh Sinniness farm on your R.

Court Cairn, The May was an important cairn where criminals were brought to trial according to Canmore ID 62914 (go to Links). However the cairn has been robbed out and only a low grassy mound remains on the top of a natural knoll adjacent to The May farmhouse. The cairn is around 10 yards in diameter and I yard high with the unwelcome addition of a 2 foot modern cairn on top. Some large field clearance stones have been dumped on the cairn, adding insult to injury.
I found a flat dressed stone, 4 x 2 x 0.5 feet 20 yards W of the cairn, which may have been a kerb stone.

Court Cairn is one of a small cluster of cairns at The May consisting of Court Cairn, The May and Lang Rigs.

Directions: At the top of the A75 Glenluce Bypass take the A747 Port William road. After 3.5 miles pass through Auchenmalg continuing along the coast to the Rocks of Garheugh, a series of sharp corners uphill. Take the next L signposted as B7005 Wigtown. After 2.5 miles turn L at Culshabbin for Kirkcowan via Drumwalt. Court Cairn, The May is 0.4 miles on the L at The May farm. There is room to park in a gateway adjacent to the field.

Cairn Buy is one of a pair of cairns sited on moorland above Rocks of Garheuch (known locally as Rocks o’ the Garchy) on Luce Bay. It lies c. 400 yards W of Green House Bridge Cairn which is listed separately in TMA. Cairn Buy is c.10 feet high by 45 feet across. It is almost intact except for a small excavation on the summit of the cairn. There is a thick moss carpet on the cairn lending it a patina of antiquity. Cairn Buy is listed under Canmore ID 62202 (go to Links).

Directions: At the top of the A75 Glenluce Bypass take the A747 Port William road. After 3.5 miles pass through Auchenmalg continuing along the coast to the Rocks of Garheugh, a series of sharp corners uphill. Park in the lay-by on the L 100 yards around the first corner. Walk back W for c. 300 yards to reach a gateway into a narrow field. Head E over stepping stones in a stream near the gate and keep E up a rough slope. After a few minutes the ground flattens into extensive moorland and Green House Bridge cairn should be visible ahead. Around 20 yards W of Green House Bridge Cairn there is a fork in the path at a boulder. Take the fainter L track heading W to Cairn Buy on the horizon.

Green House Bridge cairn is one of a pair of cairns sited on moorland above Rocks of Garheuch (known locally as Rocks o’ the Garchy) on Luce Bay. It is c.10 feet high by 50 feet across. The cairn has been robbed on the S side to reveal a cist covered by a 4 x 5x 1 foot capstone. There is a narrow gap allowing one to photograph the inside of the cist.
There is a similar cairn, Cairn Buy (listed separately in TMA), 400 yards E of Green House Bridge Cairn easily accessed by following a rough track.
Canmore ID 62201 (go to Links) also lists an enclosure 200 yards N of Green House Bridge cairn with substantial wall remnants.
Directions: At the top of the A75 Glenluce Bypass take the A747 Port William road. After 3.5 miles pass through Auchenmalg continuing along the coast to the Rocks of Garheugh, a series of sharp corners uphill. Park in the lay-by on the L 100 yards around the first corner. Walk back W for c. 300 yards to reach a gateway into a narrow field. Head E over stepping stones in a stream near the gate and keep E up a rough slope. After a few minutes the ground flattens into extensive moorland and Green House Bridge cairn should be visible ahead.

I was travelling to Scrabster in 2014 when I decided to visit Carn Liath, Shurrery while I was nearby. It is a robbed cairn beside Forss Water. There are only a small jumble of stones and two orthostats on the cairn which is around 30 yards across and 4 feet high. Carn Liath, Shurrery lies 400 yards W of a narrow dead end road heading for Loch Shurrery.
Further information on Carn Liath, Shurrery is available in Canmore ID 7737 (go to Links) which lists Shurrery, Forss Water, Forse Water and Tigh A’ Bheannaich as alternative names. So many names for such a disappointing cairn.

I’ve had an ambition to visit Rutherford’s Witnesses for some time however its apparent inaccessibility always thwarted an attempt. I am not enamoured of Samuel Rutherford himself, a religious Zealot, but I wanted to solve the mystery.
As I was perusing OS Maps recently I found a track which led to the vicinity of Rutherford’s Witnesses.
Travelling from Stranraer on the A75 I took the first L for Anwoth around 1 mile after passing The Teapot at Skyreburn. There is a lay-by to park in just around the corner. Walk back down to the junction and turn R up a narrow un-signed farm track. After around 0.5 mile I passed beside a small cottage (Hard Croft) and continued up the hill. After around 300 yards there was a faint track heading L downhill. I ignored this track, heading straight on. The track then bears N becoming vague in places heading uphill though rough whins for around 500 yards. I was lucky enough to see two groups of Fallow Deer, surprised to get a visitor. The path runs out in a rectangular flat clearing surrounded by whins. This could be the football pitch mentioned in the account. Using my GPS I zeroed in on the co-ordinates taken from the Camore map. Canmore has pinpointed 3 stones at Rutherford’s Witnesses, a pair at NX 572674 55608 and NX 57267 55609 with one stone c. 20 metres E located at NX 57253 55603. After some searching amongst the ferns I found three stones some 20 yards NE of the ‘football pitch’. There was a pair of stones at NX 57268 55613 and NX 57269 55616 with a third stone 25 yards W at NX 57256 55611.
These stones are within 10 metres of the expected grid references so it is not unreasonable to propose them as Rutherford’s Witnesses. The stones are between 1.5 and 2 foot high which is not huge but they are the only stones left in a cleared area.

Many TMA’ers will have driven past this cairn, sited in a field E of Alness on the A9. I saw what I imagined to be a cairn surrounded by a ring of trees. Just for once I was correct.
Canmore ID 13615 (go to Links) confirms the existence of a 60 ft cairn which was removed about 1810. A substantial capstone was left covering a 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 2 ft cist.
A circular stone wall was built inside the cairn boundary and trees were planted round the levelled interior.
These trees have grown tall but the level grassy interior and central cist and capstone are still preserved. Somehow the ring of mature trees round the naked cist give this site a sacred aspect.

Directions: Turn off the A9 to Alness, turn L along Obsdale Road, turn L into Kendall Crescent then L again into Salvesson Crescent. The cairn lies within 150 yards E of this location.

Barclye Rocking Stone is a boulder perched on the edge of a rock ledge on Barclye Moor. The ground on the E of the stone has been eroded leaving a 2 foot overhang. Barclye Rocking Stone is almost cuboid in shape. It measures 5.5 feet high, 5.5 feet wide and 4.5 feet broad. The boulder has 5 natural hollows: 1 on the N face, 3 on the E face and 1 on the S face. There are 4 drilled holes: 1 on the E face and a group of 3 on the W face.
The stone is situated in moorland with tussocks, marsh, and deep holes. Walking in this terrain is difficult and a walking stick is advisable.

Directions: From Newton Stewart cross the Cree Bridge into Minnigaff and turn L after 50 yards. Stay on this road for 0.5 mile, turn L for Wood of Cree Reserve. Follow this narrow single track road for 0.5 until you reach Boreland Wood. Turn R at Knockman Wood Path, go through a gate up to the car park. Follow the pink route past Boreland Cairn uphill until you reach a gate on the edge of Knockman Wood 1.75 miles later. Turn L, following the edge of the wood through rough ground for around 300 yards until you reach a silver gate. You will see a high deer fence on your R. Climb the deer style into a small plantation. Follow the deer fence downhill for 300 yards through boggy ground until you reach a ruined dry stane dyke. There is a knoll 30 yards W of you (45 degrees to the deer fence). Climb the knoll, look W and Barclye Rocking Stone is 300 yards away. Make your own way carefully through pathless difficult terrain. It may be easier to skirt the dry stane dyke for the first section but you still have to cross a boggy section E of the stone.

Kirriemore Cairn is hidden in mature forest c. 3 miles W of Kirriereoch Hill. It is a chambered cairn c. 30 yards across constructed on a slope. There has been extensive robbing on the W hemisphere and an off-centre excavation exposing a chamber in the S hemisphere. The entry into the chamber is narrow so I didn’t try to enter, using my camera to view the interior. There is a carpet of green moss on the undisturbed S side covering mostly small stones. Canmore ID 63043 (go to Links) identifies this as King’s Cairn, however there is no local information for this name.
A crude modern cairn has been constructed in the S quadrant of the cairn circle.

Directions: From Newton Stewart take the A714 Girvan road turn R at Bargrenan for Glentrool Village. Follow this road for around 5 miles. Turn R for Kirriereoch on a rough track. Take the 1st R after around 0.75 miles. Follow this track for another 0.75 miles turning R over a bridge. Turn R again for 500 yards then bear L at the next junction. After 0.5 miles the cairn will be on your R in a forest clearing.

Cairn Avel is a stone cairn, 0.3 miles SW of Carnavel Farm on the outskirts of Carsphairn.
This robbed cairn retains a significant presence on the horizon. The W half of the long cairn has been almost entirely robbed out leaving a low scatter of stones on the W end. A sheepfold and stone walls have been constructed close to Cairn Avel. The E half is almost intact reaching up to 10 feet high, with some excavations. However, the later addition of a c. 3 feet high cairn on top of the E half of Cairn Avel spoils it’s classical shape. The long cairn measures c. 110 feet E-W and c. 75 feet N-S on the E end, tapering to 30 feet on the W end.

Cairn Avel is accessed by following an old pack horse path to Carnavel Farm. Parking is now prohibited at Carnavel Farm junction. Park in a lay-by c. 500 yards NW then walk back to the start of the public path. Walk through Carnavel Farm When the public path heads S up the hill at the start of moorland head N then W round the margin of a rough pasture field to a stone mound c. 250 yards W. This detour avoids boggy ground on a direct route to Cairn Avel. My route can be viewed on Cairn Avel.

Bardennoch Cairn is a round cairn situated 1.25 miles S of Carsphairn. It has been reduced to ground level but retains a circular plan around 20 yards in diameter. The cairn is divided by a dry stane dyke, two thirds on the NW, one third on the SE. It is composed almost entirely of small stones covered in soft green moss giving it a patina of age. There is a NW off-centre grassy hollow with two larger stones c. 3 feet by 1 foot within 1 yard of the wall however it is too shallow to be a chamber, more of an exploratory pit. The stones may be remnants of dry stane dyke construction.
Canmore ID 63862 (go to Links) speculates on the existence of a capstone but it was not observed in situ.

I found some old pictures on a flash drive of Sheuchan’s Cairn on Brecklach Hill taken in 2012. Since I had no recollection of where it was or how I got there I decided to visit again to update its current status.
This was indeed fortuitous given the change in Sheuchan’s Cairn circumstances. Previously it had been sheltered in a clearing on thickly forested Brecklach Hill, now it was a clear spot in the devastation that tree felling leaves behind. The cairn itself has not changed.
Sheuchan’s Cairn is a moss covered chambered cairn around 20 yards across by 2 yards high. There have been several desecrations especially in the centre of the cairn in a NE-SW axis. A chamber with a dressed stone has been exposed in the SW quadrant. There is a significant irregular hollow in the NW quadrant which doesn’t resemble a chamber.
Directions: From Newton Stewart take the A714 to Girvan. At Bargrennan turn L for Glentrool Village. Stay on this road for 6 miles until you reach an un-signposted L turn at a crossroads (NX 3645 8508). No unauthorised vehicles are allowed on this road so it’s a long walk or short cycle if you come prepared. Follow this rough forest road for 1.75 miles until you come to a Y junction at NX 3420 8418. Take the L road for around 300 yards, look R and you will see a green spot on the brow of the hill at NX 3379 8387. Make your way around 250 yards through the broken ground, ditches and tree stumps to Sheuchan’s Cairn.
Canmore ID 68800 (go to Links) gives a full description of Sheuchan’s Cairn.

Cairnfore is a robbed out cairn just over the South Ayrshire border 250 yards from the B road between Glentrool Village and Straiton.
It is around 25 yards across and 5 feet high with a robbed out centre axis. The cairn’s stones have not travelled far: there is an adjacent sheepfold and enclosure. The moss covering over the cairn gives it an air of antiquity and its circle of trees add to the ambiance.
Cairnfore is catalogued as Canmore ID 63042 (go to Links).
Directions: From Newton Stewart take the A714 Girvan road turn R at Bargrenan for Glentrool Village. Follow this road for around 5 miles. After the Kirriereoch sign park up in the next L for Ferter Forestry Road around 0.5 miles later.
Walk N for 125 yards until there is a gap in the trees covered in ferns. The use of a GPS device is almost essential as there is not an official path to Cairnfore Cairn at NX 3554 8707. Make your best way uphill to this grid ref or cairn symbol on your map. It is around 250 yards uphill to the clearing with the cairn & sheepfold.

This curious erratic boulder was moved into the centre of Monkton in 1998 according to the plaque. The boulder is quite impressive however the reason for its preservation is not given.
It’s easy to visit if you are in the area. Head for Monkton and turn onto Burnside Road at the traffic lights, its on your L after 20 yards.

Dun Ibrig lies c. 1 mile W of Scarinish, the largest community on Tiree. The site may be a ruined broch or a dun according to Canmore ID 21533 (go to Links).
The Broch/Dun is situated on a virtual island surrounded by a circle of water bordered by very boggy marshland. I made my way carefully to the edge of the dun but the water was too deep to proceed further. I did get to see the outer stone wall surrounding large stones in the centre.
From Scarinish head W and take the 1st R after 1.5 miles. After 400 yards park up and head due E into the bog. Maybe Dun Ibrig will be accessible in a dry summer or frozen winter.

Milton of Larg Cairn is typical of cairns found in a pastoral landscape. Past generations of farmers have found a use for the stones, then used the denuded cairn for dumping field clearance stones, building it up again.
The cairn, some 25 yards across, has a circular profile in the field due to the remaining grassy kerb however there is a hollowed out N quadrant. A substantial quantity of field clearance stones have been dumped on the W side of the cairn.
Milton of Larg Cairn lies 30 yards SE of the minor road from Castle Kennedy to New Luce, half a mile shy of New Luce. It’s possible to park in the gateway opposite the cairn.
Canmore ID 61622 (go to Links) furnishes further details of the cairn.

Billy Marshall’s Cave is situated at NX494679, approximately 900 metres north west of the summit. Again this cave is worth a visit, but difficult to find. Fortunately a rock above the cave has an iron bar protruding from it – thus helping to identify its location.”
The above quote is from Newton Stewart WalkFest.
It is more of a rock recess than a cave, lying 2 metres below the slope of Cairnsmore of Fleet and extending for around 10 metres. There is not enough room for Billy Marshall’s Band of Gypsies (go to Cairnsmore of Fleet Folklore), maybe 5 people max.
The easiest way to find Billy Marshall’s Cave is from the summit of Cairnsmore of Fleet. Skirting round Cairnsmore is pathless and longer. Approaching from the N via forest tracks and boggy moorland is unappealing.
From the trig point head NW towards Eastman’s cairn (a pile of stones) at NX 495 675. Follow down the slope to the N towards NX 4948 6798. This will require scrambling down into the valley but it is moderate. Look out for a flat rock with a rusted iron bar protruding vertically. Billy Marshall’s Cave is situated within several yards, a narrow vertical entrance into the cave.

Kemp’s Graves consists of three parallel ramparts protecting an enclosure at the top of Aldouran Glen. The S & W approaches are protected by the steep glenside. Trees and bracken have invaded the space making interpretation of the fort difficult.
Canmore ID 60845 (go to Links) gives a detailed interpretation of the fort.
To get to the fort head to Leswalt from Stranraer, travel straight through Leswalt , take the 1st L turn after the uphill Z bends, signed for Path Aldouran Woodland Circle. Around 300 yards along this rough road there is a large parking space to the L. A Woodland path starts here. Keep straight on this path for around a third of a mile until you reach a clearing with a wooden bench and earthworks.
There is no signage indicating Kemp’s Graves.

I attempted to reach Sig More cairn from the beach however the cairn was surrounded by a carpet of seaweed which deterred me from investigating further. The profile of the mound is a classic cairn with large kerb stones visible.
Directions: The cairn is located on the N coast of South Uist. Half a mile before the South Uist Benbecula Causeway turn R to Aird Mhor/Ardmore just after passing a roadside shrine. Follow the single track road to park at a dead end at Rhughasinish (NF81394517). Walk back along the track for c. 300 yards to reach a house. Head NW across rough ground for c. 500 yards to reach the coast. The cairn is accessible from the coast depending on the tide level.

The siting of this pair of stones with extensive views all round justifies their presence.
Canmore ID 4428 (go to Links) sheds some light on their past. According to the Name Book 1852 there was a 6 foot square Four Poster in situ. Over the years the number of stones was reduced from 4 to 2.
Looking at this site as a large Four Poster elevates it from an oddity to a significant monument.

I visited the Fell of Barhullion Hillfort while investigating the shy and retiring Cup and Ring Marked rocks on Blairbuy Farm. Most of these are covered by turf or gorse so the visible remains of the fort come as a relief.
Canmore ID 62757 (go to Links) has a good aerial picture of the fort and a detailed description of the layout. They suggest the placement of a Chevaux de Frise, an anti-cavalry device consisting of randomly placed vertically set stones, on the otherwise unprotected N flank.

It’s nice to find a site that you don’t have to walk for miles over moorland to visit.
The Galloway Stone is just such a site. Simply leave the M6 at J39 for Shap, turn left for Orton after 0.5 miles, follow the Orton road for 1.8 miles parallel to the M6. Take the right turn to Salterwath dead-end lane just before the M6 underpass.
The Galloway Stone lies c. 50 yards to the left after 100 yards along this lane.
It looks like a large chunk of Shap Pink Granite so it can’t be an erratic from Galloway.
The explanation for it’s name may be that it was a marker on the Old Scotch Drove Road for turning onto the Galwaithegate or Galloway Road.
As an additional point of interest there is an Ordnance Survey Bench Mark Bolt on The Galloway Stone denoting a height of 98.8m.

Visited 01.09.20

The path for Cosdon Hill starts near the Oxenham Arms in South Zeal. A tall menhir is built into a wall in a dining room (see Oxenham Arms site).
From the Oxenham Arms go downhill for 50 yards turning R into a signed path. Turn R when the path meets a road, go uphill to a crossroads. Head straight onto a rough road for c. 200 yards until a Bridle Path appears on the L. This path leads up onto Cosdon Hill and the restored triple stone row.

Visited 02.09.20

I followed the river path at Harford Bridge and a cow path up to Tristis Stone. The Chambered Cairn is 70 yards W of Tristis Stone and the Cairn Circle a further 90 yards west.
I followed the stone row downhill (due N) for 220 yards and c. 80 stones when i ran into extensive gorse and lost the trail.
The size of stones in the row varied from inches above ground to three feet.

Take the Kirkmichael/Straiton B7045 turn on the NE edge of the A77 in Maybole. After around 600 yards there is a lay-by on your R. Walk 30 yards back towards Maybole to a gate on the L into a large field. Follow the dry stane dyke for around 250 yards looking L to locate Lyonston Stone in the adjacent field.
Canmore ID 41670 (go to Links) gives a full description of this “rounded granite boulder about 1.4m high.”

Taking the advice of previous Stoners, I changed into wellies and tramped across boggy marshland taking the SW edge of the knoll as a bearing.
The stone circle is c. 20 yards SW from the knoll however it is difficult to spot as all 4 stones are less than 1ft high.
Canmore ID 38005 (go to Links) states that Ardilistry is “a probable ‘four-poster’“.
Given the diminutive nature of Ardilistry Four Poster there is greater satisfaction in having found it than having seen it.
PS I investigated a suspicious gap in the knoll to the NE. I found a narrow channel lined with stones and a mysterious stone structure. It is not listed as a cairn so I would be interested in other Stoners opinions.

Laganabeastie Cairns can be found adjacent to the single track road to Lagafater Lodge, a large isolated holiday house in Dumfries and Galloway. The East & West cairns are located only 50 yards apart on the edge of moorland separated by a dry stane dyke.
Scant details of Laganabeastie East are available on Canmore ID 61900 (go to Links). It is described as “ a cairn, measuring 17.3m in diameter and 1.5m in height”.
The cairn has been heavily robbed on the S side leaving an excavated hollow and scattered stones behind. It measures approximately 20 yards on the EW axis by 2 yards high. It is still recognisable as a cairn despite the desecrations.
Directions: Take the un-signposted single track road 400 yards N of the Innermessan Junction on the A77 to Stranraer. Continue for 5 miles across moorland until you reach Penwhirn Reservoir and Filter Station. Take the next L across a bridge just after the Filter Station. This is a dead end single track road leading to Lagafater Lodge. Follow this narrow road for 2.5 miles until you reach an exposed stone bridge. Park in the next passing place. The Laganabeastie Cairns can be seen on the R in a rough pasture surrounded by a dry stane dyke. If you reach a Private Road sign you have gone too far. Turn around and the cairns will be on your L after around 500 yards.

Laganabeastie Cairns can be found adjacent to the single track road to Lagafater Lodge, a large isolated holiday house in Dumfries and Galloway. The East & West cairns are located only 50 yards apart on the edge of moorland separated by a dry stane dyke.
Laganbeastie West is an undisturbed cairn listed as Canmore ID 61881 (go to Links). It is around 20 yards EW axis by 2 yards high , however, it is covered in grass with stones only visible on the summit. It’s possible that Laganabeastie Cairns East & West would been twins in the prehistoric landscape.
Directions: Take the un-signposted single track road 400 yards N of the Innermessan Junction on the A77 to Stranraer. Continue for 5 miles across moorland until you reach Penwhirn Reservoir and Filter Station. Take the next L across a bridge just after the Filter Station. This is a dead end single track road leading to Lagafater Lodge. Follow this narrow road for 2.5 miles until you reach an exposed stone bridge. Park in the next passing place. The Laganabeastie Cairns can be seen on the R in a rough pasture surrounded by a dry stane dyke. If you reach a Private Road sign you have gone too far. Turn around and the cairns will be on your L after around 500 yards.