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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.

Visited 11.07.20

Barclye Cairn is described in Canmore ID 62933 (go to Links). It is a robbed out cairn 20m across by 1.5m high. There are two earthfast stones which may be the remnants of a cist.

Directions: Take the A75 turn off to Newton Stewart at the large roundabout. Follow the town centre to the end of Victoria Street & bear left across the Cree Bridge. Turn L about 50 yards from the end of the bridge into Minnigaff. After 0.5 mile you will see a war memorial on your R.
Take the next L turn after 100 yards. This is a narrow country lane headed to Cree Woods. Follow this lane past Minigaff Parish Church, Boreland Wood and Boreland Farm. Around 0.75 mile after Boreland Farm there is a gate at NX 389 686 (approximately) on the R. There is limited parking here so I chose to go onto Barclye Wood Parking (NX 38604 69482) around 0.5 miles along the lane.
Having walked back to the gateway, I headed N up a slope for 300 yards to a hilltop where Barclye Cairn is prominent.
Drumwhirn Cairn & Barclye Cairn are close together so they can easily be achieved in the same trip.

Visited 11.07.20



Directions: Take the A75 turn off to Newton Stewart at the large roundabout. Follow the town centre to the end of Victoria Street & bear left across the Cree Bridge. Turn L about 50 yards from the end of the bridge into Minnigaff. After 0.5 mile you will see a war memorial on your R.
Take the next L turn after 100 yards. This is a narrow country lane headed to Cree Woods. Follow this lane past Minigaff Parish Church, Boreland Wood and Boreland Farm. Around 0.5 mile after Boreland Farm a green lane protected by a deer gate starts at NX 39089 68355 on the R. There is limited parking here so I chose to go onto Barclye Wood Parking (NX 38604 69482) around 0.5 miles along the lane.

Having walked back to the green lane I found the gate immovable so I had to climb the high style beside the gate. Follow the green lane uphill for 300 yards, bearing R at a fork then reach another deer gate 150 yards later. I opened this gate with some difficulty (it was heavy and stiff) and followed the field perimeter NE for around 150 yards to another deer gate. Look L to see Drumwhirn Cairn, a significant pile of stones in the adjacent field around 300 yards away. After another deer gate workout there is a stream to cross on stepping stones before reaching the field. Drumwhirn Cairn is impressive on approach however closer inspection shows significant stone robbing. The summit has been excavated leaving a dirt filled hollow behind.

Drumwhirn Cairn is on a highpoint with extensive views all round. It is around 30 metres across and 5 metres high. It must have been spectacular before Man started messing with it.

Further details of Drumwhirn Cairn can be found at Canmore ID 62929 (go to Links).

Drumwhirn Cairn & Barclye Cairn are close together so they can easily be achieved in the same trip.

Visited 21.01.09

I have little memory of this visit except for the seemingly endless bleak moorland, however I have submitted pictures of both Eggs.

Visited 17.04.09

There is a Car Park at Embsay Reservoir. Follow the road NW, parallel to Embsay Reservoir towards Crookrise Wood. Go straight on at the end of the road following the path N rather than an obvious track E. The path veers NW towards the corner of the wood and follows NW between the moor and the wood. After nearly 1 mile you will reach the Trig Point of Crookrise Crag. The Fairy’s Chest lies 300 yards further up the path, on the slope of the moor. It is a large cuboid erratic which looks like it has been shaped by man not nature. It measures approximately 10m x 3m x 3m and has unusually flat surfaces. There are several other large stones around it however the flat top will give it away.

Visited 06.07.19

White Cairn, Honeyhole is a grassy cairn, 3.5 miles WNW of Thornhill. It lies in an elevated field above Honeyhole farm.
Canmore ID 65238 (go to Links) states it “survives as a partly turf-covered stony mound 32.5m E-W by 29.5m and up to 1.7m high with no significant features.”
Nothing has changed since the 1977 survey. The flat field contrasts with the cairn’s modest elevation. Some scattered small stones are visible amongst a grassy thatch.
Directions: take the Sanquhar road off the A702 in Penpont. After two miles bear L for Scar Water. After 0.5 mile you will reach Honeyhole farm. Continue for c. 300 yards to a gateway on L with space to park. Head uphill SW, towards the corner of the wood. After 300 yards climbing steeply cross into the adjacent field. Walk SW for another 200 yards to reach White Cairn, Honeyhole.

Visited 28.08.19

White Cairn, West Skelston is a partially robbed cairn, reused as a dump for field clearance stones and old farm equipment. It is 3 miles W of Dunscore in an arable field overlooking West Skelston farm.
Canmore ID 65098 (go to Links) describes the cairn in 1991 as follows: “This cairn is situated on the crest of a spur and measures 23m in diameter and 3m in height; it has been partly robbed and has been supplemented by large boulders relatively recently.”
There are original stones with an aged white patina but there are also a large central robbed out void, large field clearance stones and some old farm equipment on this cairn.
This seems to be the fate of cairns in proximity of farms where the temptation to exploit a natural resource is too great.

Visited 07.04.12

Fleucharg Long Cairn has certainly been abused over the millennia, most probably in the last centuries. However, it is still a significant presence in the landscape worth visiting.
It was archaeologically excavated in 1937. Canmore ID 65063 (go to Links) states it “measures 150 ft NNE-SSW by 44 ft across the N end and 85 ft some 25 ft from the S end, and has a maximum height of 14 ft.”
Of particular note was “a setting of three boulders, possibly part of a kerb” according to Canmore ID 65063.
There are also large voids in the cairn due to stone robbing.
It is identified as White Cairn in OS 1:50k maps.

White Cairn, Gelston was a cairn 1 mile W of Gelston, a small community near Castle Douglas.
Canmore ID 64467 (go to Links) says the “remains of this cairn consist of two large stones set in line east to west with an indeterminate scatter of small stones to the south. The west stone is 3.0m long by 0.6m wide and 1.0m high, the other being approx half this size.” This entry dates to 1968 and things have changed since then. On 14.09.19 two large stones corresponding to the 1968 entry were piled in the corner of a field with an old tyre at the expected grid reference. There is a third small stone beside the pair of stones but the scattered stones have been removed. The destruction of the cairn has been completed. The remaining two large stones were thought to have been part of the cist originally.
It was more of a practical exercise to find the site of the destroyed cairn than a walk to an existing cairn.

This is one for the completists. The Stoners who will leave no stone unturned. The pictures have been on my hard drive since August 2015 so I have had to resort to OS Maps Aerial to describe the final steps to the cairn.
White Cairn, Clatteringshaws is hiding in the forest half a mile SW of Lillie’s Loch Car Park on the edge of Clatteringshaws Loch. Take Lillie’s Loch/Loch Dee turn off the A712 just S of Clatteringshaws Loch. After almost 1 mile Lillie’s Loch Car Park is on L at a sharp corner. Follow Lillie’s Loch track SW for 400 yards crossing over a forest road into a wide forest ride. Continue W for 300 yards, bear L at a fork, head W for around 120 yards. Turn L into a narrow forest ride heading S. Follow this path for 200 yards approximately, look for a forest ride to your R. Follow this for 120 yards into a large clearing. Turn L for around 60 yards heading S. Look for a forest ride on your R, follow it for 40 yards and the cairn will appear (hopefully).
White Cairn, Clatteringshaws has its private pine enclosure giving it a sense of isolation. However the ruined state of the cairn detracts from the spectacle. According to Canmore ID 63797 (go to Links) “White Cairn has been circular, 40’ in diameter, but it has been almost completely destroyed and small sheep shelters have been built out of its material on the site. The interment has probably been disturbed long ago.”
The remains are a confused jumble of stones. As I said, this is one for the completists!

White Cairn, Bargrennan Burn lies in the middle of unimproved grazing, 0.5 miles north of Marberry Smokehouse on the A714 near Bargrennan. It is defined as a “kerb cairn” by Canmore ID 63008.
Many will have visited its more famous companion, White Cairn, Bargrennan which is in the forest near Glentrool Village, almost 1 mile SE.
White Cairn, Bargrennan Burn has fared better than its illustrious neighbour perhaps due to its relative inaccessibility. “The White Cairn is 50 feet in diameter and 7 ft high, slightly robbed on the south. There is a small circular excavation about 2 feet deep in the top but there is no evidence of a cist or chamber.” (Canmore ID 63008 (go to Links))
This White Cairn is one of the few to show a glimmer of white, some of the exposed stones having an aged white patina.
A GPS is almost essential for this hidden cairn, however, walking 700 yards N from the sheepfold should allow you to find the cairn.
Starting at Newton Stewart take the A714 Girvan road for 12 miles to Bargrennan. Stay on the A714 for a futher 1.25 miles until you reach Marberry Smokehouse on the R. Parking is possible at NX 33840 78648, a mast at the end of a fast straight stretch of the A714. Walk back along the road until you reach the sheepfold then head N over rough ground for around 700 yards to NX 3422 7910. You should be able to see the cairn as a raised grass mound with some scattered stones from this approach.

It would be foolish to visit the Hole Stone near Crouse farm without taking in White Cairn, Crouse on the way. There is room to park in a gateway at NX 36446 55806. Walk SE towards the gate in the dry stane dyke. White Cairn, Crouse lies 20 yards E of the gate. At first glance it looks like a field clearance cairn however there is a classic raised bank underlying structure. It is likely that the cairn was robbed of its original stones to build the neighbouring dry stane dykes and field clearance stones were subsequently piled up randomly.
Canmore ID 62871 (go to Links) gives the dimensions of the cairn as “28.0m N-S by 27.0m E-W and 2.0m high”.
Return to the gate, walk 40 yards S into the next field to visit the Hole Stone. It is already listed on TMA and well worth a visit. Canmore ID 62872 (go to Links) includes a wealth of information about a second stone and marriage rituals.

Visited 17.09.19

White Cairn, Barrhill is 1 mile W of Barrhill wedged into the corner of a field in forestry. Canmore ID 62561 (go to Links) gives its dimensions as “about 25m in diameter and varies in height from 1.0m to 2.5m”.
The grassed-over cairn has been extensively robbed with few scattered stones remaining but the underlying structure is intact. A modern cairn, 10 feet high has been constructed at the summit of the cairn and a sheepfold built nearby. This would account for the missing stones.
Park at Barrhill station and cross the tracks following a farm road N. Walk past Cairnlea farm following the farm road until you reach a sheepfold, about 200 yards on the R. Turn R into the field adjacent to the sheepfold and follow the fence NW across fields for 600 yards until you reach the edge of a forest. Walk NW along the edge of the forest for about 500 yards until you reach a sheepfold. Go through the gate ahead into a large field, the cairn is in the R corner beside the forest.

Visited 05.10.19

White Cairn, Laggish lies in a pine forest 4km S of Barrhill. Canmore ID 62463 (go to Links) indicates that the cairn was extensively robbed by 1955 however the tree planting round the cairn has caused further disruption. It also describes the “remains of the White Cairn, grass-covered and measuring 19m in diameter and 1m in maximum height.” The current dimensions of the cairn are around 15m by 1.5m. The cairn is still grass covered though pine needles are encroaching. There is a rock outcrop on the N side of the cairn as indicated by Canmore ID 62463.
There are no stones in the centre of the cairn however there is a large recumbent stone 5m W of the cairn, approximately fitting the dimensions of the central recumbent boulder. It could easily have been moved during the tree planting.
The subdued light of the clearing and the unnatural quiet of the pine forest add to the ambiance of this hidden cairn.
Take the New Luce road out of Barrhill. After 2.25 miles you reach a forest. Park up at the lay-by for Dochroyle & Laggish. Follow the track for 0.75 miles to reach Dochroyle, a tiny forest community. Pass through Dochroyle, through a locked gate turning R down the forest track. Turn R into a forest break after 500 yards at NX 23079 78656 which leads into a large forest break. Turn L and head over boggy ground for 50 yards, turn R into the forest for 20 yards to the cairn at NX 2298 7860. The above directions are approximate and a GPS is almost essential to find this cairn.

Visited 01.12.19

White Cairn, High Aires is situated 7.5 miles NNE of Glenluce, amid forestry and wind turbines. It is a grass covered round cairn, around 20 yards in diameter & 5 yards in height. The summit of the cairn is unexcavated and the stone structure appears to be intact.
Take the Dirnow road off the A75 near Kircowan. After three miles you reach a crossroads. Head straight onto a forest track to wind turbines. After 1.75 miles park beside a turbine at NX 26547 68071. There is an access road to the L. Walk around 300 yards S to a track entering a field. Turn R along the perimeter of the field following the curve until you reach a fence. The cairn is visible 10 yards into the adjacent field.
Further information is available in Canmore ID 62297 (go to Links).

Visited 08.12.19
White Cairn, Markdhu was a small cairn on a natural knoll which had been removed by 1911 according to Canmore ID 61791 (go to Links). A sheepfold has been constructed on the knoll but it is now in ruins.
The site is shown on OS 1:50k maps and can be visited in conjunction with Cairn Kenny, a more impressive cairn, which lies around 400 yards NW.
Given their proximity and their relative isolation in rough moorland it makes sense to visit both sites together. See Cairn Kenny page for directions.
While little of the original cairn remains, the location of the knoll in flat moorland may explain the creation of the cairn.

Visited 08.03.20

Ballach-a-Heathry cairn is a robbed out grassy cairn of uncertain age. It lies 2 miles NE of Glenluce on the Three Lochs road. It is approximately 20 yards across its N-S axis and 12 yards across the E-W axis. The cairn is grassed over with a deposit of large field clearance stones on the N of the cairn. There is no evidence of a cist.
Given its position in flat pastureland the cairn is quite prominent despite the recent addition of wind turbines. A gate provides easy access to the cairn.
Last visited in 1976, Canmore ID 62413 gives further details of the cairn (go to Links).

Visited 08.12.19

Cairn Kenny lies around 500m NE of High Murdonochee summit in extensive moorland S of Arecleoch Forest. Access is possible from the railway crossing at Miltonise Farm however I chose to approach from the Lagafater Lodge road N of Penwhirn Reservoir.
In hindsight this was a mistake since the road was private before Barnvannoch Farm requiring an extra 2km walk to reach the Lagafater Dam, before walking 4 km over rough wet moorland via High Murdonochee. I would suggest that walking from Miltonese would be shorter, around 3km each way. A GPS or good map reading is essential to find Cairn Kenny.
Cairn Kenny is a chambered cairn around 17m across by 2m high with a robbed out central chamber. Many scattered stones are left in situ on a green turfed cairn which is visible from a distance. Further details are available in Canmore ID 61771 (go to Links).

Visited 08.03.20

Miltonise North cairn lies 30m E of the Stranraer to Girvan railway line 650m NNE of Miltonise farm (as noted in Canmore ID 61803 (go to Links)).
It is a robbed out cairn, approximately 10m across with an off-centre kist exposed. The kist is a 0.5m square, approximately 0.5m deep with two stone slabs remaining in situ. A third potential stone slab lies within 1m of the kist.
A small scattering of buried stones remain on the grass covered cairn, which stands out as a green spot surrounded by brown moorland.
In this rough moorland the cairn is almost invisible until one is standing over it.
Canmore ID 61803 also notes that a second cairn 5m in diameter, covered in peat lies 10m S of this cairn however I was unable to locate this feature.
Canmore ID 61853 (go to Links) describes Miltonise South cairn, which is positioned approximately 400m S. Again, it is a turfed over cairn, around 6m in diameter. I was unable to investigate this due to the proximity of beef cattle in the area.

Re-Visited 27.02.20

I summited Knockdolian many years ago but lost the photos so I had a good excuse for a second visit.
The short steep walk more than compensates the effort required with fantastic 360 degree views including Ailsa Craig to the NW.
Approaching Ballantrae from S, I crossed the Stinchar Bridge and turned right beside the old castle. After 3 miles on the B7044 there is a sign for the Knockdolian Hill path. It is possible to park beside a wood a quarter of a mile beyond this point. Retrace your steps and start the steep obvious ascent up a grass field leading onto a ridge towards the summit.
I was expecting a stonier cairn however the grass cairn at the summit looks like a natural knoll. There are no kerb stones, as noted in Canmore ID 62028 (go to Links), just a few rock outcrops.

Visited 23.02.20

Torhouskie Farm Cairn lies 200 yards E of the farm. It is in a ruinous state, only the outline of a 25 metre cairn and an earth bank remaining.
Canmore ID 62842 (go to Links) suggests it is a robbed out bell-cairn.
It may be accessed by parking at Torhouse Stone Circle and walking back towards the farm around a quarter of a mile. There is a gate into the adjacent field which provides closer access.
The raised earth bank and intermittent perimeter of stones give a clue as to how impressive this cairn would have been in its youth.
There is a scattering of smaller stones at the centre giving the impression of concentric circles. However, these stones may be a later addition due to field clearance.

Visited 20.02.20

On a changeable day with sleet showers I explored the potential cairns to the N of Torhousekie Stone Circle.
There are two candidates listed on Canmore under Torhousekie:
Canmore ID 62839 (go to Links). This was a large cairn 140 yards N of the circle however no trace was found on 18th August 1970. The building of dry stane dykes was blamed for its removal.
Canmore ID 62875 (go to Links). This was a large conical cairn, 166 yards N of the circle. It was last observed on 18th August 1970 as “remains of a dilapidated cairn, 28.0m in diameter and 1.0m maximum height. It’s top is thickly covered with field clearance stones”.
Fifty years have passed since then so we should not be surprised that both cairns are now invisible.
There are many field clearance stones in the corner of the field which bounds the cairn sites and extensive dry stane dykes which would account for their eradication.
Approximately 30 yards E of Canmore ID 62839 there is a small plie of field clearance stones on a natural knoll. At the stated position of Canmore ID 62839 there is a natural knoll with some earth-set rocks but no visible scattered stones.
30 yards N there is an arable grass field next to a farm track. The ploughing of the field has removed any trace of Canmore ID 62875. I have included a picture of the site in case more experienced eyes can spot anything.

Visited 03.07.11

After a grid search of the hillside around NB 177 345 I found a viable candidate for Callanish XV at NB 17753 34588. The recumbent stone was c. 7 feet NE-SW and 4 feet SE-NW. This site is actually Callanish XV. See Canmore ID 72849 for further details (go to Links).

Beoch Hill cairn is 300 yards S of White Cairn, Beoch Hill. It’s a smaller cairn, around 10 yards across with a hollowed out centre.
See White Cairn, Beoch Hill for directions. From the White Cairn walk S towards a gate around 200 yards away. Beoch Hill cairn is a grassy bank 100 yards S from the gate in rough moorland.
It is listed as Canmore ID 60701 (go to Links).

White Cairn, Beoch Hill is a robbed cairn on rough moorland near the summit of Beoch Hill.
I parked at the Observation Post at NX 1093 6679 on the road to Penwhirn Reservoir. I headed W across rough ground over a shallow valley onto Beoch Hill. The moorland became drier at the summit of the hill. White Cairn, Beoch Hill required a GPS to find the low lying cairn, hidden in a patch of long grass. A scattering of white stones and a central clearing is all that remains.
Canmore ID 60690 (go to Links) states that it “had been almost obliterated by 1911.”

Visited 24.08.19

Thanks to persistence and drewbhoy’s pictures, I managed to find this shy and retiring recumbent stone after 15 minutes of tramping in moorland. The stone lies in a hollow guarded by reeds. As ever, I thought it should be easier than that so I have formulated an improved method to find Glac A’ Charraigh.
Park in the large passing place 150 yards before the sharp corner at NR 29643 43061. Walk 200 yards NE from the gate at the corner of the field. If the stone is not visible look for a small clump of reeds concealing it. You need to be almost standing over it. The choke stone is easier to spot than the recumbent stone.
My grid reference for this site was NR 29754 43158.
Canmore ID 37289 (go to Links) describes it as a standing stone on their last visit in 1977.