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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 mile until you reach the sign for the Southern Upland Way (SUW) pointing up into the moorland. There is room to park here. Follow the path to reach a latched gate. After c. 200 yards uphill parallel to the wood you will reach a SUW post beside the wood. (There is a stone 70 yards up from this post c. 10 yards E of the wood edge with a large deep cup (6x4x4.5 inches) and a smooth grooved depression (c. 8x4x1 inches) at NX 19403 64651).
Continue along the SUW for c. 0.5 mile to reach a gateway in a dry stane dyke at NX 19683 64213. There is a wooden sign in the SE lee of the dry stane dyke pointing up to Caves of Kilhern 200m. To reach Kilhern SE continue along the SUW for c. 650 yards to the edge of Kilhern ruined farm. Turn L just before the entrance to the farm following the line of the enclosure uphill N for c. 100 yards. A farm track heading NE starts here. Follow it for c. 120 yards to reach Kilhern SE Long Cairn.

Kilhern SE lies c. 250 yards NE of Kilhern Farm Ruin on the Southern Upland Way (SUW). According to Canmore ID 138720 (go to Links) it is an extensively robbed long cairn with remains of a superimposed round cairn on the NE of the cairn. Kilhern SE long cairn measures c. 20 yards on the long NE-SW Axis. The stony NE end is c. 10 yards wide and the robbed-out grassy SW end is c. 5 yards wide giving the cairn an asymmetrical oval shape. The stones on the NE end are small to medium sized, irregularly shaped with no discernible structures. They are encrusted with a patina of white lichen giving the cairn an ancient aspect.

Caves of Kilhern Long Cairn is located c. 700 yards NW of Kilhern SE. This more famous cairn is signposted off the SUW. It is c. 250 yards SW along a drystane dyke from a gateway at NX 19684 64215 on the path. The wooden sign is in the SE lee of the wall after you have walked through the gateway so it is easily missed.

The Kilhern cairns share the same NE-SW orientation, however, Caves of Kilhern has three impressive chambers preserved whereas Kilhern SE has no visible structural remains.

Visited 06.06.21

The access to Brownhill Burn Cairn has dramatically altered since my last visit. There is now a new road to within c. 50 yards of Brownhill Burn Cairn. The trees round Brownhill Burn Cairn have been felled leaving it in rough ground with stumps and ditches. There has been an unwelcome addition to the cairn, a Spruce sapling growing near an excavation in the SE Arc of the cairn.
Directions: There is a minor turn off the A713 halfway between Dalmellington and Carsphairn at NX 51747 99760. It leads past Lamford Farm to a dead end in forestry beside the Water of Deugh. After c. 1 mile you will pass Lamford Burn cairn on the L. After another c. 0.5 miles take the L fork. After c. 1.5 miles there is a newly constructed road signed for Water of Deugh Circular on the L. After c. 0.2 miles there is a large lay-by on the R. Walk up the road c. 120 yards, looking R to see Brownhill Burn Cairn with a Spruce sapling growing in the middle of the cairn c. 50 yards W of the road.

Brownhill Burn Cairn lies in forestry c. 7 miles N of Carsphairn, close to the South Ayrshire border. The cairn, measuring c. 10 yards across by 1 yard high, has been extensively robbed. A carpet of green moss lends the cairn a patina of antiquity. There is a modern shepherd’s cairn on the E side, the highest point of Brownhill Burn Cairn.

Canmore ID 43497 (go to Links) has a full description of Brownhill Burn Cairn.

King’s Cairn, a larger chambered cairn is only 400 yards NE of Brownhill Burn Cairn, hidden in a forest clearing.

Visited 24/05/21

Castlecreavie Settlement is situated on the road to Castlecreavie Farm between Kirkcudbright and Dundrennan. There is room to park at NX 72424 49258, c. 500 yards up the narrow road to Castlecreavie Farm. There is a style leading up to Castlecreavie Settlement. The natural hillock has an enclosure measuring c. 75 yards NE-SW and 40 yards NW-SE. There are remains of a c. 4 feet rampart on the SW and NE of the enclosure. There are steep slopes all round except for the SW which slopes away at a shallow angle. There is a prominent terrace from c. 12 to 15 feet wide round the settlement, except on the SW side.

Canmore ID 64427 (go to Links) has a fuller description of Castlecreavie Settlement.

Clachaneasy Bridge Cairn is a small cairn hidden in dense forestry c. 350 yards N of Clachaneasy Bridge. The cairn is built upon a small knoll, measuring c. 15 ft across and 3 feet high. The cairn is covered in briars, ferns and grass with no stones visible on the irregular surface. However, when walking on the cairn stones below the grass are evident. On the summit of Clachaneasy Bridge Cairn there is a row of four large moss-covered stones.
Directions: At the N end of Victoria Street in Newton Stewart head straight onto the A714 Girvan Road. Stay on this road for c. 7.3 miles to reach Clachaneasy, a tiny hamlet. Take the R turn for RSPB Wood of Cree Reserve c. 200 yards later. Cross over Clachaneasy Bridge, park on the R in a lay-by c. 25 yards beyond the bridge. Walk c. 250 yards up the road to a crossroads. Take the L turn up a forestry road for c. 200 yards to NX 35695 75452. From this point turn L into the forest. Head SW for c. 150 yards through difficult terrain of trees, ditches and briars to a small knoll at NX 3564 7542. Clachaneasy Bridge Cairn is built on this knoll.
Canmore ID 62998 (go to Links) gives further details of Clachaneasy Bridge Cairn.
GPS navigation is vital in finding this hidden cairn as well as good outdoor footwear to walk in the dense forest.