markj99

Braidenoch Cross Slabs can be found c. 150 yards S of the path running from Carsphairn to Polmaddie. At present the two stones with crude cross carvings lie horizontal in rough grass on a S slope of Braidenoch Hill. However, it is reasonable to assume they were once vertical markers close to the old bridle path. The ancient path was known as the packman’s road according to Canmore ID 63877 (go to Links).

Canmore dates the carvings to the eighth or ninth century. It states that the larger stone measures c. 3 ft 3 in long, 17 in wide and 7 in thick. There is a fracture across the stone c. 9 in from the top at the neck of the cross. The smaller stone dimensions are given as 2 ft 2 in long, 9 in wide and 6.5 in thick. This stone is intact.

Directions: There is room to park at Carnavel Farm junction on the W side of Carsphain just before you cross the bridge. Follow the path to Polmaddy uphill for 1.5 miles until you observe Bardennoch hill trig point on your L. Continue on this path until you reach NX 56981 90728. Head NE across a dry stane dyke for c. 150 yards to locate your target.

Braidenoch Cross Slabs are difficult to find without GPS. The bearing from the summit of Braidenoch Hill to the Braidenoch Cross Slabs is c. 285 degrees (SSW) for c. 200 yards.

Round Dounan is a small fort in the grounds of Dunragit House. It is situated on a natural mound at the top of a slope c. 75 yards E of the road leading to Dunragit House. The mound is protected on the W by the wooded slope with a surrounding terrace on the N, E & S sides. There are two deep gouges on the N end of the knoll. The mound is c. 15 feet high with a flat grassy summit plateau cleared of vegetation. There are no features on the plateau save some tree stumps. The NW-SE Axis measures c. 35 yards and the NE-SW Axis measures c. 25 yards giving the mound an oval shape.

Canmore ID 61250 (go to Links) has further details of Round Dounan.

There is a dry stane dyke c. 30 yards S of Bagbie Cairn. A short standing stone c. 2.5 feet high and 2.5 feet wide has been incorporated into the wall.
Canmore ID 281565 (go to Links) notes that the stone is “on a direct sight-line between Bagbie standing stone and the two upright stones on the ESE edge on Baggie cairn.” (J Pickin 2005).

Shennanton SE Cairn is located on the edge of a copse of trees at the A75/B735 junction. The cairn has been fenced off in the corner of a field. It has been extensively robbed of stone consisting of a raised platform up to 3 feet high. It is covered in vegetation including briars and a mature tree sprouting in the E quadrant. There is an area of moss covered stones in the NE quadrant which could be original stones. A large c. 5 feet long moss-covered stone lies S of the tree, possibly a displaced kerb stone. The size and shape of Shennanton SE Cairn is difficult to ascertain due to the ground cover however I estimated it to be an oval cairn with a c. 30 yards diameter.

Shennanton Cairn SE is listed as Canmore ID 62971 (go to Links).

Shennanton NW Cairn lies c. 500 yards NW of Shennanton SE Cairn in unimproved pasture N of the A75 Shennanton straight.

Shennanton NW Cairn is a grass-covered round cairn c. 60 feet across and 3 feet high. There are no loose stones on the cairn but embedded stones are protruding through the turf in the interior and on the kerb of the cairn. It is listed as Canmore ID 62960 (go to Links).

Shennanton SE Cairn lies c. 500 yards SE of Shennanton NW Cairn on the edge of a copse of trees at the A75/B735 junction.

Barhoise Cairn lies in farmland adjacent to the B735 c. 1 mile NNE of Kirkcowan. The grassy cairn has an oval footprint c. 30 yards across and 4 feet high. The interior has been hollowed out by stone robbing. Only a deposit of clearance stones remain in the N quadrant. An intermittent earth bank with some small embedded stones defines the perimeter of Barhoise Cairn.

A report from 1976 in Canmore ID 62982 (go to Links) opined that despite the stone robbing “the burial is probably intact.” In its current robbed-out state, I would say that it is unlikely any burial remains interred in Barhoise Cairn.

Directions: Take the B735 Kirkcowan turn off the A75. After c. 500 yards you will pass a gateway opposite the Barhoise Cairn. Continue for c. 100 yards to a wide gateway on the R where it is possible to park. Walk back to the gateway. The cairn is c. 75 yards W from here.