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Blairbuy 1 Carved Panel, located at NX 37193 41422.
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Blairbuy 2 Carved Panel is in the Centre of the Rocky Knoll on the SE Side, located at NX 37289 41169.
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Blairbuy 5 Carved Panel located at NX 37598 41750. (12.11.11)
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Blairbuy 5 Carved Panel, viewed from above. (12.11.11)
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Cup & Ring Carving on Blairbuy 5 Carved Panel. (12.11.11)
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Cup & Ring Carving on Blairbuy 5 Carved Panel, old 50p for Scale. (12.11.11)
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Cup and Ring Carvings on Blairbuy 6 Carved Panel.
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Cup and Ring Carving on Blairbuy 6 Carved Panel (Old 50p for Scale).
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Cup and Ring Carving on Blairbuy 6 Carved Panel (Old 50p for Scale).
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Double Groove Carving on Blairbuy 6 Carved Panel (Old 50p for Scale).
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
It has been my experience that a six figure OS Grid Reference is inadequate for locating Cup & Ring Marked stones: It defines a square measuring 100m by 100m. It can be frustrating to find one stone amongst many. Canmore ID 62758 gives a ten figure OS Grid Reference, NX 37193 41422 for Blairbuy 1 Carved Panel. This locates the site to a 1m by 1m square. In my opinion, all Cup & Ring Marked stones should have ten figure OS Grid References.
Cup & Ring Carving on Blairbuy 1 Carved Panel.(27.08.11)
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Blairbuy Standing Stones viewed from N.
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Blairbuy E Standing Stone viewed from N.
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Blairbuy W Standing Stone viewed from N.
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Directions to Auchmantle Fell (The Wee Cairn): Take the left turn to Stranraer at the N end of Main St in New Luce. Follow the road for c. 2 miles to reach the track to Auchmantle Farm at NX 1539 6259. I decided to park at the abandoned Auchmantle Farm due to the lack of parking spaces on the road.
The route starts at Auchmantle Farm. Follow the track N then NW for c. 0.5 mile to the end of the track. Head W across the field for c. 200 yards to a gateway. Go through the gate then head NW across the field for c. 250 yards to a standing stone in front of a gateway. Go through the gate into rough pasture. Head N for c. 50 yards then NW for c. 50 yards following a rough path. Head W from here to a large modern cairn on Auchenmantle Fell (The Muckle Cairn) at NX 1454 6365. Head S from here for c. 135 yards to reach Auchenmantle Fell (The Wee Cairn) at NX 1452 6353. This cairn is hidden in boggy moorland. Look for a green patch in brown moorland with a prominent NW earth bank and a shallow central grassy rectangular cist beside a clump of moor grass. My walking route is available as Auchmantle Fell Cairns on OS Mapping.
Directions to Auchmantle Fell (The Muckle Cairn): Take the left turn to Stranraer at the N end of Main St in New Luce. Follow the road for c. 2 miles to reach the track to Auchmantle Farm at NX 1539 6259. I decided to park at the abandoned Auchmantle Farm due to the lack of parking spaces on the road.
The route starts at Auchmantle Farm. Follow the track N then NW for c. 0.5 mile to the end of the track. Head W across the field for c. 200 yards to a gateway. Go through the gate then head NW across the field for c. 250 yards to a standing stone in front of a gateway. Go through the gate into rough pasture. Head N for c. 50 yards then NW for c. 50 yards following a rough path. Head W from here to a large modern cairn on Auchenmantle Fell (The Muckle Cairn) at NX 1454 6365. Head S from here for c. 135 yards to reach Auchenmantle Fell (The Wee Cairn) at NX 1452 6353. This cairn is hidden in boggy moorland. Look for a green patch in brown moorland with a prominent NW earth bank and a shallow central grassy rectangular cist beside a clump of moor grass. My walking route is available as Auchmantle Fell Cairns on OS Mapping.
N Arc of Auchmantle Fell (The Wee Cairn).
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
E Arc of Auchmantle Fell (The Wee Cairn).
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
S Arc of Auchmantle Fell (The Wee Cairn).
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
W Arc of Auchmantle Fell (The Wee Cairn).
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
NW Earth Bank of Auchmantle Fell (The Wee Cairn)\
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Central Exposed Cist of Auchmantle Fell (The Wee Cairn) viewed from S.
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Visited 14.12.24
Auchmantle Fell (The Wee Cairn) is located c. 2 miles WSW of New Luce in Dumfries and Galloway. The cairn is delineated as a sub circular grassy area surrounded by moor grass. The centre of the low mound is dotted with moor grass. The cairn is c. 60 feet in diameter and 1 foot high. There are no visible stone on the surface. The cairn has two prominent features: There is an earth bank on the NW arc up to 2 feet high and an exposed grassy cist in the centre, measuring c. 3 feet by 2 feet in area and c. 9 inches deep. Further information is available on Canmore ID 61692.
Auchmantle Fell (The Muckle Cairn) is c. 135 yards N of Auchmantle Fell (The Wee Cairn), a prominent modern cairn on the horizon.
Auchmantle Fell (The Muckle Cairn) viewed from N.
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Auchmantle Fell (The Muckle Cairn) viewed from E.
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Auchmantle Fell (The Muckle Cairn) viewed from S.
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Auchmantle Fell (The Muckle Cairn) viewed from W.
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
N Arc of Auchmantle Fell (The Muckle Cairn).
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
E Arc of Auchmantle Fell (The Muckle Cairn).
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
S Arc of Auchmantle Fell (The Muckle Cairn).
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
W Arc of Auchmantle Fell (The Muckle Cairn).
Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Visited 14.12.24
Auchmantle Fell (The Muckle Cairn) is situated c. 2 miles WSW of New Luce in Dumfries and Galloway. All that remains is a low grassy round platform with a modern cairn constructed in the centre. The platform measures c. 15 feet in diameter by 1 foot high. The modern cairn measures c 4 feet high. There are traces of a small stone enclosure in the E quadrant. Details of Auchmantle Fell (The Muckle Cairn) are available in Canmore ID 61691.
The Scots word Muckle means “big”, differentiating the cairn from Auchmantle Fell (The Wee Cairn) which lies in boggy moorland c. 135 yards S (c. 190°) of The Muckle Cairn.
Auchensoul Hill is located c. 0.8 mile WNW of Barr. You can park in the centre of the village then walk W to cross the Stinchar Bridge. Follow the road N to reach a signed footpath on the left. The vague path heads W uphill through moorland grass. Trees have been recently planted on the E slopes of Auchensoul Hill, surrounded by a deer fence. Continue W along the line of the deer fence until you reach a gate in the deer fence. Go through the gate into rough green pasture. Head NW up a steep slope towards the summit of Auchensoul Hill. It is a rocky knoll surmounted by an OS Trig Point at NX 26391 94548.
The vague path up to Auchensoul Hill is steep through boggy moorland ground, requiring sturdy boots and GPS navigation ideally.
Visited 26.12.24
I returned to Claughreid Stone Circle around 15 years after my first visit. I was able to locate all 10 stones on 04.04.10. On return, it seemed to me that the stone circle was hidden in rough moor grass. I was able to locate 7 outer stones at varying heights: N Stone (356°), NE Stone (37°), E Stone (82°), ESE Stone (112°), SSE Stone (153°), SW Stone (225°) and WNW Stone (300°). I stood on a stone at 180° and exposed the surface of a S Stone. I looked for a stone on the W Arc at 270° but was unable to find any.
Claughreid Stone Circle is in danger of sinking into the moor leaving only the larger stones exposed.
My route to Claughreid Stone Circle was via a track through Claughreid Farm avoiding a trudge through boggy moorland: Turn off the A75 for Cairn Holy at NX 5164 5305. Follow the sign for Cairn Holy for c. 100 yards then bear right onto an unsigned single track road. Stay on this winding lane for c. 0.4 miles to reach an unsigned track on the left at NX 5207 5313. Follow this dead-end track for a mile to reach a small car park at the end: the track becomes increasingly rough and dirty closer to the end.
The walking route to Claughreid Stone Circle starts at the end of the public road from Barholm Farm to Claughreid Farm. Park up and walk along the track to Claughreid Farm. Head W through Claughreid Farm then head downhill. Cross over a ford then follow the track through a dry stane dyke. Continue NW for c. 300 yards to go through a gate in the dry stane dyke. Head NNE from the gateway on vague tracks for c. 100 yards to reach Claughreid Stone Circle, partially obscured in moorland. My walking route along this track can be viewed on Claughreid Stone Circle.