NT 1529 6838 Wednesday 28/8/02
The forgotten monolith. This site is not marked on the current OS map, or any other older maps I’ve consulted. Nor is it mentioned in ‘The Standing Stones of the Lothians’. Even in the RCAHMS database the last entry was in 1975 to state dimensions. This is a noble stone though- just over 1.5 metres high and almost diamond shaped in section with points aligned roughly NE/SW. A large section is missing from the base of the northern face. The rock from which it is fashioned has natural horizontal marks all round it approximately 5 cm apart. This monolith is surrounded by dead trees, brambles bushes and 2 metre high stinging nettles. Like many sites I’ve visited the past few months, it’s possibly best to try and find this one in Winter when the vegetation isn’t so prolific! According to the OS map there is a network of paths through this forest- aye- my arse! Thanks heavens for GPS is all I can say- I would never have found this site otherwise. The forest I’m in looks like it’s used by paintballers, though there is no one around today. I leaped over a stone wall to get into this forest- perhaps there’s an easier way in from the A71!
Martin
NT578741 Friday 23/8/02
Heading west along the road from Traprain Law a Scottish Rights of Way Society sign appears at the roadside- ‘Public Footpath to Standing Stone’. It’s along this path I head- it’s absolutely soaking and before long it feels as if my boots are full of water. I walk along by the hedgerows ever conscious of the bulk of Traprain Law to my left. Over the fields I can just make out the top of Loths stone peeking over a hedge. I come to the field and jump the gate then head along the edge of the field of golden wheat to the memorial to King Loth. The stone is about 2.5 m tall with sides aligned NNE/SSW (remembering that this stone has been moved). The edges of the stone are amazingly sharp- almost as fresh as the day this monolith was shaped.
NT 5793 7461 Friday 23/8/02
On the lower western slopes of Traprain Law is a small souterrain aligned N/S. This subterranean passage is only about 6 metres long, 60 cm wide and 90 cm deep- it’s large enough for a single person to crawl through. I don my caving boiler suit and hard hat and crawl in the chamber. Only about 3 m remains roofed with some very large lintels. The structure is similar to all other souterrains I’ve visited, apart from it’s size of course. At the southern end is a gap, then two more lintels and backfilling underneath. At the northern end is another gap, then one more lintel. The existence of this tiny chamber on this huge settlement and hill throws up more questions regarding the meaning of such subterranean chambers. It’s too small for animals, only large enough for one (or two at a big push) people. Sure, it could be used of the storage of grain, but would only keep a handful of folk supplied for a winter- certainly not the numbers that would have been living on the Law.
NT 5830 7474 Friday 23/8/02
Walking east along the ridge of this amazing hill I’m seriously considering doing this ritual. There’s no one around, no cars in the car park at the base and no one up the Law. The views around are fantastic today (though the Lammermuirs are still shrouded in hill fog)- the nearest sign of life is a tractor busy in the fields to the south way way below me and the A1 even further to the north. I reach the Maiden Stone- it’s a large vertical rock sheet that has split away leaving a gap about half a metre or so wide through which one should squeeze naked to bring both good fortune and to increase fertility. The rock is about 1.5 metres high, so any flesh exposed during the ritual is hidden (apart from the squeeze in and out of the stone). I sit at the northern end of the Maiden Stone- it’s actually quite hidden down in this hollow- before I know it the boots are off and it’s only a matter of seconds before I’m completely naked atop Traprain Law! I go into the Maiden Stone and make my way along, the rocks feels warm and smooth. I stop almost at the end and, well, I don’t make a habit of this, but I have to admit it feels amazing to be sandwiched in rock. I squeeze out of the other end and go back to get dressed quickly. I feel so empowered, so invigorated. I want to go through again, but decide not to push my luck- I don’t fancy getting caught doing this!
NT 646 678 Friday 23/8/02
I can usually battle my way through dense forest, but this is ridiculous. I’ve made it about 10 metres or so into the trees practically on my hands and knees and narrowly avoiding losing my eyes. I am soaking wet and according to the GPS there’s still another 60 metres to go- no way! Another site now lost in very dense forest.
NT 645 675 Friday 23/8/02
The GPS points me off the forest track and through head high bog rushes, down a fence line and to a sheepfold. Unfortunately, only 6 figure co-ordinates are available for this site. I search and I search- in through dense forest, around the peat bog, searching the grassy banks of the burns, but nothing. The OS couldn’t find this site back in 1979 and the description in ‘The Standing Stones of the Lothians’ doesn’t quite tie in with the co-ordinates given. I’m afraid it’s another site lost in now dense forest.
NT 6238 6671 Friday 23/8/02
A grass-covered ring about 12 metres in diameter is all that remains of this robbed cairn. It’s sited on the eastern slopes of expansive moorland just north of Whiteadder reservoir. Small stones still poke through the turf all round the cairn which still rises to a height of about 1 metre. The centre of this burial mound has long gone, but is now full of tiny purple heather blossoms…
NT 6540 6732 Friday 23/8/02
Way up on this moor, in the middle of these hills, seven small stones form an oval 9 metres EW, 8 metres NS. The stones are all set on edge or end, as many of the Whiteadder monuments. They only rise to a maximum height of about 25 cm. Along the northern arc of the circle I can see three earthfast stones (four have been reported) and approximately 10 metres west are another three stones (also earthfast).
NT 6645 6723 Friday 23/8/02
There are no paths to this place, no tracks up here. Just four fire breaks in this forest converging on the Witches Cairn. The way up to this site is really hard going- knee high grass and bog rushes, flies galore. I’ve got full water proofs on as the vegetation is so wet, however, it’s also so humid that I’m as soaking underneath! There is nothing for miles- forests, moorland and deserted farm houses. The cairn itself is a rough grassy mound about 21 metres in diameter and about 1 metre high. At the centre is a modern pile of stones- curiously one of these small (25 by 14 cm) stones has a deep cup mark on it’s upper surface (4 cm diameter by 3 cm deep). Approximately 5 metres west of this central cairn is a large boulder 60 cm long, 45 cm wide and 40 cm tall- on it’s upper surface is a large cup mark measuring 5 cm deep by 5 cm diameter. Measurements done, photos taken I pack my gear and leave sharpish, this place is giving me the creeps.
NT 6393 6697 Friday 23/8/02
The Herring Road track gives way to a beautiful purple heather path, the hill path gives over to moorland. The cairn is basically a heather covered mound rising out from the moor to a height of about 60 cm with a diameter of around 10 metres.
I am standing atop Spartleton Edge Cairn. No sounds, no sun, just heather and forests just visible through the swirling mists.
Desolation, desolation, desolation.
NT 6263 6503 Friday 23/8/02
The mist swirls across the moorland, the pylons just to the north crackle And then there are these stones. A stone circle? A ritual enclosure? A hybrid ring cairn/stone circle? It really doesn’t matter. What does though is that this is a gorgeous little circle of 30 stones having a diameter of about 12 metres. Many of the stones are earthfast, but some still survive to about 40 cm. Most are set on edge. There is also a central stone- unusual for most Scottish circles. This site was apparently covered in field clearance stones in 1986, but were since carefully removed and theses two large piles sit to the north and south of this circle. At the gate to this field stands another concrete pillar that used to form part of the East Lothian District Council Archaeological Motor Trail- this area being Number 3 (Kingside Hill, Crow Stones, Nine Stanes and two mounds near here; nearby White Caste hill fort was Number 1 on the trail).
NT 6210 6470 Friday 23/8/02
On the way in to the Whiteadder valley through the dense hill fog, I stop just under the pylons. They crackle furiously in this moist air. I head back up the side of the road to Blue House Cairn. This site has been robbed out and is about 13 metres in diameter. Only a small ridge of earth and stones survives to a height of about 13cm.
East Cult Standing Stones
27/7/02
A ridge rises out of the fertile plains of Eastern Perthshire to a height of 204 metres. The views stretch from the Sidlaws to the hills around Dunkeld and Birnam and up to Glenshee and the Grampians. Atop this ridge are the three stones of East Cult. They are aligned E/W and graded in height towards the west. This massive stone stands at 2.15 m with a circumference of over 4 m. Approximately 9 m to the east the next stone rises to a height of 1.8 m. A rounded side facing south, a flat northern side catches my gaze and points in the direction of a dip in the Dunkeld Hills over towards the Two-Poster at Newtyle and the cup and ring marked rocks of Birnam Hill. The third and final stone is the most interesting. This is a cup marked recumbent which is another beautiful viewfinder and interpreter. There are over 130 markings on this stone- it points my gaze to the north and aligns perfectly with Benachally Hill about 7 km away. This interpreter measures 1.25 m wide by 1.9 m long and slopes up from the ground to the south to a height of 0.9 m at it’s northern edge. The cups measure from approximately 3 cm to 12 cm in diameter. Along the western edge is a line of 11 cup marks all of which are about 3 cm in diameter. The black clouds to the west hang heavy in the sky, the sun almost breaks overhead. Whilst taking pictures I hear something coming towards me through the undergrowth- I look up to see a stoat looking up at me. It slowly checks me out, then heads back towards the middle stone. Wild roe deer are also sniffing amongst the thistles just to the south. The stones then draw my view to the dark clouds and black mass of Birnam Hill- the rain. Time to go. I stand and try to take it all in one more time- this is a hugely impressive site- in fact one of the most spectacular I have yet visited in this part of the land.
Cleaven Dyke Cursus
23/7/02
The Ordnance Survey get it wrong once again! The forest clearances are all in the wrong places and they manage to miss out a once tarmaced track, but map the route of a small path- hmmmmm. Travelling south on the A93 from Blairgowrie I stop at one of the small and very muddy lay-bys at the North Wood and then head roughly northwest along a track which according to the map runs along inside the Cleaven Dyke. However, these woods are fairly sparse and light and checking either side of the track doesn’t reveal much. I reach a crossroads in the woods and switch on my GPS to try and work out exactly where I am. I head south to where the cursus should be. Walking down through the trees a huge gap opens up on the right and that’ when the hair on the back of my neck stand up- o h m y g o d- I’ve read a bit about this site- how high it is, how long it is, but nothing prepares you for the sheer huge scale of this sacred monument. The mound itself is about 2 metres- there are bushes growing all along the ridge giving it a height of about 3 and a half metres! The whole monument including furrows, ditches and mound is about 60 metres! Standing next to the mound running way off in either direction I feel very humbled and very very small. It’s a glorious July evening and I start to walk the dead straight line of the cursus towards the dead ends. The sun beats down. I walk the line of the cursus. I walk the mound. I walk the ditches. I walk in the sun. I walk in the cursus:kursus:mursus:murmur:mu:mur:mu:ur.
The Long Man’s Grave
27/7/02
This time I simply have to see what this is- we’ve passed by this site on many an occasion but always in the car and have never managed to se anything as we whizz (or crawl!) past. We park up next to an old quarry and I jump the stile into the field and head off in search of the Long Man’s final resting place. Before I know it I’m opposite the entrance to Pitmiddle Wood. I must have gone past the grave but I’ve only walked about 200 m. I retrace my steps along the side of the field, but can’t see a thing apart from cow shit. I check the map again- the grave should be on the opposite side of the road from the trees (where I am) and halfway between the start of the wood and the track. It looks like it’s right next to the road so I leap the fence and almost leap onto the top of it- aha! A large stone slab. The grave of the Long Man at last! The reason I’ve not seen it from the car is that it’s level, if not, slightly below the tarmac. The stone slab is about 0.75 by 1.5 m although it’s difficult to judge due to the vegetation and a dry stane dyke running at the head of the stone. The slab is unmarked and looks a lot more ancient than I anticipated (it’s not marked in antiquarian font on the map). What an amazingly atmospheric place to be buried below the cliffs of Black Hill and Dunsinane.
St. Matthew’s Well, Roslin
24/7/02
According to a description I had of this well, it’s just over the west wall of a graveyard just down from Rosslyn Chapel. Checking the map and using the GPS, I head into the cemetery and down to the ruins of St. Matthew’s Chapel- not a lot survives- only two separate sections of wall standing about 2.5 metres high. To the left of these walls stands the gravestone of John Howie and just behind hi final resting place is a small step built into the cemetery wall taking you into the thick undergrowth on the other side as well as piles of rotting flowers etc. from recent burials and memorials- not a pleasant place. The terrain gets worse- rotting trees covered in every slimy insect you can think of and dense stinging nettles growing to over 2 metres high. It also doesn’t help that this is all on a slope of mud. Checking the map and GPS again I become aware of the fact that I am moving- both sinking into the mud and sliding down the hill. Grabbing some of the trees I manage to pull myself back up onto firmer ground. I stop and listen- I can hear running water through the dense vegetation. I manage to hack my way through the nettles and come across a small opening in the mud from which vigorously issues clear and cold water- is this all that remains of this once Holy Well? I head further into the nettles and come across two concrete half-cylindrical dome structures (each 1 m high by 1.49 m wide by 1.38m long and 1.1 m apart). Both of these have had iron doors at some point on their southern sides, but have been bricked in. However, the north dome has had the bricks smashed in- I stick my head in- cool, clear sacred water flowing down.
Glenballoch Four-Poster
AKA Craighall or Courthill
Sunday 28/7/02
As luck would have it, I ask permission to visit this four-poster at the fantastic old Saw Mill Cottage at Glenballoch. Through the amazing garden I meet the owner of the cottage who informs me that the farmer who owns the fields opposite lives somewhere in Perth. However, he adds that the farmer who rents the land has no objections to visitors to this site and the nearby standing stone. I leave him to his gardening whilst I head off in search of ancient astronomies. From the road the site is obvious as it’s on a huge mound and covered in nettles and thistles. I head up the small hill and carefully pick my way to the stones- a bad time to be wearing trekking sandals and three-quarter lengths! Whilst having a look around I hear the field gate opening below the mound and almost immediately I’m greeted by the Mill Cottage collie dog. It’s owner follows puffing on his pipe. We have another chat in the stones- this time about the meaning and placement of this site. He tells me he comes up to this stone circle regularly and often ponders its meaning. He goes on to say that his house gives him an excellent view of the sky all year round and he notes the position of the sun setting and rising with regards to the horizon. From here, Glenballoch standing stone is only about 200 m northeast and we agree that this site may have possibly been used as a calendar of agricultural activity. We have a very pleasant chat standing amongst these ancient stones- I tell him of another stone circle and standing stone which once stood on the hill above us until being destroyed in the 1950s. I mention the fact that I’ve visited this site before about 10 year ago and he’s keen to know if it has deteriorated in that time. Looking around us, I think it possibly has. There seems to be more field clearance stones- indeed the north stone is almost hidden under a pile, whilst there are some very large stones next to the western stone. The stone at the south seems to have more broken from it. Bit messy I’m afraid! The man and his dog bid their farewell leaving me with the stones. Despite the nettles, thistles and field clearance stones, this is still and enchanting and atmospheric place. I head northeast to the massive outlier…
Glenballoch Standing Stone
AKA Craighall or Glenballoch Cottage
28/7/02
Walking up to this monster monolith from the nearby stone circle, this stone simply dominates the horizon. It’s huge. 2.5 m high by a maximum of 2.6 m wide. Round on its east side, near the base, are six, possibly seven, cup marks- difficult to see as some of them have eroded over the centuries. However, there are four extremely deep (about 4 cm) marks set in a square- two 7 cm and two 5 cm diameter cups. It just seems so blatantly obvious to me that this is a representation of the circle seen from here only 200 m down the hill.
Friday 26/7/02
A return journey to this fantastically remote four-poster. We have a great walk up through the forest to this site- the views are great, the forest deserted (well- apart from the occasional vehicle marking out the trail for tomorrow’s rally- glad we decided to come up today). At the stones we have a bit of a picnic and now Aed’s walking he sets about exploring the stones for himself, though the bumpy ground ain’t really suited for size 5 baby feet! I leave them to eating and come into the circle. I lean back against one of the stones and it feels like my skull melts into the rock, it buzzes and tingles. When I eventually open my eyes it takes a minute or so for the colours and shapes of the earth and sky to return.
Birnam Hill Cup and Ring Marked Rocks
AKA Craig Ruenshin
25/7/02
Aed and I head off through the almost knee-deep heather and assorted vegetation leaving Kat and H-dog to head up to the top of Birnam Hill. The flies are almost unbearable up here and accompanied by the soaking humidity and rough terrain makes for a rather unpleasant journey. Along the way we disturb three very small roe deer. This ridge rises out from the gorse and heather. From the ridge we watch as tracks go sprinting through the gorse below us and suddenly a deer head appears barking obscenities at us before disappearing again- fantastic! According to the OS map there are three areas of cup and ring markings up here. I manage to find two- one is almost at the end of this ridge and comprises of about 11 cup markings with possibly two or three rings- it’s very hard to tell as this rock has weathered very badly. I’m trying to tread lightly on it where I have to as further boot erosion won’t help. I retrace my steps back along the ridge peering closely at all the rock surfaces. It is, however, not cup and ring markings I see first, but some dirty great big arrows scratched into the rock. Some complete idiot has seen fit to deface this ancient site to highlight to the fellow hard-of-thinking that there are a couple more cup and ring markings. I mean, for fucks sake, I was scared to walk on the ridge, but some arsehole has decided it’s okay to scratch arrows into the rock. I leave disgusted.
Heatheryhaugh Cup and Ring Marked Stone
AKA Mains of Creuchies
28/7/02
A massive boulder sits in the shadow of Parknuek and almost at the entrance to this field- 3 m long by 2.7 m wide. The westernmost face of the rock slopes down to the earth and on this face are approximately 15 cup markings- three of which possibly have single rings round them, though the surface is badly weathered making the markings very difficult to see.
Croft House Standing Stone (AKA Tulloch)
22/7/02
Yet another standing stone on the A924 Bridge of Cally to Pitlochry road- and one that I managed to miss out on my last visit that took in most of these monoliths. This triangular stone stands at the edge of the road high up on the verge.
White Meldon Fort
14/7/02
From the glen between White and Black Meldon we started our climb deciding on this fort as opposed to the Black variety as this one also had a cairn on the top- always an added bonus! It was a steep climb of about 250m just about straight up from the road- we managed it in about 30 mins or so- probably fuelled on by the mix of last nights fine malts and curry and this mornings eggs rolls-mmmmmmmmm!!! Pouring with sweat and with the wind blowing in our faces we finally sighted both the cairn and the OS triangulation point which spurned us on. And what a fantastic view and rather extensive fort. We counted about 4 walls round the steep summit- the interior of which encloses an area of about 8 acres with the remains of 28 ring-groove houses. Some of these proved to be easier to see than others though. The cairn itself has been mostly piled up into a large modern looking mound from it’s original larger diameter- there are many large blocks still around the original outline. This must have been an inspiring (and pretty safe) place to stay. You can see way round the Border Hills and up to the Pentlands, over the Moorfoots- fantastic.
St. Catherine’s Well
9/7/02
AKA The Oily Well or The Balm Well
In the grounds of what is now The Balm Well restaurant lies this healing and Holy Well. Just over from the beer garden a red gravel path lined with stones (many of which have fallen on the path) leads down top the barred and grilled entrance of the well. The well itself is housed under a lintel dated 1563 (although this is thought not to be connected with the original well-house). The gate is about 1m high, whilst the stone frontage to the well-house rises to just over 2m. The thick oil shale for which this well is famous and gained it’s healing properties coats the entire well chamber interior along with the gate. As late as 1910 the water from this well was used as a cure for eczema. The stone work of the well-house only goes back about 1m or so, then the back of the well-chamber is housed under a grassy mound approx 0.5m high by about 4.5m in diameter.
Galachlaw Cairn
9/7/02
At the end of Galachlawside a small indistinct path leads off into the bushes and trees (and also a fence which I had to climb through). I had the GPS on and almost immediately where this small path joins the main path – lo and behold! I was on top of the cairn! Much overgrown with bracken, brambles and trees with a path going right over the top of it. At the NNE side of the path just over the top is a large hole about 1m deep by about 2.5m wide where it looks as if the cairn has been robbed. There was note of both an upright stone on the top in 1953 and an OS triangulation point in 1975, both of which have now disappeared. Although- about 11m ENE from the top of the cairn (which itself is approx 13m in diameter by just over 1. m high) is a large, partly earthfast, and moss covered stone. This stone is approx 1m long by about 0.5m wide by about 0.4m thick- could this be the original stone from the top of the cairn that has been chucked down the cairn?
Original Site
NT2805674241 Saturday 22/6/02
At the very bottom of Meadowbank Stadium carpark on the road to the velodrome is a large triangular stone laid into which is a metal plaque which reads;
‘This stone marks the site of St. Margaret’s Well. The dressed stone work of the fifteenth century wellhouse built over this ancient medicinal well and centre of pilgrimage was removed in 1859 and used to build a replica of it over St. David’s Well in the Queen’s Park and the remains of the medieval building were filled in in 1969.’
This spot was apparently the site of the North British Railway sheds which were named after the well. The main east coast line still runs past here only about 5 metres to the south.
Sunday 16/6/02
Well- it helps if you put the correct co-ords into your GPS- I thought something was up when the direction arrow was taking me into the middle of Hunter’s Bog! I re-entered the co-ords and this time followed the direction indicator round to St. Margaret’s Well- the original site of St. David’s Well being on the path behind what is now St. Margaret’s Well- I visited this site before visiting the original St. Margaret’s site at which the plaque confirmed what I had already thought- these are one and the same wells. In 1859 (or 1860) the well house which now stands here was moved and built upon St. David’s Well (which I imagine was a very less grand affair that the St. Margaret’s Wellhouse).
Sunday 16/6/02
Hidden away in a quiet street (Grange Loan) in Edinburgh’s Southside is the remaining frontage of this once Holy well. I would never have known of it’s existence had I not stayed near here for a while and came across it whilst walking home one day. All that now remains is the red sandstone front to the well with two pieces of metal either side. The sandstone has unfortunately started to crumble especially the block that is inscribed with ‘Penny Well’. Aed and I have stopped off here on the way back from Arthur’s Seat for a quick visit and some pics.
NT2822672710 Sunday 16/6/02
After climbing Arthur’s Seat Aed and I headed off the hill and all the way down to Duddingston. At the car park by the loch I checked the GPS, Explorer map and the RCAHMS broadsheet to try and get some bearing as to where the well might be because looking around it wasn’t obvious. As it turns out we must have passed it about three or four times and was only just above the car park! Hidden in waist high stinging nettles- I actually heard it before spying it. These days it’s partly covered by a concrete slab, partly by an older stone slab which still has the remains of an iron chain attached to the top- obviously once ended in a cup to partake of the curative waters! The water now flows from a small pipe on the front of a vertical stone slab- it tasted cold and clean! However- just to the left was a very boggy piece of ground- looks like some of the outflow has found another way.
Monday 24/6/02
After reading about the other markings on the Ancient Lothian website we find ourselves up here on a Monday afternoon. I’ve given Kat the GPS at the car park and let her follow a route to the waypoint. Turns out the co-ords for the main group of cup markings are a bit off, but I remembered where they were and took 4 sets of readings (with an accuracy of between 4 and 6 metres). As it turns out, the other cup marks are not that difficult to see- I dunno how I didn’t spot them the first time we came up here- guess I was just so chuffed at finding the main group after almost giving up hope.
Immediately to the east and up the hill from the main group are a group of 4 cup marks centred at NT2052874141. A large cup approx 15cm in diameter with the other three 7, 8 and 9 cm in diameter.
Down the slope (northwest) is a single cup (possibly two?) at NT2052374144. This has a diameter of approx 15cm.
To the southeast is another single cup at NT2052374136 with a diameter of approx 11cm.
Acharn Standing Stone
Sunday 19/5/02
Buzzing with energy from visiting the nearby Kinnell stone circle I drive out of Killin just along the road to the west to visit this monolith. It’s been moved from it’s original position, but has now been given a commanding view at the roadside. It’s been built into the banking here, the point of the stone drawing my gaze toward the dark sky above.
19/5/02
An opportunity for a re-visit. After only 17 years or so! Actually we’ve stopped in Fortingall more times than I care to remember, just never got round to the rear burial ground of Fortingall church to pay my respects to this stone. There’s a new path to the Yew Tree which is beautifully carved from grey stone- I follow this path round the Yew Tree and through the gate behind- just next to the wall is the stone which was amazingly found buried at a depth of about 8 foot next to the tree in who’s shadow it now stands. The uppermost flat top of the stone seems to bear about 14 cup marks, but obviously a great chunk of this stone is missing.
Kinnell Park
Sunday 19/5/02
Kinnell! It’s almost stopped lashing down- now a ‘pleasant’ drizzle, but black, black skies all around. I’ve been kindly granted permission to visit this circle despite the fact that there are cows and calves in the field- as long as I stay well away from them they shouldn’t have the urge to trample me to death! The woman at the massive Kinnell House was very charming and even thanked me for asking permission to visit the site- as always (well- nowadays anyway). The fact that there are ‘Danger-Bulls’ signs around the field kinda put me off. What was I saying about the rain? It’s started again with a vengeance. The circle, the stones, the rain. This is a beautifully preserved circle of six huge stones varying in height from about 2m to 1.2m graded towards the smallest stone at the NE. The stone next to this at the north bears about 4 cup marks on it’s inner face. I’m standing in the middle of the circle. The widest faces of all six stones are looking in on me. It feels oppressive (or perhaps it’s the weather). Here in the centre are a small group of stones, though these look like field clearance as the largest one is covered in plough scars. My pen and notepad are soaking and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to write. I guess it’s time for the elements and the stones to take over…
Crow Stones
Monday 15/4/02
Only by the use of the pylons and an old sheep fold was I able to locate this site. With the help of the 1:25000 map I knew that these stones were almost in line with the last pylon before the road. This oval of stones really is huge, but it’s very difficult to perceive the site overall as only four of the about 19 or 20 stones are not hidden in thick heather. This site appears on the OS map as an arc with it’s open side facing NE. This is clearly wrong- there are stones along the NE arc. If anything there may be a gap in the very SE, but I reckon the stone(s) from here have either sunk in the peat, or have been removed. Were this site on a solid grass plain I think it would be of great importance and much visited. However, most of the stones are slowly sinking or have sunk into the peat and practically all are hidden in the dense heather. The site measures 43 m NW/SE by 33 m NE/SW- a fairly large monument- especially considering the other sites in the Whiteadder area.
Kingside Burn Stone Setting
Monday 15/4/02
Bit of a collector’s item this one- another tiny megalithic monument- the tallest upright being only about 35 cm high. I counted 5 stones- 3 of which protruded upright. Next to the largest red sandstone one was a smaller grey stone which had tiny cupmarks all over its inner surface, but these may be natural. Some of the monuments of the Whiteadder area, such as this, are like megaliths-in-miniature! This site is almost directly underneath a pylon so the air really does crackle and buzz with energy.
White Castle Hill Fort
Monday 15/4/02
At the lay-by here is an old triangular pillar with the vertical words’ East Lothian District Archaeological Trail’. On the top is a very old map and this site was apparently Number 1. We’ve traveled here along the most fantastic road from Whiteadder- I use the word ‘road’ in the widest possible sense- single track, fords all the way along it and massive potholes and frost damage. You have to stay away from the edges of the road for fear of driving into the great ditches where the road has just collapsed! The precarious driving is certainly rewarded though- rounding one of the steep hills the county of East Lothian just opens up in front of you stretching all the way in the distance to the Firth of Forth and taking in Traprain Law, Berwick Law and the Bass Rock. Then, in the foreground, is this fantastic hill fort. There’s a lay-by right next to it and the remains of an old notice board. Three defensive ditches on this southern side, whilst the north and east sides fall away sharply to the Thorter Burn. A most fantastic setting.
Nine Stone Rig, Whiteadder
Monday 15/4/02
Nine gorgeous greystones- mostly brilliantly angled, some rounded, one earthfast and one very large recumbent. The recumbent is just over 2 m long by about 1 m wide. The tallest upright to the NW stands at just over 1 m high, whilst a small boulder to the SW is just 25 cm or so high. If anything these stones look to be graded towards the NE as the smaller and more rounded stones are in the SW arc of the circle. The ENE stone appears to have a single cup mark on its uppermost face. High above our heads songbirds are singing- Aed was singing too for a bit, but is getting a bit grumpy- no wonder- stuck in his backpack on this desolate moorland with some old stones when it’s meant to be lunchtime! To the south of us run a line of pylons which even from this distance we can still hear the buzzing and crackling in the damp air.
Kell Burn Alignment
Monday 15/4/02
As we walked up the small hill to this tiny megalithic monument the sun made a brief appearance from behind the clouds and mist. These 6 ‘large’ stones stand on a mound about 2 m high which for all the world looks very much like the remains of a cairn about 9 or 10 m in diameter. Of the ‘larger’ remaining stones only one is upright and stands a mighty 40 cm tall. This is one of four linear stones running perfectly N/S. The other stones are now (1) earthfast, (2) 20 cm high, (3) recumbent measuring about 60 cm long by about 27 cm wide. A small, compact and beautiful Summer Solstice monument in some fantastic scenery at the head of Whiteadder Reservior.
Mayshiel Stone Setting
NT630646 15/4/02
As we head up the Lammermuirs from Gifford, the drizzle started and the list brushed the tops of the highest peaks. Aed is fast asleep snoring away in eth back of the car whilst H-dog is just desperate to be out in the hills! Just about 7 or 8 m to the south of the road is a small (about 3 m or so in diameter) semi-circular peat banking with 7 stones protruding from it. The largest stone is only about 60 cm or so high and the circle is open to the desolate moorland to the south. About 10 m ENE of this semi-circle is another stone being about 80 cm wide by about 40 cm high- an outlier perhaps? Certainly this stone appears to be of the same age as those making up the main circle.
Hanging Rocks Caves
Saturday 13/4/02
Two caves here- the westernmost being the smaller of the two. This is a bit of a Fisher-Price ‘My-First-Cave’ for Aed! In the smaller cave the roof and the cliff leading from it are blackened- possibly from years of fires built in here. The larger cave is just around the cliff and has a small wall built at the entrance. You can walk about 10 m or so into this one- the other requires stooping even to get in. I had a check of the wall and roofs of these, but no signs of markings.
Gullane Links Linear Cairn Cemetery
Saturday 13/4/02
Finding a group of 13 cairns in an active dune system ain’t easy. We had to walk past the area we thought they were, join the definite path along to the caves at Hanging Rocks and re-trace the main path back round again. There’s only one path marked on the Explorer map, but in reality there are paths all over the place! I’m sitting atop a steep dune- there are beautiful spiders crawling over my legs- black ones and pale green ones. I even disturbed a falcon who was hiding in the long grass up here. Looking down on the cairn cemetery I can still count about 11 of the original 13 cairns mentioned in the fist field report from 1924. It’s still possible to make out the two parallel rows running off SW pointing to the Pentlands and Arthur’s Seat across the Firth of Forth. According to the latest RCAHMS report only 4 definite cairns could be found. Although not the most obvious of sites, once the parallel rows have been established you can walk across one of the rows of 6 cairns counting 5 in the parallel southern row. These cairns are exactly as marked on the map- however- there are two paths here- stick to the higher one that goes along the edge of the raised beach and not the one by the shore. The cemetery lies to the south of a large dune and inland from a small rocky headland.
Danes Stone (AKA Pitfourie)
Friday 5/4/02
In the last street in Moulin before the fields and forest of Craigower Hill stands this monolith called the Danes Stone. This whinstone block is just over 2 m high and aligned approximately E/W. Apparently several more stones are said to have stood here and are supposed to be half buried in the field, but the OS did a careful examination and no such stones were found.
Straloch (AKA Cotterton or Davan) Standing Stone
Friday 5/4/02
Of all the times we’ve traveled along this road I’ve never even noticed this stone- despite it being over 2 m tall! It’s tucked down next to the River Ardle behind some trees and a over a large ditch down on the same level as the river. Despite being so tall, the stone is really thin- only about 40 cm or so. It’s aligned NE/SW and has an oblong section missing from its northern side. This shape obviously makes it a great scratching post as the stone has been rubbed into a great shine by cattle.
Wester Enochdhu Standing Stone
Friday 5/4/02
Only about 5 minutes drive north from the Balnabroich stones- another monolith sits by the right hand side of the A924 heading north. Easily seen from the road as it sits on a bank at the very edge of the woods here. Kat parked on the verge opposite and I ran out for a look. It’s about 1.5 m high, leans slightly to the north and its broadest edge points off up Kindrogan Hill to the NW. Although right next to the road, there’s a certain tranquil air next to the stone in amongst the trees..
Balnakeilly Standing Stone
Friday 5/4/02
So- is it a megalithic monument or not? According to the RCAHMS database this stone may have been erected in the mid 19th C to adorn the entrance to Balnakeilly House. Apparently the general regularity of the stone makes it appear ‘modern’- I’m not entirely sure- I’ve seen many other monoliths as regularly shaped as this one- it’s also set back from the road quite a bit and in a group of trees. If it were to adorn the entrance it would have been given more prominence methinks. The stone itself is over 2 m high. I had a quick look at the new OS Explorer map and noticed that it’s not marked in antiquarian font, although all previous editions have marked it as so. Hmmmm.
Balnabroich Two-Poster
Friday 5/4/02
I’ve always spied the nearby standing stone as we’ve driven past this way hundreds of times, but this pair are less obvious being further down a farm track and amongst a group of trees. I nipped down to Balnabroich farm and was readily given permission by the farmer’s wife to have a closer look at the stones. I headed back up the farm track, hopped up the small dry stane dyke and walked through the trees and daffodils up the small (natural) mound upon which these two stones have been carefully placed. These huge blocks have been aligned N/S- the northernmost stone pointing the way to the Balnabroich standing stone in the filed that these pair overlook. The north stone is almost 1.5 m high and is a thick rough block of whinstone with a flat top. The southernmost stone is even more irregular and has two very large almost cup marked shaped indentations on its upper surface. These look natural- one of which has a fantastic deep groove running from it down the west side of the stone. Even if these are natural I can’t help think that this stone was specially chosen and placed for these features.
Balnabroich Standing Stone
Friday 5/4/02
This stone is easily spotted on the A924 from Bridge of Cally to Pitlochry- it stands in a filed next to the road and is usually surrounded by cattle who seem to be strangely drawn to it- probably for a good scratch! It looks almost square in section being about 1.5 m high. It is also aligned perfectly with the nearby (in fact, at the end of the field) Balnabroich Two-Poster.
Dunkeld Park Standing Stone
Wednesday 3/4/02
Almost at the end of a long day of walking- just time for one final detour. Just before heading past Polney Loch and back into the forest I cross the road and sitting tucked in a corner of a field of sheep is the stone. There’s a strip of land between the road and the field so I jump down the dry stane dyke to get a closer look. Across what appears to have been a dump- old bottles and rolls of wire strewn all over. I get a perfect view of the stone. It’s fairly small being about 1.5 m tall, and appears to be aligned approximately E/W. I take a couple of pics before heading back through the broken glass and jumping back up onto the road.
Clachan More Two-Poster, Dowally
Wednesday 3/4/02
When I was at the house of the very helpful woman enquiring about the nearby St. Anne’s Well, I also asked about the exact location of the Clachan More standing stones. or Two-Poster. I had kept my eyes peeled for them on the way down off the hills, but to no avail. The exact location is indiscernible on the OS map. I was told that they used to stand over the other side of the A9, but a bus hit the only remaining upright of the pair in recent years. On my way back along the path next to the extremely fast and busy A9 I scoured the fields opposite for any sign of the megaliths, but nothing- just some houses and caravans. As I was passing a row of cottages I decided to ask one more time. I was greeted by another friendly old woman- she know of the stones (but not by the name of the Clachan More) as she had lived in Dowally for 50 years- long before the A9 screamed a matter of metres from her front door. ‘Aye’, she said, ‘they used to stand where those new caravans are’. Apparently the new owners of the houses over the road saw fit to demolish the rains of the stones and clear the site. I certainly wasn’t crossing the A9 to check out the site- it would be easier and less messy to just shoot myself than attempt a crossing on foot! However, I could clearly see that the ground around the caravans had recently been landscaped with some large boulders- probably the remains of the once great Clachan More.
I leave Dowally with its Holy Well now a rockery and Two-Poster now a mini caravan site. I head for the hills and the forest as the sky darkens and the air gets colder.
St. Anne’s Well, Dowally
Wednesday 3/4/02
I left Aed, Kat and H up the hill whilst I ran the half mile or so down through the forest off the hill and into the back of the village of Dowally to check out this well and a nearby Two-Poster. From the 1:25000 map it looked like the well was immediately behind the craft centre at Dowally- so there I headed. the most unwelcoming craft centre in Scotland- ‘No’ this and ‘No’ that signs all over the place. Undeterred, I ventured in and the woman looked distinctly unimpressed before I had even said a word. I asked about the location of the well, which I explained that from the map it looked like it was directly behind the building we were currently standing in- ‘no- don’t know a thing about a well’ was the swift reply’. She even questioned as to how old the map was (bought it last week as it happens- revised only last year). She did, however, point me further up the hill in the direction of a cottage called ‘Anne’s Well’- I made a swift exit past the shelves of imported crap posing as local crafts. Headed up to the aforementioned cottage, but no reply. So- I tried at the last house before the hill. I was greeted by an extremely sweet old woman- a friendly soul at last! However, when I asked about the well she told me that it was no longer possible to visit- it had gone septic and overgrown and somehow disappeared into folk memory- indeed, her mother used to drink from the well. I bade farewell and on the way back down the hill I checked the map again- now I knew how many buildings were in eth area- the site of the well was definitely behind the craft centre. As I walked past again I peered round the back (I was being closely watched by the owners all the time)- just past the ‘Strictly Private’ sign I could see… a new rockery type garden. Fantastic.