<< Our Photo Pages >> Kintraw (Kilmartin) - Standing Stone (Menhir) in Scotland in Argyll
Submitted by Andy B on Monday, 27 January 2014 Page Views: 18163
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Kintraw (Kilmartin) Alternative Name: Kintraw Cairns; Danish King's GraveCountry: Scotland County: Argyll Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Nearest Town: Lochgilphead Nearest Village: Kilmartin
Map Ref: NM83050497 Landranger Map Number: 55
Latitude: 56.187782N Longitude: 5.497836W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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Anne T visited on 18th Jul 2018 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 4 Kintraw Standing Stones and Cairns: This standing stone, when we spotted it on the evening of 17th July looked magnificent, but we couldn’t find anywhere to park; approaching this stone from the direction of Ardfern, there was a gateway to the field to pull into, which gave us just room to pull off this busy, fast road.
What a complex site. And what beautiful weather we had to enjoy it.The standing stone first catches your eye, but then the large cairn, with its huge pile of stones, grabs the attention, and then to the north east, with a smaller one by your feet almost next to the gate. Walking closer, we became aware of a ring cairn (?) just to the south east of the standing stone., at first view this looked like a ‘court’ cairn, made up of a ring of small upright stones – all with views over Loch Craignish from this perch on the hillside. Brilliant.
There were also traces of another, flattened cairn, to the north of the ring cairn-standing stone-larger cairn alignment.
To the east-south-east of the larger cairn was what looked like an old stone farm building, which I didn’t photograph as I thought this was modern. According to the OS map which I’m looking at now, it is noted as a ‘fort’.
This is my new ‘favourite spot’. Can I come back soon, please?
Shugster69 visited on 27th Jul 2013 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 4 Access: 4 Lovely site with aterrific view
custer visited on 15th Sep 2012 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 5 Fantastic standing stone, looking out over the water a gem
coin Bladup h_fenton tom_bullock nicoladidsbury NickyD have visited here
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.67 Ambience: 4.33 Access: 4.33
A drawing by Edward Lhuyd from 1699 shows the cairns and standing stone and depicts a large ring of small stones to the north west of the cairns, with four of the stones aligned to the south. The ring of stones can still be seen and two large boulders in the foundations of a ruined building and a gateway in a wall might be the remains of the four stone alignment.
Stone alignments are directed to the col between Beinn Shiantaidh and Beinn a'Chaolais in Jura where, in Professor Thom's words, "the Sun would have twinkled momentarily at the winter solstice about 1750 BC". Further stone alignments at this site indicate Dubh Bheinn where the moon set at minor standstill.
For more details see below and also Kintraw hill platform and The Watch Stone (Kintraw) in the Nearby sites list. This stone and associated cairns are recorded as Canmore ID 22824, which describes this Bronze Age complex of standing stone and three, possibly four cairns. An interesting note in the Canmore notes say "the standing stone is sais to have been erected to a Norse prince (Argyll County Council 1914) and is known as the Danish King's Grave."
Note: Dr Euan MacKie - archaeologist who worked with Alexander Thom - responds to Douglas Scott’s paper 'The Midwinter sunset alignment at Kintraw'
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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
156m NE 47° Kintraw hill platform* Cairn (NM83170507)
192m NE 48° The Watch Stone (Kintraw)* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NM83200509)
226m SE 136° Kintraw (Argyll) Stone Fort or Dun (NM832048)
651m E 93° Dun Na Ban-Oige* Stone Fort or Dun (NM837049)
970m S 180° Bealoch Mor Stone Circle (NM8304)
1.3km SSW 202° Lochan Druim An Rathaid Cairn (NM825038)
1.4km SE 130° Salachary* Stone Row / Alignment (NM8405604024)
1.4km NNW 329° Barbreck Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NM824062)
1.4km N 0° Barbreck* Standing Stones (NM83130639)
1.6km W 269° Eilean Carnaich* Cairn (NM81450501)
2.0km N 8° Dunan Aula* Cist (NM83420697)
2.3km W 268° Beinn An Duin* Stone Fort or Dun (NM80790499)
2.4km SSW 197° Ormaig* Rock Art (NM82220267)
2.5km WSW 256° Clach An T-Sagairt* Chambered Tomb (NM80630451)
2.5km ENE 65° Tur A' Bhodaich Stone Fort or Dun (NM854059)
2.7km ESE 116° Dun Chonallaich* Stone Fort or Dun (NM85440365)
2.8km NNE 18° Sluggan Standing Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NM8404207571)
2.8km SE 136° Dun Na Nighinn Stone Fort or Dun (NM84910282)
2.8km NNE 15° Sluggan Cairn* Cairn (NM83940768)
3.3km E 90° Dun Dubh Stone Fort or Dun (NM864048)
3.5km SE 134° Creag A Chapuill* Stone Fort or Dun (NM855024)
3.6km SSE 160° Carn Ban (Carnasserie)* Cairn (NM8411101503)
3.9km SSE 157° Carnasserie Farm* Rock Art (NM84390125)
4.0km SW 221° Eilean Righ 1 Stone Fort or Dun (NM803021)
4.0km ESE 112° Ford Stone (Kilmartin)* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NM8668103317)
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