<< Our Photo Pages >> High Gillespie - Passage Grave in Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway

Submitted by mickm on Sunday, 21 July 2002  Page Views: 5929

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: High Gillespie
Country: Scotland County: Dumfries and Galloway Type: Passage Grave
 Nearest Village: Glenluce
Map Ref: NX25525245  Landranger Map Number: 82
Latitude: 54.836388N  Longitude: 4.718336W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
 2 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 3 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
 3 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
 5

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markj99 visited on 30th Mar 2023 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 4 Access: 1 High Gillespie is accessible via a path. However, there are beef cattle in permanent residence at the start of the path. Beef cattle can be dangerous, beef cattle with calves ARE dangerous. I made a detour round the field then followed a rocky track N. A grass track veers off left of this track. Follow this wet and muddy track (wellies essential) to reach a ford. Turn left after the ford to a bridge crossing a fast flowing stream. Head S down the field to reach High Gillespie Cairn covered in whins on the S margin of the pasture.

drolaf have visited here

High Gillespie
High Gillespie submitted by mickm : High Gllespie, chambered long cairn viewed from the north. This is probably a Clyde type tomb. It contains an unusually large number of chambers (at least 6) and there are also 5 remaining stones of a flat facade at the eastern end. The cairn is crossed by a field wall, beyond which the western end has been completely destroyed. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Passage Grave in Dumfries & Galloway

High Gllespie, chambered long cairn. This is probably a Clyde type tomb. It contains an unusually large number of chambers (at least 6) and there are also 5 remaining stones of a flat facade at the eastern end. The cairn is crossed by a field wall, beyond which the western end has been completely destroyed.

For more information see Canmore site no. 62207.
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High Gillespie
High Gillespie submitted by drolaf : View from the cairn (or thereabouts) down the valley, and sea to Isle of Man (Vote or comment on this photo)

High Gillespie
High Gillespie submitted by markj99 : Exposed Cist in south Quadrant of High Gillespie Cairn viewed from the north. (Vote or comment on this photo)

High Gillespie
High Gillespie submitted by mickm : Detail of one of the better preserved chambers. (Vote or comment on this photo)

High Gillespie
High Gillespie submitted by markj99 : Badger's Sett on east Arc of High Gillespie Cairn. (Vote or comment on this photo)

High Gillespie
High Gillespie submitted by markj99 : Recent Excavation on east Arc of High Gillespie Cairn. (Vote or comment on this photo)

High Gillespie
High Gillespie submitted by markj99 : Capstone on NE Arc of High Gillespie Cairn.

High Gillespie
High Gillespie submitted by markj99 : Field Clearance Stones on north Arc of High Gillespie Cairn.

High Gillespie
High Gillespie submitted by markj99 : High Gillespie Cairn viewed from the west.

High Gillespie
High Gillespie submitted by markj99 : High Gillespie Cairn viewed from the south.

High Gillespie
High Gillespie submitted by markj99 : High Gillespie Cairn viewed from the east.

High Gillespie
High Gillespie submitted by markj99 : High Gillespie Cairn viewed from the north.

High Gillespie
High Gillespie submitted by markj99 : Centre of High Gillespie Cairn viewed from the west.

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 1.0km WNW 282° Steeps Park Stone Circle (NX245527)
 1.1km WNW 287° Gillespie Stone Standing Stone (Menhir) (NX245528)
 1.2km SE 131° Craignarget Hill* Cairn (NX26365166)
 1.4km NNW 343° Culroy Farm Cairn* Cairn (NX25165383)
 1.7km SE 143° Green House Bridge Cairn* Cairn (NX26485105)
 1.9km N 351° Culroy White Cairn* Cairn (NX25285435)
 2.0km SE 137° Cairn Buy* Cairn (NX26835094)
 2.0km NNW 340° Culroy Cairn 1* Cairn (NX24905438)
 2.1km NNW 335° Machermore Cairns* Cairn (NX247544)
 2.1km WNW 297° Culquhasen* Cairn (NX23655350)
 2.4km W 262° Mull of Sinniness* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NX23095220)
 3.2km NW 319° Whitefield Loch Crannog* Crannog (NX23555493)
 3.3km N 357° Knock Hill Fort* Hillfort (NX25505577)
 3.6km NW 321° Barnsallie Fell* Cairn (NX23355535)
 3.8km NE 54° Castle Loch* Cairn (NX28695460)
 3.9km W 264° Laigh Sinniness* Promontory Fort / Cliff Castle (NX21575219)
 4.2km SE 145° Chapel Finian Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NX27834892)
 4.5km ESE 117° High Moor Hut Circle* Misc. Earthwork (NX29485024)
 4.5km ESE 114° Brae Moor Cairn* Cairn (NX29595041)
 4.6km ESE 104° Lang Riggs (The May) Cairn (NX29995119)
 4.7km E 101° The May Cairn* Cairn (NX30095141)
 4.7km SE 126° Corwall E* Cairn (NX29204953)
 4.7km W 279° Stairhaven Broch* Broch or Nuraghe (NX2090353351)
 4.7km SE 134° Corwall S* Cairn (NX28774905)
 4.8km ESE 107° Brae Farm Central* Cairn (NX30065088)
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"High Gillespie" | Login/Create an Account | 3 News and Comments
  
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Re: High Gillespie by markj99 on Friday, 31 March 2023
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High Gillespie Cairn is a ruined grassy mound located in pasture land c. 4 miles SE of Glenluce in Dumfries and Galloway. The surface of the sub-circular cairn has been smothered by gorse bushes. Field clearance stones have been dumped on the N perimeter of the cairn. The current mound measures c. 110 feet in diameter and 5 feet high on a summit plateau.

Canmore ID 62207 states that High Gillespie Cairn had a facade on the E Arc with 5 visible stones. There are no signs of a facade and visible stones in the E arc today. In fact there is evidence of recent excavation on the E Arc. This may be related to a badgers sett dug into the E perimeter of the mound.

Canmore ID 62207 also states that the main axis of the cairn was ENE-WSW, with at least 6 chambers constructed therein. This is difficult to confirm given the ruinous state of the cairn. I located a possible square capstone, measuring c. 4 x 4 x 1 feet, on a collapsed cist on the NE Arc and an exposed cist, measuring c. 5 x 3 x 3 feet on the S Quadrant. The S cist consists of a buried N end slab, an E slab measuring c. 5 x 3 x 1 feet, a missing S slab and a W slab measuring c. 7 x 3 x 1 feet.
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Re: High Gillespie by drolaf on Friday, 28 September 2018
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There are many great lumps and piles of stones in this valley. I didn’t realise I had found the cairn until I got home and looked at David Baird’s pictures. The cairn is very overgrown with prickly gorse and hard to examine. On the plus side it has a lovely left alone ambience, and like the other sites along this coast, a stunning view of the Isle of Man. You may see deer, heron and hares.

The land is a hard working environment so expect to see signs for quarrying etc. For an easy life all round and to help later visitors- be nice to the farmer, don’t walk over crops, shut gates, no littering and leave the dog at home.
Have a nice day.

note
NX 2552 5245 is same place as NX 255 524
[ Reply to This ]

Re: High Gillespie by rogerkread on Thursday, 02 May 2013
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I think the grid ref is incorrect for this one - isn't it approximately NX255524? [Updated] Briefly tried to reach this from the coast road in April 2013, along the track past Craignarget. Locked gates and various unpleasant warning signs about quarry operations put me off, too short of time to then attempt the alternate route through Gillespie farm. Saved for another trip!
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