Going to see the stones
Submitted by PaulM on Sunday, 13 June 2004 Page Views: 10176
Neolithic and Bronze AgeCountry: Scotland
From the Sunday Herald: As the summer solstice approaches on June 21, Scotland’s neolithic monuments provide the perfect location for celebrating, and some top spots for watching the sun go down. By Andrea Pearson.
Rolf Harris knew it. Neolithic man knew it. Sunrises are great. And at this time of year it’s the skies which really set Scotland apart, the one thing that makes summer here better than summer in the Med. Hang out on almost any of Scotland’s beaches, hilltops or exposed landscapes and you’ll get an eyeful of the summer sky, but some places are worth a special pilgrimage. First stop for any sun worshipper has to be Kilmartin Glen in Argyll. Here, among some of Scotland’s most ancient stellar monuments, artist Renny Nisbet has installed a living artwork mapping out the tracks of the sun and moon.
“I wanted to create something more ephemeral than the monuments we’re used to seeing,” he says. “The standing stones and stone circles often give quite crude impressions of these spiritual sites. Originally there would have been a lot of organic material and flowers involved in the rituals. And when you look at some of the jet necklaces, dating back thousands of years, they are exquisite. I’m sure they would have put the same detail and care into their clothes and houses. I have tried to bring a little of that into the piece.”
Nisbet has meticulously tracked the path of the summer sun, the winter sun and the moon, planting the resulting lines with red and white clover, self-heal and yarrow; all native plants whose pollen has been found in the glen’s earliest peat samples.
Don’t expect full bloom just yet though – it’s a work in progress best seen from the excellent Kilmartin House Museum, which explains the story of the glen and its ancient peoples. From there, the small but perfect stone circle at Temple Wood and the giant standing stone cross of Nether Largie are just a few hundred metres away.
To create his solar alignments Nisbet has made use of the shadow of a jarringly ugly telegraph pole in the middle of the field. “I quite like this,” he says. “I like the fact that we can see the relationship between the ancient people’s desire to understand and move forward and our own pursuit of progress.”
For more information about Kilmartin House Trust call 01546 510 278 or visit [email protected]. Entry costs £4.50 for adults, £1.50 for children. Stay at the four-star Oban Caledonian, with B&B prices from £35 to £75. Call 0871 222 3415 or go to www.freedomglen.co.uk for details
Halfway across the country, at Cairnpapple Hill, a circular ritual site dating back more than 5000 years, Historic Scotland caretaker Sandy Easson has a similar view about the connection between ancient and modern. A communications mast dominates Cairnpapple Hill. “It’s sending out a message in its way,” he says. “This place has always done that. I’ve got no problem with it at all.”
Cairnpapple is fascinating at any time of year, and a superb place to watch the sunrise or sunset as there are no real hazards in reaching its summit. (Let’s face it, when it comes to great skies there’s not much that can beat the summit of Ben More, but setting up or down in darkness is hardly a wise thing to do.) For most people, Cairnpapple, not far from the M8, is easy to reach and offers an easy escape. On a clear day you can see all the way to Goat Fell on Arran to the west and to the Bass Rock in the east.
There are two magnetic stones at Cairnpapple, so take a compass to find them. There is much speculation about the use of these circles – they undoubtedly had some ritual purpose and seem to map out stellar relationships, but the fact that two stones are magnetic just adds to the puzzle. Druids are said to use this site for rituals to this day, and Easson often finds evidence of such activity. “I find things, wishes perhaps, tied to trees with leather or things like that, but they are very tidy. They never leave a mess.”
On the day of my visit there is triple rollover Lottery draw and, although I understand it is a spiritual place, I can’t help making a quick wish. It doesn’t work for me, but you may fare better.
Entry to the Historic Scotland site of Cairnpapple Hill in Torphican costs £2 for adults, 50p for children. Celtic Trails offer guided tours from Edinburgh to Cairnpapple and other sites such as Traprain Law in East Lothian and the Eildon Hills in The Borders for £37. Call 0131 477 5419 for details
As any modern antiquarian will tell you, Aberdeenshire is the place to be when it comes to stone circles. Aberdeenshire Council’s Principal Archaeologist Ian Shepherd says, “The solstice would probably have been a time of festival as it comes after the main planting season but before harvest. For the earliest farmers I imagine it would have been a time to relax and celebrate.”
Easter Aquhorithies and Loanhead of Daviot are two of the most accessible stellar alignment sites, and the riddles of these circles and other sites are explored at Archaeolink, Scotland’s foremost archeological visitor centre. Have a look around then head up the hill at the top of the park to see the Dunnideer Fort and to watch the sunset.
Stone Circle Trail leaflet available from Aberdeenshire Council, www.aberdeenshire, gov.uk/archaeology. Archaeolink; £4.75, adults, £3.25, children. (01464 851500, www.archaeolink.co.uk). Stay near Inverurie to be within striking distance of the main sites. The three-star Pittodrie House Hotel at Chapel of Carioch, near Inverurie, has a 20 per cent discount for the summer solstice. Stay Sunday June 20 for £48 B&B. Call 01467 681 444 or check www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk for details
Orkney is swinging during the summer solstice with the St Magnus Festival held from June 18 to 23 in and around Kirkwall. But the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness are nearby. Otherwise head to the vast, white, north-facing beach of Sanday for a luscious view of the sunset.
For information about the St Magnus Festival, go to www.stmagnusfestival or call 01856 871445. For accommodation and travel options check www.visitorkney.com or call 01856 872856
Callanish. The daddy. One of the world’s most visited ancient stone circles, dating from about 1800BC, which needs little introduction. Join the annual gathering at the solstice or join a guided walk from Stornaway on Lewis.
Guided walks are available from Hebridean Holidays on 01851 612288 or at www.hebridean-holidays.co.uk. The company can arrange a three, four or six-night island-hopping tour departing from Glasgow, from £340 including transport, accommodation and guided walks. In Stornaway stay at The Doune Braes Hotel, 01851 643 252. Source: Sunday Herald 13 June 2004
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