<< Our Photo Pages >> Bencallen Hill - Chambered Cairn in Scotland in South Ayrshire

Submitted by vicky on Sunday, 29 December 2002  Page Views: 11513

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Bencallen Hill Alternative Name: The Druid's Grave; Shiel Bridge
Country: Scotland County: South Ayrshire Type: Chambered Cairn
 Nearest Village: Balloch
Map Ref: NX33779440  Landranger Map Number: 76
Latitude: 55.215773N  Longitude: 4.614442W
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.
 2 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
 4

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markj99 visited on 19th May 2021 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 5 Access: 3 Bencallen Cairn lies c. 3.75 miles E from Barr Village in S Ayrshire. It is difficult to get to but the splendid isolation of this site more than compensates. Only one large chamber of the cairn remains built into the N wall of a sheepfold. Presumably the stones from Bencallen Cairn were used in the construction of the sheepfold. The ground round about and inside the sheepfold has been deforested so it is rough and rutted.

Bencallen Hill
Bencallen Hill submitted by PaulM : Shiel Bridge/Bencallen chambered tomb Good navigation is needed to find this cairn as the landscape is pretty featureless (NX33779440). Luckily for us the conifers had been recently cleared. There is parking (just) but the lane is very quiet. I dived up the slope and headed in the vague general direction but struck lucky. Another strange site as the cairn cover has been robbed for dryst... (Vote or comment on this photo)
Chambered Cairn in South Ayrshire

Shiel Bridge/Bencallen Hill Neolithic chambered tomb. Good navigation is needed to find this cairn as the landscape is pretty featureless (NX33779440). Luckily for us the conifers had been recently cleared.

There is parking (just) but the lane is very quiet. I dived up the slope and headed in the vague general direction but struck lucky. Another strange site as the cairn cover has been robbed for drystone walls which all seemed to have been built to hem in the chamber or perhaps as sheepfolds. All that remains are some uprights and an uncharactreristic capstone. The pylons in the area aren’t marked on the Explorer Map (318, 2001 revision) but make a good guide. The ground is littered with tree stumps and the odd hidden ditch - take care.

More information can be found on Canmore ID 63062 which says this is a: "chambered cairn of Bargrennan type is situated within the forestry plantation on Bencallen, about 70m NE of the public road and 200m NNW of Shiel Bridge. The cairn has been extensively robbed but it was probably roughly circular, measuring 15m in maximum diameter. The surviving portion of the chamber, which is aligned from NNE to SSW, still retains its roof and was probably entered from the N. A line of upright slabs which runs ESE from the side of the chamber is probably an original feature of the cairn."
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Bencallen Hill
Bencallen Hill submitted by markj99 : Bencallen Chambered Cairn viewed from the south. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Bencallen Hill
Bencallen Hill submitted by markj99 : Bencallen Chambered Cairn viewed from the north. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Bencallen Hill
Bencallen Hill submitted by markj99 : Bencallen Chambered Cairn viewed from the south-east. There are two large outliers within yards of the chamber. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Bencallen Hill
Bencallen Hill submitted by markj99 : Interior of Bencallen Chambered Cairn. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Bencallen Hill
Bencallen Hill submitted by markj99 : Bencallen Chambered Cairn is incorporated into the north wall of a ruined sheepfold.

Bencallen Hill
Bencallen Hill submitted by markj99 : Bencallen Chambered Cairn is in a large clearing c. 100 yards east of a minor road to Barr Village.

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"Bencallen Hill" | Login/Create an Account | 1 comment
  
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Re: Directions to Bencallen Hill by markj99 on Wednesday, 19 May 2021
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Despite being c. 100 yards from the roadside Bencallen Cairn is difficult to find. Good map reading or Sat Nav are important but a GPS device is essential.

Directions from N: Take the A77 to Girvan. Take the A734 Barr L turn on the roundabout at the N end of Girvan. After c. 2.25 miles you reach Old Dailly. Turn R onto the A734 Barr in Old Dailly. After c. 5 miles on this winding road you reach Barr. Travel through Barr turning L for Crosshill at the dead end sign. Stay on this narrow road for c. 4 miles to reach S Balloch Farm. Turn R at the junction for 1.1 miles to reach a small grass parking spot at NX 33706 94332 on the R side of the road. Walk c. 25 yards up the road to NX 33729 94325. A faint path to the L starts up a wooded slope. Follow it for c. 60 yards uphill to emerge into a large deforested clearing with Bencallen Sheepfold at the centre of it. Bencallen Chambered Cairn is built into a wall on the N of this feature, a standout feature.

Directions from S: Take the A75 to Newton Stewart. Drive through the town centre. At the W end of the Cree Bridge take the A714 Girvan road. After c. 8.5 miles in Bargrennan take the R turn for Glentrool Village. Stay on this narrow road with passing places for c. 9.5 miles to reach the Bell Memorial. Take the L fork for Barr/Crosshill. After c. 2.5 miles park up on the L on a grass bank at NX 33706 94332. Walk back up the road to NX 33729 94325. A faint path to the L starts up a wooded slope. Follow it for c. 60 yards uphill to emerge into a large deforested clearing with Bencallen Sheepfold at the centre of it. Bencallen Chambered Cairn is built into a wall on the N of this feature, a standout feature.
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