Megalithic Portal: Latest from Isle of Islay, Scotland

Finlaggan Visitor Centre

Andy B — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 17:00:30 GMT

Finlaggan is not an obvious ruin. Two low islands in a shallow loch, a scatter of wall footings, and unless somebody explains it you would walk past the place where the Lords of the Isles were made. The Finlaggan Trust was formed in 1984 to stabilise and preserve the remains on Eilean Mor and Eilean na Comhairle, to protect the carved stones on Eilean Mor, and to run an interpretive centre. The museum opened on 22 August 1989 and stands at the head of the loch, with the islands below it and the prehistoric mound of Cnoc Seannda immediately behind.

Cnoc Seannda

Andy B — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:58:57 GMT

Everything at Finlaggan is medieval until you look at the mound behind the visitor centre, and then it is several thousand years older. Cnoc Seannda is a prominent rounded mound at the head of Loch Finlaggan, overlooking the two islands that made this place the seat of the Lords of the Isles. It is a natural rise, but something has been done to the top of it. Geophysical survey by Geophysical Surveys of Bradford in June 1994 picked out an artificial feature cut into the centre of the summit, and Channel 4's Time Team came to trial-trench it alongside the Edinburgh University excavations then working on the islands.

Carnduncan

markj99 — Sat, 31 May 2025 18:46:08 GMT

]]>A 17m cairn and grassy mound with kerb stones around the perimeter. On the Isle of Islay.

Torradale Standing Stone

Bladup — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 17:22:59 GMT

]]>A leaning 5 foot+ (1.5m+) standing stone on the Isle of Islay which was probably part of the ruined chambered tomb which it is right beside. The site was reclassified as a Chambered Cairn after a visit by the RCAHMS (now Historic Environment Scotland) in 2006. The field notes from the 2006 visit give extensive measurements of the ruined cairn and details of its history. See further down our page for the link

Branhunisary

markj99 — Sun, 30 May 2021 11:02:19 GMT

]]>Standing Stone (Menhir) in Isle of Islay. A Standing Stone in Isle of IslayBranhunisary is an irregular squat stone standing c. 0.5 miles NE of Port Ellen on the Isle of Islay. Its dimensions are c. 4ft high, 3 ft wide and 2 ft thick. There is a cup mark on the base of the N face measuring c. 3 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches in depth.

St Nem's Churchyard (Kilnave)

Sunny100 — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 18:39:57 GMT

]]>St Nem's kirkyard, Isle of Islay is in a remote village at the north-west tip of the island overlooking Loch Gruinart. An 8th century high-cross, now rather worn and damaged, can be found at the western side of the ruined church of St Nem (Naomh), who was a 6th century Irish saint.

Ardnave Loch

markj99 — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 08:52:20 GMT

]]>Crannog in Isle of Islay. Ardnave Loch Crannog is in the west wing of Isle of Islay. Ardnave Loch is c. 2.5 miles N of RSPB Gruinart visitor centre on a dead-end road. The crannog is in the SW corner of Loch Ardnave c. 12m from the shore according to Canmore ID 37483 . It is connected to the land by an earthen causeway c. 6.5m wide just under the water level.

Upper Cragabus

markj99 — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 10:46:37 GMT

]]>Cairn in Isle of Islay. Upper Cragabus is a badly damaged cairn c. 0.33 miles SSW of Cragabus Cairn, situated on the edge of a pine forest. It is a grassy cairn measuring c. 10 yards across by 1.5 yards high. It has been denuded of stones save for a few field clearance stones scattered on the cairn. Two large pits up to 1 yard deep have been excavated in the interior of the cairn. The surviving cairn is a pale shadow of the original construction.

Druim Mor Guide Stone

Energyman — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 13:20:27 GMT

]]>Marker Stone in Isle of Islay

Tayandock

markj99 — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 19:12:06 GMT

]]>Standing Stone in Isle of Islay

Frachdale

markj99 — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 20:32:08 GMT

]]>Frachdale is a robbed out Clyde group chambered cairn on the Oa peninsula of the Isle of Islay. The ruined Frachdale buildings are easily reached and a rough road runs up the hill to Frachdale Chambered Cairn and Coille A'chnoic Mhoir standing stone, easily spotted a quarter of a mile up on the right.

Glac A` Charraigh

markj99 — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 11:16:39 GMT

]]>Standing Stone (Menhir) in Isle of Islay

Coille A'chnoic Mhoir

markj99 — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 11:14:06 GMT

]]>Standing Stone (Menhir) in Isle of Islay

Achnancarranan

SandyG — Mon, 02 Sep 2019 09:56:43 GMT

]]>There are lots of other sites to explore on Islay, see our nearby sites list. A single stone row on the Isle of Islay. It measures 7.5m long, including three large orthostats situated on a south facing terrace with restricted views of the nearby sea. The northern stone measures up to 2.6m high, whilst the southern one is 2.87m tall. The central stone is now recumbent and probably fell eastward. The row is orientated north to south and stands in an area with broadly contemporary standing stones and a chambered tomb.

Druim Mor (Lagavulin)

markj99 — Mon, 02 Sep 2019 09:01:21 GMT

]]>The grassy cairn on the Isle of Islay has a prominent standing stone around 4 feet high and a scattering of stones on it.