Whitelees Moor Cairn

Trip No.15  Date Added: 17th Jul 2019
Site Type: Cairn Country: Scotland (Inverclyde)
Visited: Yes on 21st May 2019. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Whitelees Cairn :

Cairn remains on the summit of Whitelees, like the main site description mentions the Cairn looks greatly disturbed. Although it is turfed over and most of the stones have been moved, enough remain to give a general shape to the Cairn.
The scatter of stones reminds me of the disturbed Cairn remains on Carman Hill (Minus the Portal Stone) which is visible 10km away upriver.

The view from the summit of the moor is beautiful, with the Holy Loch, Loch Long, Gare Loch, Ben Lomond, Dumbarton Rock, Loch Thom and Goat Fell all visible when standing at the Cairn.

*Getting there ; Access the moor from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) These Cairn remains are about 35 minutes walk from Drumfrochar train station.

From the train station come out onto Peat Road and turn left, walk uphill taking your 3rd left after the last house. Walk up the Old Largs Road and after 10 minutes you'll pass Whinhill golf course, keep walking for about another 10 minutes and you'll come to a small place to park a car at the bottom of the moor, there is a large metal gate to stop cars going up the track.
Walk up the windy track for about 5 minutes (Passing Whitelees 1 after a minute) and you'll come to a gate below an old disused red brick bunker further uphill. From here it's less than 5 minutes away. Climb the gate and head up past the bunker as far as you can go until to start seeing the Clyde. Keep walking until you see a long rocky spine running East to West. Head for that and then face SE, you'll see a large radio mast next to some trees around the cottage. The Cairn is just over 50m away in that direction, you can't miss it. The Cairn remains sit on raised ground and is the highest point on the moor.

Whitelees Moor 2

Trip No.15  Date Added: 17th Jul 2019
Site Type: Rock Art Country: Scotland (Inverclyde)
Visited: Yes on 21st May 2019. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Whitelees Cup Marks 2 :

The Cup Marked Rocks on the upper slopes of Whitelees Moor are as described in the main site description.

Located in fenced Moorland about 50m from the Cairn remains at the summit of the moor. These are more traditional than the the Cup Marked rocks at the bottom of the moor.

Panel 1 & 2 : Could not locate these two boulders - I searched for over an hour on my first visit and had no luck finding them, I searched a vast distance of Whitelees through difficult, marshy terrain, but couldn't see these Cup Marked boulders anywhere. There are literally hundreds of boulders dotted over the area and it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Panel 3 & 4 are next to each other, in fact Panel 3 rests on top of Panel 4. During my search for the first two panels I saw these rocks and thought they looked prime rocks to have Cup Marks on them, but when I went and looked them over I didn't spot anything, so I continued my hunt, after much frustration I was drawn back to these rocks for some reason. I started clearing the Sheep wool & dung from the rocks and I then noticed a circular shape filled with debris, I scooped it out and it was a very pronounced Cup Mark.

Panel 3 : The Cup Mark is on the very top of the rock, which is propped up on a small, thin rectangular rock that rests on Panel 4. The Cup Mark has a Radial Groove running down to a natural fissure in the rock.

Panel 4 : Has 2 Cup Marks, one larger one at the Western corner of the rock, and a much smaller one at the opposite Eastern end, almost in line with the Cup Mark on Panel 3. When viewed from above the 3 Cup Marks form a triangle. Panel 4 has a lot of natural grooves criss crossed across it's surface and is sloping gently from East to West.

*Getting there ; Access the moor from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) These Cup Marks are about 35 minutes walk from Drumfrochar train station.

From the train station come out onto Peat Road and turn left, walk uphill taking your 3rd left after the last house. Walk up the Old Largs Road and after 10 minutes you'll pass Whinhill golf course, keep walking for about another 10 minutes and you'll come to a small place to park a car at the bottom of the moor, there is a large metal gate to stop cars going up the track.
Walk up the windy track for about 5 minutes (Passing Whitelees 1 after a minute) and you'll come to a gate below an old disused, red brick bunker further uphill. From here it's less than 5 minutes away. Climb the gate and head up past the bunker as far as you can go until to start seeing the Clyde. Keep walking and you'll see a long rocky spine running East to West. Head for that. Look across the river to Ardmore Point and Panel 3 & 4 are halfway between the rocks you are at and the fence to the North.

Whitelees Moor 1

Trip No.15  Date Added: 17th Jul 2019
Site Type: Rock Art Country: Scotland (Inverclyde)
Visited: Yes on 21st May 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Whitelees Cup Marks 1 :

The rocky outcrop on the Western lower slopes of Whitelees Moor is as described in the main site description.

Located on open Moorland, there is usually Sheep grazing around the rock but they run away when they see someone approach on the path up the moor.

Panel 1 : This is the largest Cup Mark I have ever seen, it is absolutely huge. I filled the conical depression with water from the nearby burn and when it was full it reminded me of a Dog bowl. As if someone made this as a watering hole for their hunting dogs possibly, just a thought. There is a similar sounding bowl sized Cup Mark recorded 'IN' the Daff Reservoir.

Panel 2 : This is a strange looking Cup Mark, it looks like a Horse hoof print embedded into the rock. To me, it is debatable if this one is man made or not, there is something about the interior that doesn't seem 'Cup' like. It looks more like a Quartz boulder or something similar has been yanked out of the bedrock and this is the hole that remains.

Panel 3 & 4 : These are similar to Panel 2, in that I have questions over these being man made or a natural features, they don't have a smooth interiors like Panel 1, they are rugged and jagged inside the Cup shape. My initial thought was it looked to me as if small Quartz stones had been yanked from the bedrock and these were the remains. But they did have semi-circular and tear drop shapes to them. Perhaps this is how Cup Marks start out and they were left unfinished, how would we know, or how could we tell?

*Getting there ; Access the moor from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) These Cup Marks are about 25 minutes walk from Drumfrochar train station.

From the train station come out onto Peat Road and turn left, walk uphill taking your 3rd left after the last house. Walk up the Old Largs Road and after 10 minutes you'll pass Whinhill golf course, keep walking for about another 10 minutes and you'll come to a small place to park a car at the bottom of the moor, there is a large metal gate to stop cars going up the track.
Walk up the track for about a minute, keeping a lookout for rocks protruding from the grass on the left side of the track. They are low rocks and would be easy to miss if they Sheep weren't there to keep the Grass in check.

Whinhill Cup Marks

Trip No.15  Date Added: 17th Jul 2019
Site Type: Rock Art Country: Scotland (Inverclyde)
Visited: Yes on 21st May 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Whinhill Cup Marks :

These Cup Marks are found on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Clyde and are as described in the main site description.

Located on a flattish piece of land on the hillside below Whitelees Moor, the rock is almost totally surrounded on all sides by Gorse, with only a small opening found when facing South. The two times I was there, there was people using the practise hole and the rock is right at the very edge of the putting green. After travelling so far I wasn't about to let them stop me so I set up my camera and started clicking away, the men soon left as the practise green is for club members to warm up on before a round, and these men clearly weren't paying club members, so I didn't feel too bad.

The place is very peaceful and the Rabbits were running from the Gorse and playing on the putting green once the men had left, apart from the Midges it is a very pleasant site. The Cup Mark on the very top of the rock (Usually hidden under Moss and other vegetative debris) is 5cm in diameter, and just over 1cm deep. The oblong carving is quite peculiar, it isn't smooth the way most (Not all) Cup Marks are. It has some rugged surfaces on the interior the oblong shape. It is approx 7cm x 14cm.
And on the other side of the rock across from the oblong shape is some sort of other depression/carving. It is quite possibly natural, but if it isn't natural and is man made it looks like someone started to make another oblong and gave up half way through chipping the rock out.

*Getting there ; Access the golf course from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) The Cup Marks are about 15 minutes walk from Drumfrochar train station.

From the train station come out onto Peat Road and turn left, walk uphill taking your 3rd left after the last house. Walk up the Old Largs Road for 10 minutes and you'll see the entrance to the golf course, walk through the car park heading towards the river and follow the path around until you see the putting green straight ahead (By this time your facing East)

Torphichen Churchyard Stone

Trip No.7  Date Added: 4th Jul 2019
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Scotland (West Lothian)
Visited: Yes on 25th Aug 2018. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Torpichen Cup Marked Menhir :

This 75cm tall Cup Marked Menhir sits in the graveyard of the Torpichen Preceptory, which was built around the site of the Menhir by the Knights Hospitallers in 1168, who built the Preceptory on the site of an earlier Celtic Cell.
The Menhir has associations with Irish Monks, Ringan (St Ninian) in the 4th century & MoEcca (St Féchín) in the 7th.

The Celtic carvings that once adorned this Menhir, are thought to date from this period (but sadly they no longer remain)
Five small cup-marks on the East face of the Menhir date from the early Bronze Age when it stood on Cairnpapple Hill (2km away to the East) the Cup Mark on top looks like it has been deepened at a later date, probably when the Knights added the cross.

The location is a bit unusual, it now sit's under a Yew Tree, and a modern gravestone is situated between the Menhir and the Tree, making it difficult to get photograph's of it that don't contain graves.
There are plenty of fascinating graves to be seen but the Sandstone Menhir is spectacular looking, and feeling. Even if it is small.
The shape of it, along with the Cup Marks really give off a feeling of importance.

It's true history may be lost, due to the many uses of the Menhir over the millennia. But one thing it hasn't lost, is character.

*Getting There ; Around a 20 minute walk from Gormyre Menhir, which is 1.6km away
(or a 4.9km walk if coming from the Bathgate train station)

Coming from Gormyre, go back to the gate and turn right, follow this country road for 1.3km, take the turns of the road but there are NO turn off's to take. Just keep walking and you'll end up in Torpichen.
Its mostly downhill. Once you get to Torpichen take your 1st left and walk along a couple hundred metres and you'll arrive at the Torpichen Preceptory.

Tormore 2

Trip No.6  Date Added: 4th Jul 2019
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: Scotland (Isle of Arran)
Visited: Yes on 9th Aug 2018. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: MM8 : This is the THIRD site you encounter when heading East from the Beach at Machrie. From the car park 'Machrie Moor 8' (Moss Farm Cairn Menhir/Tormore 2) is 1.55km away

Remains of a 9m oval 'Clyde Type' Cairn, now nearly totally covered in Heather. The most prominent feature is the 1.8m high Standing Stone.
Nearby is another upright stone, about 50cm tall. In 1861 flint flakes and arrowheads were dug up beneath the chamber by J. McArthur.

*Getting There ; Get the '322 bus' to Blackwaterfoot from the Ferry terminal at Brodick. It takes approx 45 minutes.
From Blackwaterfoot you can go directly to the Moor by following the A841 road which is a 5.5km walk (It took me about an hour on the way back)

Or you can take the scenic route which is 8.5km. The long way follow's the beach to Drumadoon Point, and then onto the Doon Hillfort, after exploring the Fort you walk along the beach path to Kings Caves (These part's of the journey are covered in log visits for these sites)

From the Caves you can go along the shore to Machrie Bay (which would have been shorter) but instead l followed the trail path up Torr Righ Mor (137m) and around the Pine forests on Torr Righ Beag (109m) until l reached to visitors car park. From here it's a 15 minute walk to the visitors car park at Machrie Moor.
This is the 3rd site you encounter when coming from the car park.

The Govan Stones

Trip No.17  Date Added: 17th Jul 2019
Site Type: Museum Country: Scotland (North Lanarkshire)
Visited: Yes on 3rd Jul 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Gobhain :

A fantastic collection of First Millennium Carved Stones. Of particular interest are the :

°SUN STONE ; Thought to be a repurposed Neolithic Standing Stone, this weathered Sandstone Menhir is nearly 1.7m tall. On one side there is a carved cross with Celtic style knotwork, below this is a Man hunting on a Horse (Similar to the ones seen on the Jordanhill Cross shaft and the Govan Sarcophagus)
On the opposite side of the stone is a Spiral Boss from which four Snakes swirl around it. Below this is a fret pattern carved into a square panel. The stone tapers towards a tenon at the top.

°SANDSTONE SARCOPHAGUS ; Officially this is said to have belonged to the 9th century Pictish King "Constantín Mac Cináeda", now called "Constantine I".
Some though think it may have belonged to a Brittonic Chieftain of Alt Clut called "Artur MacAeden", who died in the 6th century and later inspired the King Arthur stories.
When it was re-discovered in 1855 it had no lid and was empty. Possibly emptied by the Vikings after they settled the area, or perhaps it was emptied centuries before or after, we will never know.
This is unique in that is the only pre-norman Sarcophagus in Briton. Fantastic to look at in photo's, different ball game seeing it up close though. The carvings are superb, although the man on the horse is looking a little worse for wear when compared to older photographs.

°5 VIKING HOGBACKS : The largest collection of Hogbacks outside of Brompton. 4 of these are the largest Hogbacks discovered to date (Each weighing 1/2 ton) the other smaller one was loaned to the British Museum for the 'Vikings : life and legend' exhibition in 2014, although it is back home now.
Known Hogback sites : There is one Hogback in Eire, one in Wales, several sites across Scotland and a lot of sites found around the Yorkshire area.

*Getting There ; A 2 minute walk from Govan Subway station.

Come out the station and keep walking along Govan Road without turning, (Heading NW) you'll pass Water Row & Pearce Street before seeing the entrance way to the church on your right hand side.

St Fillan's Seat (Kilallan)

Trip No.12  Date Added: 17th Jul 2019
Site Type: Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature Country: Scotland (Renfrewshire)
Visited: Yes on 10th May 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: St. Fillan's Seat :

A large Whinstone Boulder protruding from the Earth, has a natural hollow that is ideal for a seat, with another smaller hollow to the right.

It measures about 2.5m x 2.5m, although because it is sloping, some of it is still covered in soil. The overhang with the seat and hollow is about 50cm+ deep. The soil below this part has been greatly eroded since St. Fillan sat here. The seat is about 35cm across, and the smaller hollow is about 15cm x 9cm, and about 10cm deep.

The seat is on the West side of the Rock, facing St. Fillan's Kirk 123m away.
St. Fillan had his Cell in the area sometime around the 8th century, St Fillan's Kirk dates back to around the 10th or 11th century, 200~300 years later.
2.5km SE of Kilallan was a place called Kilpeter, now called Houston, or Hugh's Town, after Knight Templar Sir 'Hugh de Paduinan'.
When the Kirk fell into disuse in the 18th century, during later restoration work, the windows and doors were filled in - with Gravestones from the cemetery, and Two fragments of Templar Gravestones can be seen in the windows on the Southern wall. Could one of these be part of Hugh de Paduinan's gravestone?

In the corner of the field 75m away is a Natural Spring, probably used since Neolithic times, but later called St. Fillan's Well. It was this water he used to fill the small hollow when he performed his Religious activities. I went to the Spring and filled a bottle, took it back to the seat, and filled the small hollow until it was completely full. It held the water for about 5 minutes or so, slowly permeating through the rock.

A wall has been built on the Southern side of the Boulder, and from the road, you cant see over the wall, and you wouldn't even know there was anything on the other side.

I would say the site most definitely pre-dates St. Fillan, the seat possibly having been used by some other important person. As was standard at the time, Irish Monks would often set up their cells at the sites where those classed as pagan's held rituals or ceremonies.

*Getting There ; From Kilmacolm it is approx 3.4km away (50 min walk)

There are no trains serving Kilmacolm, so get off the bus at the main village square, and walk up along Bridge of Weir Road (A761) for 825m, taking your 5th left up Houston Road. Walk up Houston Road for 600m where it turns into Kilallan Road, you should have Kilmacolm golf course on either side of you with the road running through the middle of it.
Keep on walking along Kilallan Road and after 1km you'll see Lawfield Farm to your left, keep going another 610m and you'll see a road up to a farm, walk past this and take the left bend in the road, walk down and you'll come to Corsliehill Road on your left after a minute, you walk up here 180m and your at the Boulder.
-There is a gate in the corner of the field for those who wish to visit the Kirk.

St Fillan's Holy Well (Kilallan)

Trip No.12  Date Added: 17th Jul 2019
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: Scotland (Renfrewshire)
Visited: Yes on 10th May 2019. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: St. Fillan's Well :

A Natural Spring emanating from under a huge boulder in front of a small Cliff Face, 5m behind it.

It is found tucked behind the trees at the edge of a wooded area, 75m North from St. Fillan's Seat. It measures about 2.5m x 3m roughly, and has an unusual shape to it depending on the viewing angle, at its thinnest part it is about 1m thick, and upto 1.5m at its thickest parts.

Fáelán was a Monk from Cluain Moescna in Co. Westmeath, who set up a Cell in the area in the 8th century. He was later canonized a Saint by the Pope of Rome. His mother was Caintigern, who is known as St. Kentigerna, and his uncle was St. Comgan.
Fáelán is said to have used the water from this well when he filled the hollow next to the seat in the boulder across the field. Later, the water would be used to perform baptisms in St. Fillan's Kirk - 150m away at the far end of the field to the SW.

The water of the well is said to have healing properties (Although l would advise against drinking it - it's covered in Duckweed) l believe the water was rubbed on affected body parts, and kids were bathed in it. Pieces of cloth and rags used to be hung on trees beside the well as votive offerings, reported to have ceased at the end of the 17th century when the radical Calvinist minister, James Hutcheson filled the well with stones, but l saw a red rag tied to the tree beside the well, so the tradition lives on.

The well was later cleared out as the water continued to flow, as it still does today. There have been several courses of brickwork surrounding the well over the centuries, nowadays it is an old stone wall that has been propped up and repaired with modern red bricks, forming a U-shape, but the ground in front of these bricks is sometimes wet indicating it flows beneath the current ground level.
Once surrounded by trees, they have now all been cleared, and the Horses in the field wander around the boulder when they please. Apparently they drink from the well. There is a small upright stone in front of the boulder, to the right of the well.

I took some of the water (And jagged myself on Nettle's in the process) up to St. Fillan's Seat and filled the hollow to the brim, it lasted about 5 minutes or so before it was empty again.

*Getting There ; From Kilmacolm it is approx 3.4km away (45 min walk)

There are no trains serving Kilmacolm, so get off the bus at the main village square, and walk up along Bridge of Weir Road (A761) for 825m, taking your 5th left up Houston Road. Walk up Houston Road for 600m where it turns into Kilallan Road, you should have Kilmacolm golf course on either side of you with the road running through the middle of it.
Keep on walking along Kilallan Road and after 1km you'll see Lawfield Farm to your left, keep going another 610m and you'll see a road up to a farm, walk past this and take the left bend in the road, walk down and you'll come to Corsliehill Road on your left after a minute. Walk up here for 225m (passing St. Fillans Seat after 180m) you will arrive at some trees next to a house, this is the easiest way into the field - climb through the trees and over the fence and walk along the treeline for 50m and you'll arrive at the Boulder with Spring underneath it.

Sourlie Hill

Trip No.23  Date Added: 30th Nov 2019
Site Type: Modern Stone Circle etc Country: Scotland (North Ayrshire)
Visited: Yes on 30th Nov 2019. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Sourlie Hill Menhirs :

Round Hill (Cameron home farm cairn)

Trip No.11  Date Added: 17th Jul 2019
Site Type: Cairn Country: Scotland (West Dunbartonshire)
Visited: Yes on 22nd Apr 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 2

Log Text: Cameron Wood Round Hill Cairn (Loch Lomond) :

One of two Cairns in Cameron Farm Woods.
This one is an Earth and Stone Mound, measuring 30m x 20m by 2.5m high.
Oval in shape, although the front part on the NE has been disturbed and a fair bit of Earth removed, so the Cairn was probably circular originally, the flat summit roughly measures 11m x 6m.

Upon approaching the Site from the trackway, 50m lower down the hillside, the Cairn stands out against the skyline and the tree's, it is very easy to see from the moment you approach the big dirt patch outside Cameron Farm.

Once there the first you notice is it is definitely man made, this isn't a morainic mound.
Second thing you notice is the view, set 110m above sea level, the views from the top of the Cairn over the Southern part of Loch Lomond, all the way up to Ben Lomond (974m) 20km away to the North, are phenomenal.

I set about documenting the size and shape of the Cairn, then photographed the site from all directions. After that l gave the Cairn a close up inspection, and noticed a large amount of White Quartz protruding through the soil, on the side and on top of the Cairn.
There are a few boulders that appear to have been removed fairly recently, and it looks like cattle trample over the NE side of the Cairn when they get a chance.

For such a plain site, before l knew it 2 hours had passed, and l had to start making tracks to the next Cairn further up the hillside.

I would like to think that this site remains undisturbed, with a Cist buried below the surface and the occupant still at peace, the way their ancestors left them.
Until Lidar (Or something similar that wont disturb the interior) is used, we won't know for sure.

*Getting There ; About an hours walk from Balloch train station, which is 3km away.

It isnt the easiest site to get to or find, but if you follow these directions you should be ok. Turn right onto Balloch Road when you leave the train station and take a left, follow for 400m and you'll come to a roundabout, go around the roundabout to your right, and take the 2nd right onto Old Luss Road. Walk up Old Luss Road for 160m and taking your 2nd left up Lower Stoneymollan Road. From here it's mostly uphill.

Walk up the small road for 400m until you reach the A82 (You'll see a bridge crossing the road to your right, cross this bridge and continue straight ahead past the house, for 100m and climb the barbed wire fence into the field and head North, the A82 should be on your right hand side now.

Cross 2 fields and you'll see a dirt path on the lower slope, at the bottom next to the trees. Sticking to the lower slopes follow this path through the next two fields, and go through the gap in the trees. Walk through the next field and through another gap in the trees, following the tree line on your right until you see a big dirt patch ahead outside Cameron Farm, from here you will see a patch of trees to the SW, 2 fields up.
You can follow the path all the way around or cut through the fields up to the Cairn next to these trees.

Moss Farm Stone

Trip No.6  Date Added: 4th Jul 2019
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Scotland (Isle of Arran)
Visited: Yes on 9th Aug 2018. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: MM7 : This is the SECOND site you encounter when heading East from the Beach at Machrie. From the car park 'Machrie Moor 7' (Moss Farm Menhir) is 1.5km away

A 1.6m high Sandstone Menhir on a prominent point on the Moor, roughly aligned to the cardinal points, with the West Face facing the Kintyre Peninsula.

When visiting the Menhir I found a small Gold box with a Chinese coin inside, the coin had a square hole in the middle and a little note saying "Magic for you"

*Getting There ; Get the '322 bus' to Blackwaterfoot from the Ferry terminal at Brodick. It takes approx 45 minutes.
From Blackwaterfoot you can go directly to the Moor by following the A841 road which is a 5.5km walk (It took me about an hour on the way back)

Or you can take the scenic route which is 8.5km. The long way follow's the beach to Drumadoon Point, and then onto the Doon Hillfort, after exploring the Fort you walk along the beach path to Kings Caves (These part's of the journey are covered in log visits for these sites)

From the Caves you can go along the shore to Machrie Bay (which would have been shorter) but instead l followed the trail path up Torr Righ Mor (137m) and around the Pine forests on Torr Righ Beag (109m) until l reached to visitors car park. From here it's a 15 minute walk to the visitors car park at Machrie Moor.
This is the 2nd site you encounter when coming from the car park.

Moss farm chambered cairn

Trip No.6  Date Added: 4th Jul 2019
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: Scotland (Isle of Arran)
Visited: Yes on 9th Aug 2018. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: MM6 : This is the FOURTH site you encounter when heading East from the Beach at Machrie. From the car park 'Machrie Moor 6' (Moss Farm Chambered Cairn) is 1.6km away

Remains of a Bronze Age Sandstone Cist. Originally it was square shaped and consisted of 5 Menhirs lain horizontally, with a Capstone on top.

Two stones formed the E side, with one stone on each of the other sides.
When excavated by J.Bryce in 1861, only 4 of these stones remained. He found an Urn and some Flint Arrowheads.

Now all that remains are two upright Menhirs, sitting at a right angle.
The large one, orientated E-W, measures 2m long, 1.1m high and 40cm wide. The small one is orientated N-S, measures 1m long, 80cm high and 40cm wide.

*Getting There ; Get the '322 bus' to Blackwaterfoot from the Ferry terminal at Brodick. It takes approx 45 minutes.
From Blackwaterfoot you can go directly to the Moor by following the A841 road which is a 5.5km walk (It took me about an hour on the way back)

Or you can take the scenic route which is 8.5km. The long way follow's the beach to Drumadoon Point, and then onto the Doon Hillfort, after exploring the Fort you walk along the beach path to Kings Caves (These part's of the journey are covered in log visits for these sites)

From the Caves you can go along the shore to Machrie Bay (which would have been shorter) but instead l followed the trail path up Torr Righ Mor (137m) and around the Pine forests on Torr Righ Beag (109m) until l reached to visitors car park. From here it's a 15 minute walk to the visitors car park at Machrie Moor.
This is the 4th site you encounter when coming from the car park.

Machrie Moor 6

Trip No.6  Date Added: 4th Jul 2019
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Scotland (Isle of Arran)
Visited: Yes on 9th Aug 2018. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: MM11 : This is the TENTH site you encounter when heading East from the Beach at Machrie. From the car park 'Machrie Moor 11' (10 small stones & Timber postholes) is 2.18km away

Completely buried under peat, it was discovered by E.W.MacKie in 1975, by him probing through the peat.
Excavations by "A.Burl" between 1978 and 1979 revealed 10 small upright Stones, the tallest of which is 1.2m high and is standing on the Western arc of the circle.

Measuring 13m in diameter, and only about 25m away from MM1, Cremated remains were found in a central pit, made of Flint.
Pitchstone and Diorite Knifes & Scrapers were excavated along with some pottery.
10 Timber Post Holes were also discovered, situated between the 10 stones, suggesting use of the site before the Stones were put in place.

*Getting There ; Get the '322 bus' to Blackwaterfoot from the Ferry terminal at Brodick. It takes approx 45 minutes.
From Blackwaterfoot you can go directly to the Moor by following the A841 road which is a 5.5km walk (It took me about an hour on the way back)

Or you can take the scenic route which is 8.5km. The long way follow's the beach to Drumadoon Point, and then onto the Doon Hillfort, after exploring the Fort you walk along the beach path to Kings Caves (These part's of the journey are covered in log visits for these sites)

From the Caves you can go along the shore to Machrie Bay (which would have been shorter) but instead l followed the trail path up Torr Righ Mor (137m) and around the Pine forests on Torr Righ Beag (109m) until l reached to visitors car park. From here it's a 15 minute walk to the visitors car park at Machrie Moor.
This is the 10th site you encounter when coming from the car park.

Machrie Moor 5

Trip No.6  Date Added: 4th Jul 2019
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Scotland (Isle of Arran)
Visited: Yes on 9th Aug 2018. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: MM5 : This is the FIFTH site you encounter when heading East from the Beach at Machrie. From the car park 'Machrie Moor 5' (Coire Fhionn-Fingals Cauldron) is 1.75km away

A double concentric Stone Circle made from large, radioactive Granite boulders.
The inner circle is roughly 11.5m in diameter and has Eight stones, 60~100cm high.
The outer circle is 18m in diameter consists of Fifteen slightly smaller stones, one of which has a hole in it.

J.M.Arthur excavated this circle in 1858 and removed a lot of small packing stones and boulders, but he didn't reach the original ground level.
A few years later in 1861, J.Bryce found a small Sandstone Cist in the centre of the circles, less than 30cm from the surface. The Cist contained several bone fragments and black earth, and he suggests that the area had been disturbed several times before his excavation.
J.A.Balfour records the remains of this Cist in 1910, but it no longer exists today (perhaps it has been filled in)

During the 1980s Paul Devereux and other members of the Gaia Programme conducted a series of tests, over a 5 year period, to monitor electromagnetic anomalies at many Megalithic Stone Circles across Europe.
MM5 gave a site average, of 33% above background radiation levels.
The tallest, and the most Westerly of the upright stones in the inner ring, is particularly energetic, giving readings 16% above the next most radioactive stone in the double ring.

*Getting There ; Get the '322 bus' to Blackwaterfoot from the Ferry terminal at Brodick. It takes approx 45 minutes.
From Blackwaterfoot you can go directly to the Moor by following the A841 road which is a 5.5km walk (It took me about an hour on the way back)

Or you can take the scenic route which is 8.5km. The long way follow's the beach to Drumadoon Point, and then onto the Doon Hillfort, after exploring the Fort you walk along the beach path to Kings Caves (These part's of the journey are covered in log visits for these sites)

From the Caves you can go along the shore to Machrie Bay (which would have been shorter) but instead l followed the trail path up Torr Righ Mor (137m) and around the Pine forests on Torr Righ Beag (109m) until l reached to visitors car park. From here it's a 15 minute walk to the visitors car park at Machrie Moor.
This is the 5th site you encounter when coming from the car park.

Machrie Moor 4

Trip No.6  Date Added: 4th Jul 2019
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Scotland (Isle of Arran)
Visited: Yes on 9th Aug 2018. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: MM4 : This is the SIXTH site you encounter when heading East from the Beach at Machrie. From the car park 'Machrie Moor 4' (Granite 4 Poster) is 1.87km away

A Four Poster Granite ellipse about 90cm high, and about 6.4m on it's longer axis. The positioning suggests a 5th Boulder may have been in place at one time, giving a more Circular shape to the site.

Excavated by J.Bryce in 1861, he found a Bronze Age Cist (90cm long, 40cm wide and 60cm deep) in the centre.
Skeletal remains were accompanied by an Irish tripartite bowl, a Bronze awl, and three Flint Flakes.

*Getting There ; Get the '322 bus' to Blackwaterfoot from the Ferry terminal at Brodick. It takes approx 45 minutes.
From Blackwaterfoot you can go directly to the Moor by following the A841 road which is a 5.5km walk (It took me about an hour on the way back)

Or you can take the scenic route which is 8.5km. The long way follow's the beach to Drumadoon Point, and then onto the Doon Hillfort, after exploring the Fort you walk along the beach path to Kings Caves (These part's of the journey are covered in log visits for these sites)

From the Caves you can go along the shore to Machrie Bay (which would have been shorter) but instead l followed the trail path up Torr Righ Mor (137m) and around the Pine forests on Torr Righ Beag (109m) until l reached to visitors car park. From here it's a 15 minute walk to the visitors car park at Machrie Moor.
This is the 6th site you encounter when coming from the car park.

Machrie Moor 3

Trip No.6  Date Added: 4th Jul 2019
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Scotland (Isle of Arran)
Visited: Yes on 9th Aug 2018. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: MM3 : This is the SEVENTH site you encounter when heading East from the Beach at Machrie. From the car park 'Machrie Moor 3' (4.3m Red Sandstone Menhir) is 1.96km away

Originally this Stone Circle had 8 or 9 stones. Now only 6 stones are visible, and only the tallest, a 4.3m high, Red Sandstone Menhir remains standing.
The rest have fallen over, there is an ribbed Menhir lying flat near the centre of the circle (Perhaps used to sharpen swords?) The axis of symmetry (NE-SW) is approx 15.5m long.

Excavations by J.Bryce in 1861 uncovered a small Cist in the centre containing an Urn with some Flint Flakes. The Urn, which contained fragments of burnt bone, disintegrated on removal.
A second Cist was found 1m South of the centre, which contained a crouched burial, also with some Flint Flakes.

*Getting There ; Get the '322 bus' to Blackwaterfoot from the Ferry terminal at Brodick. It takes approx 45 minutes.
From Blackwaterfoot you can go directly to the Moor by following the A841 road which is a 5.5km walk (It took me about an hour on the way back)

Or you can take the scenic route which is 8.5km. The long way follow's the beach to Drumadoon Point, and then onto the Doon Hillfort, after exploring the Fort you walk along the beach path to Kings Caves (These part's of the journey are covered in log visits for these sites)

From the Caves you can go along the shore to Machrie Bay (which would have been shorter) but instead l followed the trail path up Torr Righ Mor (137m) and around the Pine forests on Torr Righ Beag (109m) until l reached to visitors car park. From here it's a 15 minute walk to the visitors car park at Machrie Moor.
This is the 7th site you encounter when coming from the car park.

Machrie Moor 2

Trip No.6  Date Added: 4th Jul 2019
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Scotland (Isle of Arran)
Visited: Yes on 9th Aug 2018. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: MM2 : This is the EIGHTH site you encounter when heading East from the Beach at Machrie. From the car park 'Machrie Moor 2' (3 Menhirs & 2 Millstones) is 2.1km away

Originally this Stone Circle had 7 or 8 Red Sandstone Menhirs. Now only 3 remain standing. The tallest of which is 4.9m high

Excavations by J.Bryce in 1861 uncovered a Cist (90cm long, 55cm wide and 65cm deep) in the centre of the circle, containing an inhumation, and accompanied by an Irish tripartite bowl, and four Flint Flakes.
A second smaller Cist was found not far from the Menhir in the NE arc, but he didn't find anything inside it.

There are two millstones, of a different rock type to the other stones, in the south-east arc, and look to be from a later date.

*Getting There ; Get the '322 bus' to Blackwaterfoot from the Ferry terminal at Brodick. It takes approx 45 minutes.
From Blackwaterfoot you can go directly to the Moor by following the A841 road which is a 5.5km walk (It took me about an hour on the way back)

Or you can take the scenic route which is 8.5km. The long way follow's the beach to Drumadoon Point, and then onto the Doon Hillfort, after exploring the Fort you walk along the beach path to Kings Caves (These part's of the journey are covered in log visits for these sites)

From the Caves you can go along the shore to Machrie Bay (which would have been shorter) but instead l followed the trail path up Torr Righ Mor (137m) and around the Pine forests on Torr Righ Beag (109m) until l reached to visitors car park. From here it's a 15 minute walk to the visitors car park at Machrie Moor.
This is the 8th site you encounter when coming from the car park.

Machrie Moor 10

Trip No.6  Date Added: 4th Jul 2019
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Scotland (Isle of Arran)
Visited: Yes on 9th Aug 2018. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: MM10 : MM 10 : This is the FIRST site you encounter when heading East from the Beach at Machrie. From the car park 'Machrie Moor 10' (Moss Farm Cairn Circle) is 760m away

Remains of a 19m diameter Bronze Age Cairn and Stone Circle.

In 1861 the Cairn was completely encircled with with 70~100cm high Menhirs.
The Cairn has been robbed of much of it stones, and the outer kerb now consists only of 6 upright stones, with several now lying on their sides, and covered in grass.

The Cairn and Stone Circle may be destroyed, compared to it's original state, but the site still retains a special aura.

*Getting There ; Get the '322 bus' to Blackwaterfoot from the Ferry terminal at Brodick. It takes approx 45 minutes.
From Blackwaterfoot you can go directly to the Moor by following the A841 road which is a 5.5km walk (It took me about an hour on the way back)

Or you can take the scenic route which is 8.5km. The long way follow's the beach to Drumadoon Point, and then onto the Doon Hillfort, after exploring the Fort you walk along the beach path to Kings Caves (These part's of the journey are covered in log visits for these sites)

From the Caves you can go along the shore to Machrie Bay (which would have been shorter) but instead l followed the trail path up Torr Righ Mor (137m) and around the Pine forests on Torr Righ Beag (109m) until l reached to visitors car park. From here it's a 15 minute walk to the visitors car park at Machrie Moor.
This is the 1st site you encounter when coming from the car park.

Machrie Moor 1.

Trip No.6  Date Added: 4th Jul 2019
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Scotland (Isle of Arran)
Visited: Yes on 9th Aug 2018. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: MM1 : This is the NINTH site you encounter when heading East from the Beach at Machrie. From the car park 'Machrie Moor 1' (6 Granite & 5 Sandstone) is 2.16km away

Originally this Stone Circle (ellipse) had 6 Granite Boulders alternating with 6 small Sandstone Menhirs (A Sandstone Menhir on the Northern arc is now only a stump)

It roughly measure's 13m in diameter and is only about 25m away from MM11.

Cremated remains were found in an off-centre pit, along with a Bone Needle, Flint Knife and covered by an inverted Urn.
A.Burl made the discovery in 1979 of Timber post holes, which predated the placement of the stones.

*Getting There ; Get the '322 bus' to Blackwaterfoot from the Ferry terminal at Brodick. It takes approx 45 minutes.
From Blackwaterfoot you can go directly to the Moor by following the A841 road which is a 5.5km walk (It took me about an hour on the way back)

Or you can take the scenic route which is 8.5km. The long way follow's the beach to Drumadoon Point, and then onto the Doon Hillfort, after exploring the Fort you walk along the beach path to Kings Caves (These part's of the journey are covered in log visits for these sites)

From the Caves you can go along the shore to Machrie Bay (which would have been shorter) but instead l followed the trail path up Torr Righ Mor (137m) and around the Pine forests on Torr Righ Beag (109m) until l reached to visitors car park. From here it's a 15 minute walk to the visitors car park at Machrie Moor.
This is the 9th site you encounter when coming from the car park.