Carman Hill cairn

Trip No.11  Date Added: 29th May 2022
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: Scotland (West Dunbartonshire)
Visited: Yes on 22nd Apr 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: Carman Hill Cairn: A decent sized Portal Menhir made from Gneiss, a small Basalt Standing Stone, and a small pile of boulders are all that remains of this Neolithic Clyde-Carlingford type Cairn, not far from the summit of Carman Hill.
Located about 142m above sea level, it is situated in what is now a fenced off livestock field, and has been dated to about 2,500~3,000bc.

As l approached from the North, coming from the HillFort at the summit of Carman Hill, l noticed a slight Silvery-Gold shimmer to the surface of the Menhir, Sol was getting ready to set over the Arrochar Alps to the West.
l recorded some measurements and directions, and noticed the Menhir has rough alignments to the cardinal points.
It is slightly triangular shaped, with the largest face oriented South, the other two sides face NE and NW, so where these three sides meet show rough alignment to E, N & W

An excavation in 1954 by "J.G. Scot" noted there was 2 Portal Stones and 2 Slab Stones making a sort of passage way that appeared to indicate a Burial Chamber. He measured the Cairn as being 4.5m long, and found 50 Quartz Pebbles and the butt of a broken, polished Greywacke Axehead inside.
By 1963 when OS visited the site they reported the Cairn had been greatly disturbed, by excavation(s) and tree removal (The Cairn once being at the Southern end of Walton Woods) and the shape of the Cairn was no longer traceable, and that was nearly 60 years ago.
Even now when l compare the current state of the site to photographs taken 5 years ago, there has been even more of a disturbance at the Cairn, with most the boulders now appearing to have been moved or displaced.

The most recent tree removal was unnecessary in my opinion, the photo from 1992, when it shows the Cairn with a tree on either side and a few bushes adds some atmosphere and character to what is now pretty much a bare field. The close proximity of the trees to the Cairn and the removal of it's roots probably destroyed much of the remaining shape of the Cairn, although to a trained eye you can see a slight resemblance and shape of what it might have been.

It would have been quite the sight 5,000 years ago though, with the now demolished Cairn enjoying spectacular views up and down the River Clyde.
While l was there l was lucky enough to experience the Sun setting behind the Mountains in the West. And it dawned on me how significant the positioning and alignment of the burial chamber was, roughly aligned WNW, it faces the Sun each evening as the Sun "Symbolically Dies" (The Sun sets against these Mountains in Cowal every day of the year)

Carman Hill Fort

Trip No.11  Date Added: 29th May 2022
Site Type: Hillfort Country: Scotland (West Dunbartonshire)
Visited: Yes on 22nd Apr 2019. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: Carman Hill Fort: A strategically well positioned Iron Age Hillfort with amazing 300° views (The view to the North is blocked by Overton Muir -288m)

I have had an interest in this site ever since l read about the possible 'King Arthur' connection after reading "William Scobie"s convincing article on the subject (Robert de Brus settled in the area 600+ years later, so perhaps the area has always been inhabited by leaders, chieftains or kings)
The Vale of Leven is a prime location, Carman Hillfort along with The Dumbarton Rock Settlement are thought to have been occupied by the Damnonii before Roman occupation, with their descendants later reclaiming Dumbarton Rock and making it the capital of their Kingdom ~ Alt Clut.

There is impressive stonework remaining on the HillFort, with several large Menhir sized stones lying on their side and partially covered by soil and grass. Were any of these ever erect as Standing Stones l wonder? Some of the large stones in the wall are an impressive size, especially on the lower Southern sections.
A field wall dividing the Fort in two seem to be the same type and age of stone found in the Fort, suggesting they have been taken at some time in the past to make fields on the hillside.

In 1863 the boulders suffered some damage, as recorded in the 1927 book 'The Old Vale and Its Memories' by "J.G.Temple" and "James Ferguson". Local youths from the Vale carried coals, wood and tar, and had a great bonfire which could be seen in many counties. The fire cracked the big rocks badly and the damage can still be seen today. In "Iain.C. Lees" 1933 book 'The Campsies and the Land of Lennox' - it states that local traditions consider the stones on the summit to be the supposed site of a 'Druid temple'.

Due to time constraints l didn't have time to investigate the numerous Hut Circle remains, l will do that next time l visit.
l would definitely recommend a visit to this site, it has never been excavated, so who knows what historical artefacts or remains lie under the surface.

Cameron Farm

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

Log Text: Cameron Wood Chambered Cairns (Loch Lomond) :

One of two Cairns in Cameron Farm Woods.
This one is a Neolithic Chambered Cairn that's situated in the middle of an active, modern forestry plantation.

The Long Cairn has a rough ESE-WNW alignment to it's shape, and used to measure 30m x 18m in 1845 when it was first documented, and even then the 'Statistical Account of Scotland' report that the covers of the Cists had been mostly removed or destroyed, indicating they were disturbed at a far earlier date.
Back then, and up until 1895, the Cairn was arranged in two rows of graves numbering between 20~25, and packed in on the North side by an immense quantity of small loose stones. During the 1845 investigation a selection of Bones and Stone Arrowheads were recovered from the graves.
Nowadays in it's current state, the site measures approx 20m x 10m. Sadly the Cairns are mostly destroyed and no care seems to be taken to preserve what is left of this ancient site.

After the trek up from the Round Hill Cairn in Cameron Woods, the first thing you see when approaching is a small 50cm square boulder (More of it is buried) next to a tree, and on the South face of the boulder are several large Cup Marks.
I have since read that there is 9 altogether, but l only spotted 3 definite ones, although l wasn't looking for them as l didn't know beforehand there was any at the site.
At first l couldn't see anything else, so after a short wander through the tree's l found an oval ditch, about 2m x 1m. At the SE end of the ditch was a solitary boulder visible through the growth, and possibly more small boulders running along the outer rim on the NE curve of the ditch.
A further walk through the tree's revealed the last remaining burial chamber, a small Cist measuring approx 150cm x 115cm. It had a large, thick block on the NE side, with nothing on the SW side, but there is a 20cm thick, flat boulder lying underneath a lot of moss and sawdust above the SW edge of the Cist.

It can be slippy, even on a dry sunny day. I scoured the area for any more remains, but difficult terrain and felled tree's all around didn't allow much more investigation. Set 140m above sea level, the Cairn is located near the edge of the Woods, next to Stoneymollan Muir (200m) if the tree's weren't there you would have spectacular views over Lower Loch Lomond. I recorded what l could, and then photographed the site from all directions. Due to the tree's and underfoot conditions l only spent an hour at this site.

*Getting There ; About 10~15mins (750m) from Cameron Wood Round Hill Cairn.
Or about 45~60minute walk from Balloch train station, which is 2.5km away.

Head SE from Cameron Wood Round Hill Cairn along the dirt track, it leads across the field into the trees, walk through these tree's into the next field, following the dirt path until you reach the next patch of tree's. You will see a small gate to your right, with a path leading up into the woods.
Take this path up through the woods for 200+ metres until you see Stoneymollan Muir behind the trees. Turn right and you should soon see the Cup Marked Boulder.

*From the train station 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 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 walk up Upper Stoneymollan Road for about 700m until you come to a farmhouse on your right. From here the Tarmac stops and the road becomes a dirt road.
Climb over the small gate and walk up the dirt road for 220m passing the first field, when you get to the second field, stop and turn right, you should be facing North, and looking at a row of trees at the far end of the field 200m away.
Go to these trees, once there cross the ditch and walk down Stoneymollan Muir (There should be trees to to your right, and straight ahead) until you come to the corner of the field/Cameron Woods. Venture into the woods, sticking close to Stoneymollan Muir side, and you should see the Cup Marked Boulder, walk NW and the Ditch remains are about 10m away, another 10m or so and you'll come to the Cist Remains.

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.