Site Name
(A/D) |
Site Type |
Country
(A/D) |
County/ Region |
Visited?
(A/D) |
Date
(A/D) |
Cond |
Amb |
Acc |
Comments |
Trip Number
(A/D) |
Trip Order |
| Grannie Stane |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
Scotland |
North Ayrshire |
Visited |
2nd Sep 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙚, 𝙄𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙚, 𝘼𝙮𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙚
Thought to be the remnants of an ancient Stone Circle that once existed in the area. In 1895 four of the stones from the circle were apparently removed and used during the construction of a weir further downstream, public outcry saved the last stone which was also the largest stone, and it grew to be known locally as the 'Granny Stane'. The new weir caused the water levels of the River Irvine to rise and subm...𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙚, 𝙄𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙚, 𝘼𝙮𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙚
Thought to be the remnants of an ancient Stone Circle that once existed in the area. In 1895 four of the stones from the circle were apparently removed and used during the construction of a weir further downstream, public outcry saved the last stone which was also the largest stone, and it grew to be known locally as the 'Granny Stane'. The new weir caused the water levels of the River Irvine to rise and submerge most of the stone, leaving only the top 12” visible above the surface. A nearby plaque at St. Inan's Holy Well call's this stone “One of Irvine's prehistoric puzzles”.
The Granny Stane once served an important role in the annual Marymass celebrations held every August in Irvine. The Carters Society's would twice encircle the stone before heading out to the Moors. This tradition was done to commemorate the crossing of the River Irvine by 'William Wallace' in 1297 on his way to fight the English at knadgerhill. This would suggest that the stone stood on dry land or at least in very shallow water if the Carters were able to walk around it, which would have been possible before the weir was built in 1895. It's now situated in the shadows of the Rivergate Bridge, 5m from the SW bank and 35m from the NE bank.
If a Stone Circle did once exist here, then it would have obviously had to have been built on dry land. Various maps shown in 'John Strawthorn's' 1982 book: The History of Irvine, show how much the Ayrshire coastline and course of the River Irvine has changed in the last two millennia. 1,000 years ago the River Irvine ran a different course entirely and didn't pass anywhere near where the Granny Stane is now located, it entered the sea further south near Warrix. Some believe before the river changed course that the area on the NE bank of the river (next to Saint Inan's Holy Well) was once a lush holm that was the original location of the stone circle. As there are little written records I guess it's destined to remain “One of Irvine's prehistoric puzzles”.
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| Carman Hill cairn |
Chambered Cairn |
Scotland |
West Dunbartonshire |
Visited |
22nd Apr 2019 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
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 o...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)
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11 |
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| Carman Hill Fort |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
West Dunbartonshire |
Visited |
22nd Apr 2019 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
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)
...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.
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11 |
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| Castle Hill Fort (Largs) |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
North Ayrshire |
Visited |
4th Jul 2018 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Castle Hill Fort: Situated 183m above sea level, from a defensive point of view l can see why this place was choosen by our Iron Age ancestors. The inhabitants would have seen any sea invaders hours before they could arrive at the Hillfort.
Not much of the Hillfort remains, you can see the ditch remains to the South, and the entrance near the NE corner sloping down to a sort of level plateau, were a hut circle once stood. Once on site you can ...Castle Hill Fort: Situated 183m above sea level, from a defensive point of view l can see why this place was choosen by our Iron Age ancestors. The inhabitants would have seen any sea invaders hours before they could arrive at the Hillfort.
Not much of the Hillfort remains, you can see the ditch remains to the South, and the entrance near the NE corner sloping down to a sort of level plateau, were a hut circle once stood. Once on site you can see the basic shape of the Fort, and it isnt hard to imagine what it may have looked like in it's prime.
Looking out across the Firth of Clyde, the views are spectacular, with great views of Arran to the West, and the silhouette of the Arrochar Alps behind Cowal to the North. This Spot has a very special feel to it.
4.25km away to the NNW, is another Iron Age Hillfort - Knock Hill Fort. Would they have been in operation at the same time? (Perhaps related or allied to the tribe on Castle Hill Fort?)
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5 |
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| Granny Kempock Standing Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
29th Jun 2018 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
Kempock Menhir: This 1.8m Menhir sits perched on the very edge of a 10m cliff, and has been dated to approx 2,000BC.
The Menhir is a Mica-Schist, and although not exact, it has a rough alignment to the cardinal points. The North Face has a head like protrusion, and just below this is a small triangular wave like carving near the top of the North face. It also has an unusual hole near the base on the Eastern face.
It would have been quite a...Kempock Menhir: This 1.8m Menhir sits perched on the very edge of a 10m cliff, and has been dated to approx 2,000BC.
The Menhir is a Mica-Schist, and although not exact, it has a rough alignment to the cardinal points. The North Face has a head like protrusion, and just below this is a small triangular wave like carving near the top of the North face. It also has an unusual hole near the base on the Eastern face.
It would have been quite a sight 4,000 years ago, with the Menhir standing alone at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the Firth of the Clyde. You can go between the houses at the bottom of the cliff to get a view of the Menhir from below.
Site visits ;
1. 29/06/18
2. 20/08/18
3. 21/06/19
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4 |
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| Barlogan Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
10th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
Barlogan Cairn :
A medium sized Stone Cairn on the slopes below North Barlogan Woods.
I first spotted the Cairn from the edge of the golf course as l made my way along it, and even from over 300m away l could see the Cairn stand out against the green hillside, a herd of Cows where sleeping in the next field.
As l got to the end of the golf course l tried to look for a way down the hillside, on the way in an adjacent field to the North of...Barlogan Cairn :
A medium sized Stone Cairn on the slopes below North Barlogan Woods.
I first spotted the Cairn from the edge of the golf course as l made my way along it, and even from over 300m away l could see the Cairn stand out against the green hillside, a herd of Cows where sleeping in the next field.
As l got to the end of the golf course l tried to look for a way down the hillside, on the way in an adjacent field to the North of the Cairn, l spotted a large boulder to my left (Looking East) so before l went to the Cairn l went over to have a look, on the way l noticed another stone, a lot smaller, but it seemed to line up with the big one from the direction l was walking, so l took my compass out and while they didn't exactly align E~W, it wasn't far off it.
When l got to the large boulder l then seen another marker stone to the South, again when l checked this was off by roughly the same amount of degrees (Pole shift?)
The 3 rocks formed markers of an almost perfect right angle triangle.
So the large boulder aligns N~S with a smaller boulder to the South, AND aligns E~W with another small boulder to the West. Until this point l had never thought of only using 3 rocks to mark the Cardinal Points, having always used 4 before. Clever.
I left these boulders and headed to a small Burn at the Northern edge of the field, as l entered the field all the Cows stood up in an instant, even though l was about 175m away from them, l noticed the gate between the fields was open, so l slowly made my way up towards the Cairn.
As l made my way to the Cairn the Cows all came to the fence to look at me, and they all started heading for the gate, l picked up my pace. I was only halfway across the field, when they started charging towards me, and down to where l had just entered from, so l couldn't turn back. I ran and they chased me up to the top of the Cairn, l had nowhere else to go, the cows surrounded me, l counted 18 and then noticed they weren't cows at all, they were young Bullocks. I was trapped up the top of a Cairn surrounded by Bulls for about 15 minutes. Not knowing what to do, l couldn't do anything but wait it out. Eventually they seen l meant no harm, and after walking around the Cairn and sizing me up the largest Bull started slowly heading off in the opposite direction from which they had came, and the rest eventually followed.
Once l had time to look at the Cairn and measure and document it l was really impressed, l didn't know what to expect beforehand but what remains are quite impressive, and even though it started raining the placement of the Cairn in this surrounding landscape is really peaceful and has a tranquil feel to it. There no no sound apart from nature, the only civilisation you can see are the golf course and a few distant farmhouses, apart from that you are all alone, with cliffs behind you, and a wooded hill in front of you, to West and East is relatively flat land.
When it started raining l headed up to the small cliffs at the top Barlogan Woods, l saw a tree in a gap that would provide shelter, on my way l passed a large boulder. Once up at the gap in the cliff waiting out the rain, it looked like this part of the cliff had been quarried, possibly the source of the two large boulders in the two fields, and maybe even the stone used for the Cairn itself. On the way back down l stood in front of the large boulder (Which is 90m away) and like the triangle formation in the next field, this almost lined up N~S perfectly, only out by the same few degrees the other stones were) So if you were standing at the Cairn looking up at the large boulder you would be facing South.
The rocks used to build the Cairn look really weathered and ancient, on the SW part a large number of stones look to have been removed at some point in the last decade or so, it is very noticeable when looking North, but you wouldn't see it if you were facing South.
The Cairn itself is built at the bottom edge of a natural rocky ridge on the hillside, and from the Northern side of the Cairn it is about 1.5m or so high, but as you go around to the Southern side it only appears to be 1m high, due to the slope of the hill.
The site has a very old feeling to it, and l didn't really want to leave. While visiting Barlogan l was fortunate enough to watch a Buzzard fly overhead for 5 minutes or so as it scanned the land below. I spent just over an hour there, enchanted by the Cairn and my surroundings, only leaving because the rain started up again.
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| Haylie |
Chambered Cairn |
Scotland |
North Ayrshire |
Visited |
4th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
A solitary chamber is all that remains of this Cairn in the coastal town of Largs. It has been classified as a Clyde-Type Cairn, as described in the 1979 book: 'Introduction to British Prehistory' by Megaw and Simpson.
It's situated at the foot of a steep hill, in what is now a fenced off field and it has been carbon dated to 3,000 BC. The Cairn is roughly aligned to the cardinal points, with the opening/entrance facing East. Castle Hill Fort ...A solitary chamber is all that remains of this Cairn in the coastal town of Largs. It has been classified as a Clyde-Type Cairn, as described in the 1979 book: 'Introduction to British Prehistory' by Megaw and Simpson.
It's situated at the foot of a steep hill, in what is now a fenced off field and it has been carbon dated to 3,000 BC. The Cairn is roughly aligned to the cardinal points, with the opening/entrance facing East. Castle Hill Fort is about a 20 minute hike up the hill.
One source I read said there was originally 5 stone chambers, but the official source states it only had 3, when visiting the site I tend to lean towards 3 based on the size of the remaining chamber, but I am not ruling out 5. The original Cairn, known then as 'Margaret's Law' measured 2m x 7m. It was first excavated by William Wilson in 1772, when a reported 1,500 cart-loads of stone & rubble were removed from the top of the Cairn.
Inside the stone chambers, were 10 human skulls, bones, urns and flint knives. The remaining chamber has a large capstone that measures about 2.5m x 1.8m.
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5 |
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| Dun Donald |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
South Ayrshire |
Visited |
30th Nov 2019 |
2 |
|
4 |
Dun Donald : |
24 |
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| Sourlie Hill |
Modern Stone Circle etc |
Scotland |
North Ayrshire |
Visited |
30th Nov 2019 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
Sourlie Hill Menhirs : |
23 |
|
| Eglinton Park |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
North Ayrshire |
Visited |
26th Oct 2019 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
Eglinton Park Settlement : |
22 |
|
| Lawthorn Mount |
Barrow Cemetery |
Scotland |
North Ayrshire |
Visited |
30th Sep 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Lawthorn Mount : |
21 |
|
| Loch Winnoch Crannog |
Crannog |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
24th Aug 2019 |
-1 |
3 |
5 |
Loch Winnoch Crannog :
No visible remains of the Crannog to be seen above the water level |
20 |
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| Broom Cist |
Cist |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
25th Jul 2019 |
-1 |
2 |
3 |
Broom Cists :
|
19 |
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| Lawmarnock Cup Marks |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
25th Jul 2019 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
Lawmarnock Cup Marks :
|
19 |
|
| Back O' Hill Farm Cup Marked Stone |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
25th Jul 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Back o' Hill Cup Marks :
|
19 |
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| Houston Tumulus |
Barrow Cemetery |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
25th Jul 2019 |
-1 |
3 |
4 |
Houston Tumulus :
|
19 |
|
| Houston South Mound |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
25th Jul 2019 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
Houston South Mound :
|
19 |
|
| Broomfields Menhir |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
North Ayrshire |
Visited |
12th Jul 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Broomfields Menhir :
A large Sandstone Menhir on the beachfront at Largs.
*Getting there ; Less than 10 minutes from the train, bus or ferry.
Exit the train station onto Gogo Street and walk West towards the beach, turn left and cross the bridge over Gogo Water and walk along Mackerston Place passing a putting green on your right. After 225m turn left up Charles Street then right down Broomfield Place, which changes to Broomfield Cresce...Broomfields Menhir :
A large Sandstone Menhir on the beachfront at Largs.
*Getting there ; Less than 10 minutes from the train, bus or ferry.
Exit the train station onto Gogo Street and walk West towards the beach, turn left and cross the bridge over Gogo Water and walk along Mackerston Place passing a putting green on your right. After 225m turn left up Charles Street then right down Broomfield Place, which changes to Broomfield Crescent at the juntion with John Street. You can't miss the Menhir.
From the ferry & bus stop you just follow the coastal path South. (800m from train station + 950m from ferry terminal and bus stop)
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| Hunterian Museum |
Museum |
Scotland |
North Lanarkshire |
Visited |
3rd Jul 2019 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
Hunterian :
A small collection of Prehistoric Artefacts. Of particular interest are :
°13 PETROSPHERES (Largest collection in the world of carved Neolithic Petrospheres)
°10 NEOLITHIC AXEHEADS & HAMMERS
°3 TANGED ARROWHEADS
°2 COLLARED CINERARY URNS
There is no Archaeological information on display at these items, (Like when and where they were found) and as a whole the displays could be presented a little better. The Petrospheres ar...Hunterian :
A small collection of Prehistoric Artefacts. Of particular interest are :
°13 PETROSPHERES (Largest collection in the world of carved Neolithic Petrospheres)
°10 NEOLITHIC AXEHEADS & HAMMERS
°3 TANGED ARROWHEADS
°2 COLLARED CINERARY URNS
There is no Archaeological information on display at these items, (Like when and where they were found) and as a whole the displays could be presented a little better. The Petrospheres are especially significant and deserve a whole display to themselves instead of being lumped in with non related items. Their historical rarity and significance should be highlighted.
As well as these prehistoric artefacts the Hunterian also houses a nice Mineral & Gemstome collection on the same floor.
*Getting There ; Just over a 5 minute walk from Kelvinhall Subway station.
Come out the station and turn left, walk along Dumbarton Road for 330m and you'll come to an entrance archway to the University of Glasgow (Which is an entrance to the Hunterian Museum) the road name changes to Argyle Street here. Walk up through the archway into a 'Maze' of streets and turns following the tourists (It is VERY BADLY signposted - it's like they don't want you to find it) until you find the entrance to the museum.
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| Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery |
Museum |
Scotland |
North Lanarkshire |
Visited |
3rd Jul 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Kelvingrove :
An interesting collection of Neolithic & Bronze Age Artefacts. Of particular interest are the :
°OAK LOG BOAT ; Found at the Loch Glashan Crannog (1960)
°4m OAK LADDER ; Found at the Dumbuck Crannog (1898)
°CARVED CIST COVER ; Found in Argyll
°CUP & RING MARKED ROCKS ; Found in Bluebell Wood, Langside
°NEOLITHIC PETROSPHERES ; Found in Aberdeenshire
°CINERARY URNS ; Found in Knocken Hill, Lesmahagow
°NEOLITHIC AXEHEAD...Kelvingrove :
An interesting collection of Neolithic & Bronze Age Artefacts. Of particular interest are the :
°OAK LOG BOAT ; Found at the Loch Glashan Crannog (1960)
°4m OAK LADDER ; Found at the Dumbuck Crannog (1898)
°CARVED CIST COVER ; Found in Argyll
°CUP & RING MARKED ROCKS ; Found in Bluebell Wood, Langside
°NEOLITHIC PETROSPHERES ; Found in Aberdeenshire
°CINERARY URNS ; Found in Knocken Hill, Lesmahagow
°NEOLITHIC AXEHEADS ; Found in various places
°BRONZE AGE WEAPONRY ; Found in various places
*Getting There ; Just over a 5 minute walk from Kelvinhall Subway station.
Come out the station and turn left, walk along Dumbarton Road passing an entrance to the Hunterian Museum on your left after 330m, the road name changes to Argyle Street here. Keep walking along Argyle Street over the River Kelvin and the front entrance to the Kelvingrove Museum is about another 330m walk.
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| The Govan Stones |
Museum |
Scotland |
North Lanarkshire |
Visited |
3rd Jul 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
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...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.
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| Goat Craig 9 |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
10th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
Goat Craig Cup Marks 9 :
Cup Mark site under review ; more information coming soon.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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 m...Goat Craig Cup Marks 9 :
Cup Mark site under review ; more information coming soon.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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, from here its about an hours walk.
Keep on walking along the Old Largs Road for about 45 minutes and you'll pass the Gryffe reservoir, another 10 minutes and you'll arrive at Goat Craigs, follow the road around, passing the small sandy beach bit on your right. Keep heading in the direction of the island on Loch Thom and when you get to the turn in the road, turn and face the moors, you will see a low lying rocky outcrop, 7 Cup Marked Rocks were identified in this area.
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| Goat Craig 8 |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
10th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
Goat Craig Cup Marks 8 :
Cup Mark site under review ; more information coming soon.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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 ...Goat Craig Cup Marks 8 :
Cup Mark site under review ; more information coming soon.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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, from here its about an hours walk.
Keep on walking along the Old Largs Road for about 45 minutes and you'll pass the Gryffe reservoir, another 10 minutes and you'll arrive at Goat Craigs, follow the road around, passing the small sandy beach bit on your right. Keep heading in the direction of the island on Loch Thom and when you get to the turn in the road, turn and face the moors, you will see a low lying rocky outcrop, 7 Cup Marked Rocks were identified in this area.
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16 |
|
| Goat Craig 7 |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
10th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
Goat Craig Cup Marks 7 :
Cup Mark site under review ; more information coming soon.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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 ...Goat Craig Cup Marks 7 :
Cup Mark site under review ; more information coming soon.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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, from here its about an hours walk.
Keep on walking along the Old Largs Road for about 45 minutes and you'll pass the Gryffe reservoir, another 10 minutes and you'll arrive at Goat Craigs, follow the road around, passing the small sandy beach bit on your right. Keep heading in the direction of the island on Loch Thom and follow the turn in the road for about a minute, look for ruined wall remains ruuning up along the moor, this is the area the Cup Marked Rock was identified.
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16 |
|
| Goat Craig 6 |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
10th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
Goat Craig Cup Marks 6 :
Cup Mark site under review ; more information coming soon.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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 ...Goat Craig Cup Marks 6 :
Cup Mark site under review ; more information coming soon.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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, from here its about an hours walk.
Keep on walking along the Old Largs Road for about 45 minutes and you'll pass the Gryffe reservoir, another 10 minutes and you'll arrive at Goat Craigs, follow the road around, passing the small sandy beach bit on your right. Keep heading in the direction of the island on Loch Thom and when you get to the turn in the road, turn and face the moors, you will see a low lying rocky outcrop, 7 Cup Marked Rocks were identified in this area.
Read More |
16 |
|
| Goat Craig 5 |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
10th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
Goat Craig Cup Marks 5 :
Cup Mark site under review ; more information coming soon.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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 ...Goat Craig Cup Marks 5 :
Cup Mark site under review ; more information coming soon.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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, from here its about an hours walk.
Keep on walking along the Old Largs Road for about 45 minutes and you'll pass the Gryffe reservoir, another 10 minutes and you'll arrive at Goat Craigs, follow the road around, passing the small sandy beach bit on your right. Keep heading in the direction of the island on Loch Thom and when you get to the turn in the road, turn and face the moors, you will see a low lying rocky outcrop, 7 Cup Marked Rocks were identified in this area.
Read More |
16 |
|
| Goat Craig 4 |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
10th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
Goat Craig Cup Marks 4 :
Cup Mark site under review ; more information coming soon.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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 ...Goat Craig Cup Marks 4 :
Cup Mark site under review ; more information coming soon.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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, from here its about an hours walk.
Keep on walking along the Old Largs Road for about 45 minutes and you'll pass the Gryffe reservoir, another 10 minutes and you'll arrive at Goat Craigs, follow the road around, passing the small sandy beach bit on your right. Keep heading in the direction of the island on Loch Thom and when you get to the turn in the road, turn and face the moors, you will see a low lying rocky outcrop, 7 Cup Marked Rocks were identified in this area.
Read More |
16 |
|
| Goat Craig 3 |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
10th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
Goat Craig Cup Marks 3 :
Cup Mark site under review ; more information coming soon.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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 ...Goat Craig Cup Marks 3 :
Cup Mark site under review ; more information coming soon.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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, from here its about an hours walk.
Keep on walking along the Old Largs Road for about 45 minutes and you'll pass the Gryffe reservoir, another 10 minutes and you'll arrive at Goat Craigs, follow the road around, passing the small sandy beach bit on your right. Keep heading in the direction of the island on Loch Thom and when you get to the turn in the road, turn and face the moors, you will see a low lying rocky outcrop, 7 Cup Marked Rocks were identified in this area.
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16 |
|
| Goat Craigs Cairn (Loch Thom) |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
10th Jun 2019 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
Goat Craigs Cairn :
Goat Craigs Cairn doesn't seem to have changed much in the 63 years since it was first documented.
It is hard to spot at first, as most of the remaining stones are now turf covered. The mound is circular in shape, with an oval shaped hollow in the centre.
The oval hollow is divided into two separate chambers and is now filled with tall Grasses with a few boulders are scattered around.
The shape of the Cairn gets eas...Goat Craigs Cairn :
Goat Craigs Cairn doesn't seem to have changed much in the 63 years since it was first documented.
It is hard to spot at first, as most of the remaining stones are now turf covered. The mound is circular in shape, with an oval shaped hollow in the centre.
The oval hollow is divided into two separate chambers and is now filled with tall Grasses with a few boulders are scattered around.
The shape of the Cairn gets easier to discern when moving around it, being easier to see against the horizon the lower to the ground you are.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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, from here its about an hours walk.
Keep on walking along the Old Largs Road for about 45 minutes and you'll pass the Gryffe reservoir, another 10 minutes and you'll arrive at Goat Craigs, follow the road around until you reach the small sandy beach bit. Turn and face South, and head up onto the moor, it is about 5 minutes from the road.
Look for a quite a large rocky outcrop and the Cairn is right in front of this.
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16 |
|
| Goat Craig 2 |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
10th Jun 2019 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
Goat Craig Cup Marks 2 :
After spending an hour looking for Goat Craig '1', I only searched for these for 15 minutes, but due to not being able to locate 'GC1' I also found it difficult to locate Goat Craigs '2'.
Goat Craig is horrible terrain to walk over, it is uneven, rocky, boggy marsh, which makes it time consuming to navigate.
I think I now know roughly where 'GC2' are and will hopefully locate them on my next visit.
*Getting th...Goat Craig Cup Marks 2 :
After spending an hour looking for Goat Craig '1', I only searched for these for 15 minutes, but due to not being able to locate 'GC1' I also found it difficult to locate Goat Craigs '2'.
Goat Craig is horrible terrain to walk over, it is uneven, rocky, boggy marsh, which makes it time consuming to navigate.
I think I now know roughly where 'GC2' are and will hopefully locate them on my next visit.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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,from here its about an hours walk.
Keep on walking along the Old Largs Road for about 45 minutes and you'll pass the Gryffe reservoir, another 10 minutes and you'll arrive at Goat Craigs, follow the road around until you reach the small sandy beach bit. The Cup Marked Rocks are recorded as being on the opposite side of the road from Goat Craig '1' Cup Marks.
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16 |
|
| Goat Craig 1 |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
10th Jun 2019 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
Goat Craig Cup Marks 1 :
I spent 1 hour looking for these Cup Marks. But had no luck.
I went up and down the full shoreline looking at every rock behind the wall, but couldn't find this rock with 5 Cup Marks on it.
There are several possible reasons why I had no luck ;
1. There were a few rocks completely covered in moss, and it may have been one of these rocks.
2. A large portion of the wall along the Loch has fallen down, and some o...Goat Craig Cup Marks 1 :
I spent 1 hour looking for these Cup Marks. But had no luck.
I went up and down the full shoreline looking at every rock behind the wall, but couldn't find this rock with 5 Cup Marks on it.
There are several possible reasons why I had no luck ;
1. There were a few rocks completely covered in moss, and it may have been one of these rocks.
2. A large portion of the wall along the Loch has fallen down, and some of the stones from this cover some of the natural rocks embedded into the ground.
3. It was discovered in 2007, a year we had high temperatures and low water levels. The guy who found it documented co-ordinates that placed the rock 'IN' Loch Thom. Perhaps during the low water levels of 2007 (When the Lochs edge would have been a few metres further in than usual) he actually found a rock in Loch Thom, at the waters edge - similar to the one he recorded at Daff reservoir.
*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours 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, from here its about an hours walk.
Keep on walking along the Old Largs Road for about 45 minutes and you'll pass the Gryffe reservoir, another 10 minutes and you'll arrive at Goat Craigs, follow the road around until you reach the small sandy beach bit. The Cup Marked Rock is recorded as being here.
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16 |
|
| Whitelees Moor Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
21st May 2019 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
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 beautif...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.
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15 |
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| Whitelees Moor 2 |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
21st May 2019 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
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 ...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.
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15 |
|
| Whitelees Moor 1 |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
21st May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
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...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.
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15 |
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| Whinhill Cup Marks |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
21st May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
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 putt...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)
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15 |
|
| Langbank Crannog (West) |
Crannog |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
17th May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Langbank Crannog (West) :
Today was the 2nd lowest tide of the year, so l wanted to get out and have a look at two of the Clyde Crannog's while the water levels were low.
Only 20m from the Southern Bank of the River Clyde (After the building of the motorway) are the remains of a Crannog nearly 30m in diameter.
Not much of it remains these days, at least not above surface level. As I approached I could see what is now a large pile of bould...Langbank Crannog (West) :
Today was the 2nd lowest tide of the year, so l wanted to get out and have a look at two of the Clyde Crannog's while the water levels were low.
Only 20m from the Southern Bank of the River Clyde (After the building of the motorway) are the remains of a Crannog nearly 30m in diameter.
Not much of it remains these days, at least not above surface level. As I approached I could see what is now a large pile of boulders and stones, covered in seaweed.
You could easily see it's basic circular shape, by the boulders poking out through the seaweed. I had a good look around, trying to detect well-defined Ring of Piles described in 1972, but could only find one, on the Western arc of the Crannog. And I found that by accident when I was photographing a Crab, I saw a small bit of wood poking out through a bit of seaweed, when I removed it there was a solitary, small stumpy pile poking out of the mud. It was about 10cm tall.
I spent just under an hour at the Crannog, going around it many times, looking for more piles amongst the seaweed covered rocks. Near the edge of the Crannog, on the Western side I saw a bit of bit of wood, 1m long and wedged between some rocks, at first I got excited as I thought it might be a part of a log or beam with some relation to the Crannog, but when I picked it up I realised it couldn't have been 2,000 years old, the wood was too new, there was no darkening of the wood that is usually seen with ancient wood that has been buried under water.
I placed the small log in the position I found it, which was near the 10cm Pile I saw on the outer perimeter. A few metres North of the main pile of stones were 2 other bit of wood driven into the mud, 1 is about 30cm and the other about 90cm. I do not think these two bits of wood have anything to do with the Crannog but could be wrong.
Even though there isn't much there I didn't really want to leave. I stayed until I noticed the tide was starting to turn, so although the Sun had came back out I had to go.
This is 1 of 5 River Clyde Crannog's.
*Getting There ; From Langbank train station it is only 650m away (5 min walk)
If coming from Langbank Crannog (East) it is a 2.8km walk, taking about a half hour.
Come out the train station and turn left, walk West along Main Road (B789) for 425m and you'll soon come to a curve in the road on your right hand side. The Greenock Road (A8) should be on your right. Find a gap in the bushes and climb the fence.
You'll now have to cross the A8 dual carriageway, l was there when there wasn't much traffic so crossing was easy, but it can be busy at times. Once across make your way down the embankment and head West along the shoreline for 150m and your there.
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14 |
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| Langbank Crannog (East) |
Crannog |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
17th May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Langbank Crannog (East) :
Today was the 2nd lowest tide of the year, so l wanted to get out and have a look at two of the Clyde Crannog's while the water levels were low.
About 100m from the Southern Bank of the River Clyde are the remains of a 30m+ diameter Crannog. Not much of it remains these days, at least not above surface level. I approached from the bank of the Clyde by walking up through the causeway remains. Once I got close I saw...Langbank Crannog (East) :
Today was the 2nd lowest tide of the year, so l wanted to get out and have a look at two of the Clyde Crannog's while the water levels were low.
About 100m from the Southern Bank of the River Clyde are the remains of a 30m+ diameter Crannog. Not much of it remains these days, at least not above surface level. I approached from the bank of the Clyde by walking up through the causeway remains. Once I got close I saw that is now a massive pile of stones and boulders, totally covered in seaweed.
You can see the basic oval shape it has, by the boulders poking out through the seaweed. I had a good look around, trying to detect some of the Timbers described in 1972, but they have either rotted away, or were under some of the seaweed (It would take a fast & efficient team to clear the Crannog remains of seaweed and review the site before the tide came back in)
I spent just over an hour at the Crannog, going around it many times, looking for. . . . .anything really, but saw nothing except rocks and seaweed.
As it was the lowest tide of the year so far I was able to walk out as far as 150m from the Southern bank of the river. I couldn't see the circular stone-edged pools that hold water on the North of the site that were reported, but did see one SW of the Crannog, lined with seaweed and filled with water.
I wanted to stay for longer and keep looking until I found something, but there wasn't long left before the tide was due to start coming back in, so I left and made my way to Langbank Crannog (West) which is about a 1/2 hour walk away.
This is 1 of 5 River Clyde Crannog's.
*Getting There ; From Langbank train station it is 2.25km away (25 min walk)
If coming from Langbank Crannog (West) it is a 2.8km walk, taking about a half hour.
Come out the train station and turn right, walk East along Main Road (B789) for 350m passing a roundabout on your left, keep walking another 575m and you'll soon come to a curve in the road going under the railway bridge on your right hand side.
At this point take the path on your left next to the Greenock Road (A8) and keep walking for 700m, you'll come to a bridge under the tracks as the A8 branches off a slip road ahead. When the official path next to the road ends and you have to walk up a path between the trees and continue East for 5 minutes, until you reach the roundabout going under the M8.
Take a left and walk North under the roundabout, heading towards the River. Walk to the end of the car park at West Ferry and down onto the river banks and your there.
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| Longhaugh Point Menhir |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
Longhaugh Menhir :
A fantastic little Menhir, well hidden in an enchanted forest by the Clyde.
Nestled between the tree's it took a good 5 minutes or so scrambling through Longhaugh Wood's to find it. I don't use GPS or anything, l look at a map and take my compass and go for the adventure, never giving up until l find what l went to see (The Larkfield Cup Marks being the only exception)
It is accurately aligned with a North and South f...Longhaugh Menhir :
A fantastic little Menhir, well hidden in an enchanted forest by the Clyde.
Nestled between the tree's it took a good 5 minutes or so scrambling through Longhaugh Wood's to find it. I don't use GPS or anything, l look at a map and take my compass and go for the adventure, never giving up until l find what l went to see (The Larkfield Cup Marks being the only exception)
It is accurately aligned with a North and South face, with the two edges pointing East and West. A large boulder lies about 10m in front of the North Face of the Standing Stone, possibly being an alignment of some sort.
I don't think it is on an artificial terrace, it looks more like the natural inclination of the gentle hillside sloping down towards the river bank. With only a country path cutting through the hill before the crop fields start.
I found that "F. Newall" & "A. Hallifax-Crawford's" assumption that more of the stone may be under ground level to be true. When they documented it's size in 1969 it was recorded as being approx 60cm x 60cm x 30cm. But when l seen it l noticed on the North side the soil has been eroded and the dimensions are now 95cm x 60cm x 30cm.
On the South face the soil level still remains high on the Western side, with about 60cm of the Menhir showing, sloping downwards with about 80cm showing on the Eastern side of the South Face. How big is this Menhir really? How much more is under all the build-up of soil and subsequent growth? If this was placed here thousands of years ago the natural soil erosion on the hill may have buried most of this Menhir with only the top of it showing. Just a thought.
The Grey Grit Menhir has layered banding, and veins of Quartz running through it, although most of it is covered in Moss.
It was a beautiful Sunny day, but the setting in the woods didn't allow much light in, giving off a magical feeling with the bluebells glowing as they caught the odd ray of light. I didn't want to leave but it was getting late so l reluctantly left, but it is a site l will be back to see again.
*Getting There ; From Bishopton train station it is approx 3.15km away (50 min walk)
Walk down Station Road for 80m and take a left up Gledstane Road, after 230m you'll come to Greenock Road. Head NE up Greenock Road for 770m and you'll come to Ferry Road (B815) on your right hand side. Take the Ferry Road (Crossing over the M8 after 0.5km) and you'll arrive at a turn off called Golf Road, go down this road.
Walk along Golf Road, passing the golf course, and you'll arrive at a crossroads with a farmhouse on your right after 725m. Turn left and head West for 700m, you will pass 3 stone walls dividing the fields, after the 3rd wall you'll arrive at a small thinning of the wood's. Look for a large Boulder in the vegetation near the path (Depending on the time of year this may be covered and wont be visible) the Standing Stone is about 10m behind this.
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| Erskine Park |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
Erskine Neolithic Park :
A large settlement spanning about 3km on the Southern Bank of the Clyde, where the River slowly starts to become the Firth of Clyde.
On this visit l had a look around the Western side of the settlement, down at the bay at Longhaugh Point, where Enclosures, Cropmarks and a Ring Ditch were located. Also found in this area was six Mesolithic Flint Blades, a Flint Arrowhead, Bronze Age Stone Hammer, Bronze Bracelet and...Erskine Neolithic Park :
A large settlement spanning about 3km on the Southern Bank of the Clyde, where the River slowly starts to become the Firth of Clyde.
On this visit l had a look around the Western side of the settlement, down at the bay at Longhaugh Point, where Enclosures, Cropmarks and a Ring Ditch were located. Also found in this area was six Mesolithic Flint Blades, a Flint Arrowhead, Bronze Age Stone Hammer, Bronze Bracelet and a Logboat among other prehistoric artefacts.
A small Menhir, aligned to the cardinal points is located less than 1km away.
I had a good look about the area, looking for more Cup & Ring Marked Rocks, getting up as far as the Big Wood that separates the two golf courses, but didn't find any this time. The area would have been a good spot for fishing or hunting, it is really peaceful and l didn't see a single soul except when passing the golf course.
*Getting There ; From Bishopton train station it is approx 3km away (45 min walk)
Walk down Station Road for 80m and take a left up Gledstane Road, after 230m you'll come to Greenock Road. Head NE up Greenock Road for 770m and you'll come to Ferry Road (B815) on your right hand side. Take the Ferry Road (Crossing over the M8 after 0.5km) and you'll arrive at a turn off called Golf Road, go down this road.
Walk along Golf Road, passing the golf course, and you'll arrive at a crossroads with a farmhouse on your right after 725m, go down past the house and you'll see a gate leading through the fields towards the river. Go through the gate and walk between the trees for 1/4km and you'll arrive at the bay at Longhaugh Point.
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| Bunston Knowe |
Modern Stone Circle etc |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
10th May 2019 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
Bunston Knowe :
The site is a lot bigger than l expected, due to being in private grounds of a hospital access was always limited. And from the aerial photographs it looked more like some sort of Henge, but as you can see it is actually some form of Earthworks.
I got the impression it was dug out ditches with raised banks, but it is more like some sort of Motte, on top of another Motte. Or possibly some sort of viewing platform. It actuall...Bunston Knowe :
The site is a lot bigger than l expected, due to being in private grounds of a hospital access was always limited. And from the aerial photographs it looked more like some sort of Henge, but as you can see it is actually some form of Earthworks.
I got the impression it was dug out ditches with raised banks, but it is more like some sort of Motte, on top of another Motte. Or possibly some sort of viewing platform. It actually looks like there used to be more than the current 2 layers, this is especially noticeable on the South and West sides, where the remains of 4 layers can be seen building up. The area surrounding the site has a massive embankment on it's Western perimeter, with a shallow depression separating it from Bunston Knowe.
Modern steps were built into the Earthworks around 1876 when the land was sold to build the Smithston Asylum.
On the Eastern side there is a shallow cutting through the turf running to the summit, which is about 2m high. Around the perimeter base it looks like there may possibly have been a ring of large boulders, which have now been removed.
The hospital was bulldozed in 2018 and is now a pile of rubble and the future of Bunston Knowe is uncertain, as plans were in place to turn the area into a housing scheme. I then read there are contamination issues at the site. I didn't know this before l went but l seem to be ok, bear it in mind though if you decide to go and have a look before this wonderful creation is destroyed forever.
*Getting There ; From Branchton train station it is approx 650m away (5 min walk)
It is a short walk from the train station, walk East along Inverkip Road for 475m passing Gleninver Road and then Neil Street across the street on your left, you'll soon come to a metal bridge on your right hand side, it goes over the railway tracks. Cross this and head South for a minute and you'll see Earthworks beyond the trees.
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| Bogle Stane |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
10th May 2019 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
Bogle Stane :
Quite large remains of a Glacial Erratic perched at the top of the Clune Brae.
At some time in the distant past there was an minister who lived in the area, and jealous of the lore and superstitions surrounding the Monolith, he sneakily arranged to have to stone blown up and carted off to be used to build some local dykes, with enough left over to make some curling stones.
You can clearly see where the gunpowder shattered the...Bogle Stane :
Quite large remains of a Glacial Erratic perched at the top of the Clune Brae.
At some time in the distant past there was an minister who lived in the area, and jealous of the lore and superstitions surrounding the Monolith, he sneakily arranged to have to stone blown up and carted off to be used to build some local dykes, with enough left over to make some curling stones.
You can clearly see where the gunpowder shattered the rock in pieces.
Said to have been nearly 4m tall before it was destroyed, it would have been seen for miles around, and was said to have been a local beauty and picnic spot back then, with fantastic views across the River Clyde of Ben Lomond 29km away.
The trackway from Kilmacolm to Port Glasgow used to run on the other side of the Bogle Stane, which is why it is sometimes (Incorrectly) said to have been 'moved' across the road.
It is stuck right beside a path and a road, across from a school that used to be called Boglestone School (Now called Newark after the Castle at the bottom of the Clune Brae) it has houses and shops surrounding it and the place is just chaos. The peaceful serenity this place once had is now long gone.
Having been here 10,000+ years, this stone probably played an important role throughout history, and must have been significant to all who lived here. Even today the old stone lends it's name to the local area, with the whole place now called Boglestone.
There is an unusual stonemasons mark on the Eastern face of the Erratic, nothing is recorded about who made it. There was at one time a plaque with a poem attached to the Bogle Stane, but this is now long gone.
*Getting There ; From Port Glasgow bus or train station it is approx 2km away (45 min walk)
Get the '531' bus to Boglestone from the town centre (The Bogle Stane has it's very own bus stop) at the top the Clune Brae, which is a steep hill 1.4km long.
The bus journey takes 5 minutes.
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| St Fillan's Holy Well (Kilallan) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
10th May 2019 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
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 C...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.
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| St Fillan's Seat (Kilallan) |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
10th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
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 ...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.
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| Lawfield Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
10th May 2019 |
-1 |
2 |
2 |
Lawfield Cairn :
Nothing at all to see of the old Cairn, nowadays it's just a walled off field next to a farmhouse. I went just to see the location, and get a feel for what the layout of the land is (And what it might have been like in the past)
Surrounded by pasture lands and low lying hills, if you removed the farmhouse out of the equation it would actually have been a quite nice setting for a Cairn.
Less than 1/2km away to the SW is a ...Lawfield Cairn :
Nothing at all to see of the old Cairn, nowadays it's just a walled off field next to a farmhouse. I went just to see the location, and get a feel for what the layout of the land is (And what it might have been like in the past)
Surrounded by pasture lands and low lying hills, if you removed the farmhouse out of the equation it would actually have been a quite nice setting for a Cairn.
Less than 1/2km away to the SW is a Cairn at Barlogan, was it possibly the same people who are responsible for the two of these Cairns? Or their descendants?
*Getting There ; From Kilmacolm it is approx 2.5km away (30 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 following the road for another 1km and you'll arrive at Lawfield, you'll see the farmhouse to your left, the site of the Cist was on the other side of the drystone wall. I just quickly jumped the wall and took a few pictures then left again, the farmer drove past me but didn't seem to mind.
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| Cameron Farm |
Chambered Cairn |
Scotland |
West Dunbartonshire |
Visited |
22nd Apr 2019 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
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 ...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.
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| Round Hill (Cameron home farm cairn) |
Cairn |
Scotland |
West Dunbartonshire |
Visited |
22nd Apr 2019 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
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 ...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.
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| High Craigenfeoch Rock Art |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
25th Mar 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Craigston Wood Cup & Ring Marks :
About 20m from the roadside, through the tree's is a special Sandstone outcrop. This outcrop contains carvings that are 3,500 ~ 4,000 years old.
When we approached it l was a little disappointed, we couldn't see any Cup or Ring markings, the whole outcrop was totally covered in moss & dead leaves.
I grabbed a broken branch from the ground and started clearing away leaves and vegetation from the surface, a...Craigston Wood Cup & Ring Marks :
About 20m from the roadside, through the tree's is a special Sandstone outcrop. This outcrop contains carvings that are 3,500 ~ 4,000 years old.
When we approached it l was a little disappointed, we couldn't see any Cup or Ring markings, the whole outcrop was totally covered in moss & dead leaves.
I grabbed a broken branch from the ground and started clearing away leaves and vegetation from the surface, and we started noticing a couple of Cup Marks, so we started scooping out the debris from the depressions, and noticed Rings around these Cups. We traced out the wavy gutters in a line of moss running from the Cup & Rings.
After much cleaning of leaves, moss and dirt, we had a rough shape of 3 Cup & Rings, forming a Triangular shape, all 3 were connected.
The one at the top right had a line connecting it to the one at the top left, which had a wavy line running downwards to the bottom Cup & Ring of the triangular arrangment, which in turn had a wavy groove running down to a crack in the rock. This crack in the rock seems to be natural, although it may have been deepened and widened by the creators of the Cup & Rings.
We noticed a Couple of likely Cup Marks above this triangular formation, so we cleaned them out and found these were also full Cup & Ring Marks. These must be the 5 as documented by J. Kirkwood in 1938 and by OS (WDJ) on 25 November 1964.
Previously Documented Records :
1. J. Kirkwood (1938) ; 5 Cup & Rings
2. OS 1:2500 (1964) ; 5 Cup & Rings
3. R.W.B Morris & D.C Baily in (1967) ; 4 Cup & Rings
4. OS 1:10000 (1973) ; No Mention
5. RCAMHMS (1985) ; No Mention
Site visits ;
1. 25/03/2019
2. 12/04/2019
*Getting There ; Around a 15~20 minute walk from Johnstone train station.
Come out the station and take a right onto Thorn Brae, walk East up Thorn Hill and take your third right down Kings Road. Walk up Kings Road for 440m and take a left when you reach Auchenlodment Road, follow this road for 470m until you reach the end of the housing.
Walk up the country road for 300m and you will come to a bend in the road, walk up the bend in the hill for a further 250m and you will see some trees to your right, this is Craigston Woods.
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| Craigston Wood Menhir |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
25th Mar 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Craigston Wood Menhir :
A massive Menhir in a clearing in Craigston Woods, surrounded by small cliff faces and boulders, it may have been an ancent quarry site.
This Menhir has a crack running the lenghth of it,and has a most unusual feel to it.
l found a few shells at the base of the Menhir, suggesting birds drop the shells onto the rock to smash them open and get the food inside.
It is about 2 or 3 minutes from the Cup & Ring Marks, ...Craigston Wood Menhir :
A massive Menhir in a clearing in Craigston Woods, surrounded by small cliff faces and boulders, it may have been an ancent quarry site.
This Menhir has a crack running the lenghth of it,and has a most unusual feel to it.
l found a few shells at the base of the Menhir, suggesting birds drop the shells onto the rock to smash them open and get the food inside.
It is about 2 or 3 minutes from the Cup & Ring Marks, in the same Woods.
When I spoke to an elderly couple walking their dog, they didn't know much about it, but told me it had been there for as long as they've lived there.
Site visits ;
1. 25/03/2019
2. 12/04/2019
*Getting There ; About a 20~25 minute walk from Johnstone train station.
Come out the station and take a right onto Thorn Brae, walk East up Thorn Hill and take your third right down Kings Road.
Walk up Kings Road for 440m and take a left when you reach Auchenlodment Road, follow this road for 470m until you reach the end of the housing.
Walk up the country road for 300m and you will come to a bend in the road, walk up the bend in the hill for a further 600m - you will see a carpark on the left handside of the road, across from this is an entrance path through the woods to the Menhir.
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10 |
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| Gleniffer Braes Menhirs |
Standing Stones |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
25th Mar 2019 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Gleniffer Brae Menhirs :
Approaching the wall surrounding the field l notice a lot of medium sized Menhirs that have been used in the farmers wall. These were more than likely something to do with the Gleniffer Brae Menhirs, which might possibly be Alignment Stones.
When drawing a straight line through the centre of the 2 Menhirs they line up with the centre of Dumbuck Crannog 14.2km away
Dumbuck Crannog (situated between the Volcanic Bas...Gleniffer Brae Menhirs :
Approaching the wall surrounding the field l notice a lot of medium sized Menhirs that have been used in the farmers wall. These were more than likely something to do with the Gleniffer Brae Menhirs, which might possibly be Alignment Stones.
When drawing a straight line through the centre of the 2 Menhirs they line up with the centre of Dumbuck Crannog 14.2km away
Dumbuck Crannog (situated between the Volcanic Basalt Plugs of Dumbarton Rock & Sheep Hill) is 1.4km from the settlement at Dun Bowie Hillfort, to the North.
The Dumbarton Rock settlement was only 1.6km downriver to the West, Sheep Hill Fort was 1.9km upriver to the East, and it is here that the substantial discovery of Greenland Cup & Ring Markings were found.
Where the people who aligned these Menhirs related to the Dumbuck/Dun Bowie community - Was it the same people who done both?
There was a Neolithic Settlement found on the South bank of the Clyde, as well as several Crannog remains discovered on the Southern bank of the River Clyde between Langbank and Erskine.
*Getting There ; From Paisley Gilmour Street train station, walk across the old County Square and onto Gilmour Street. Cross over onto St Mirren Street and get the Number 26 bus to Glenburn, get off on Gleniffer Road, at the Stanely Reservoir. From here its about a 1/2 hour walk.
From the reservoir you follow Gleniffer Road uphill for 2.3km. About 350m before the Menhirs you will pass a carpark on your left. You will have to climb a wire fence to enter the field, the area around the Menhirs can be boggy.
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| Barochan Cross |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Renfrewshire |
Visited |
25th Mar 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Barochan Celtic Cross :
The Cross is to the left when you walk through the main doors.
It has it's only little recess at the back of the Abbey. The Cross has carvings on all 4 sides, although most are worn away due to weathering.
It is a really impressive Celtic Cross, and it's position in the Abbey in front of the Wallace Window provides a nice peaceful setting for the cross.
*Getting There ; Only 400m from Paisley Gilmour Street trai...Barochan Celtic Cross :
The Cross is to the left when you walk through the main doors.
It has it's only little recess at the back of the Abbey. The Cross has carvings on all 4 sides, although most are worn away due to weathering.
It is a really impressive Celtic Cross, and it's position in the Abbey in front of the Wallace Window provides a nice peaceful setting for the cross.
*Getting There ; Only 400m from Paisley Gilmour Street train station.
Walk across the old County Square and onto Gilmour Street.
Take your first left onto Gauze Street and cross the bridge, take the first right into Abbey Close and the entrance is facing the White Cart Water.
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| Dumbarton Hilllfort |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
West Dunbartonshire |
Visited |
6th Oct 2018 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Alt Clut :
The Rock has been used since at least the Bronze age, and likely before, although due it's continued use for the last 2 millennia not many artifacts remain.
There is currently a small patch of land at the front of the Rock, suitable in the past for small time farming, but l don't know how long it has been like this for. The Rock itself, is surrounded on all sides by steep jagged cliffs, with defensive walls built on the South side...Alt Clut :
The Rock has been used since at least the Bronze age, and likely before, although due it's continued use for the last 2 millennia not many artifacts remain.
There is currently a small patch of land at the front of the Rock, suitable in the past for small time farming, but l don't know how long it has been like this for. The Rock itself, is surrounded on all sides by steep jagged cliffs, with defensive walls built on the South side of the Nether Bailey (lower settlement ; 9m) & Northside of the Over Bailey (upper settlement ; 44~64m)
The main entrance (which was used as a back gate during medieval times) is on the lower level 'Nether Bailey' and is 9m above sea level. Here is a small flat area which in the past would have been suitable for at least a handful of hut circles or similar type dwellings.
From here you climb around 50 or so stairs between a cleft that splits Dumbarton Rock into it's two parts ; the taller Western side named 'Tower Crag' (74m) & the Eastern 'Beak' (69m) and come out onto a flat Plateau about 44m above sea level.
This flat piece of land is about 80m x 15m, and halfway down it's length is a well, how long it has been here no one knows, but it has been there for at least 1,300 years.
A high cliff face provides protection from Westerly winds and this was the main settlement on the rock.
From the Over Bailey there is a small winding path up to more flat land and after more steps you arrive at the peak of the Beak which now houses a Cannon Powder Magazine, but in the past l can imagine this possibly being the spot where the Chieftain would have had his home as it is the prime location of Alt Clut.
Going back down to Over Bailey there are now steps connecting the Beak to the taller Tower Crag, which in all honesty is only good for being a lookout point, which is exactly what it was used for as far as we can tell.
You climb the steep steps (l dont envy our ancestor's trying to ascend this without the use of steps and a railing, they would have had to have climbed at first, then use ropes, then ladders and eventually hundreds of years later, these stairs)
Once at the top the views are stunning, you can see the Firth of Clyde and the Cowal Mountains to the West, Ben Lomond and the Highlands to the North and as far as Glasgow to the East. The abundance of hillforts in the local area would mean sending smoke signals between each hillfort would have been easy and a good way of warning neighbors of potential dangers.
The location of Carman Hillfort is visible 5.5km to the NE on Carman Hill, this is thought by some archaeologist's to have been a small Damnonii Oppidium during Roman occupation, and when the Romans left Caledonia, the descendant's of this Damnonii tribe re-took control over Alt Clut and became known to historians as Britons.
*Getting There ; Less than a fifteen minute walk from the train station.
Come out the train station onto the A814/Glasgow road and you'll see the Stags Head Pub across the street.
Cross over and walk West for 170m taking your 2nd left into Victoria St.
(Which changes name to Castle Road after the small roundabout halfway down the street) continue South for 840m and thats it. Really easy to get to. Entrance fee's apply but once in you can stay as long as you want.
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| Drybridge |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
North Ayrshire |
Visited |
3rd Sep 2018 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Drybridge Menhir :
This 2.6m tall Menhir is positioned near a bend in the River Irvine, and would have stood out immensely against the relatively flat landscape surrounding the site.
*Dundonald Cursus is 0.5km to the North, with the Mesolithic settlement at Dreghorn roughly 2km away
*Shewalton Moor Mesolithic settlement is 2.5km to the West
*A vitrified Bronze Age Hillfort on Dundonald Hill was located 2km to the South, with Kemp Law Dun...Drybridge Menhir :
This 2.6m tall Menhir is positioned near a bend in the River Irvine, and would have stood out immensely against the relatively flat landscape surrounding the site.
*Dundonald Cursus is 0.5km to the North, with the Mesolithic settlement at Dreghorn roughly 2km away
*Shewalton Moor Mesolithic settlement is 2.5km to the West
*A vitrified Bronze Age Hillfort on Dundonald Hill was located 2km to the South, with Kemp Law Dun nearly 3km away
So the whole was thriving for thousands of years before this Menhir was even erected. 4,000 years ago it would have been quite the sight
*Getting There ; You can walk or get the bus from Irvine to Dreghorn (Briton's oldest continuously inhabited village) and get off at Dundonald Road. From here it is around a half hour walk.
Follow the road South and walk under the A71 overpass onto Dreghorn Road. Follow this road for 20 or so minutes and you pass the site of Dundonald Cursus in a field to your right.
Continue on for another 5 minutes and you will end up at the tiny Drybridge village. Drybridge Road changes name to Main Street and you will see Shewalton Road turning off to the right. Take this right and walk to the gate of the 1st field you encounter.
The Standing Stone is in now situated in a farmers field, with an old railway line running behind it to the South and houses to the East.
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| Torphichen Churchyard Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
25th Aug 2018 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
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 t...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.
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| Gormyre |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
25th Aug 2018 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
Gormyre Menhir :
Made of Red Grit Sandstone, the Menhir is small, only 1.2m tall, but it isnt the size thats important, it's the location that is. l tried to picture the landscape when this may have been placed here, l cant imagine too much having changed, apart from the flora perhaps, and maybe some dwellings have came and gone since then.
The location is nice and peaceful, from leaving Cairnpapple until reaching Torpichen l didn't encoun...Gormyre Menhir :
Made of Red Grit Sandstone, the Menhir is small, only 1.2m tall, but it isnt the size thats important, it's the location that is. l tried to picture the landscape when this may have been placed here, l cant imagine too much having changed, apart from the flora perhaps, and maybe some dwellings have came and gone since then.
The location is nice and peaceful, from leaving Cairnpapple until reaching Torpichen l didn't encounter a single person. Which was a walking time of nearly an hour. l was wondering if there was possibly more stones with this in the past, or if it had spent its days alone. Plain Menhir, but worth the visit and glad l came to see it.
From here Torpichen Preceptory Menhir is about a 20 minute walk away.
*Getting There ; Around a half hour walk from Cairnpapple, which is 2.2km away
(or a 1.6km walk if coming from the Torpichen Cup Marked Menhir)
Coming from Cairnpapple, go back out the main entrance onto the same country road that brings you from Knock Stone Circle, continue North until you come to a road and turn left. Walk down this road for a couple of minutes and take your next right. Walk North for about 475m and take your 2nd left down a long 450m+ tree lined country road, follow this to the end and take the sharp right, then left and you will come to a gated field.
You will see the Menhir standing against the horizon. Take the tractor path up to a gate in the field, and remember to be careful if the farmer has crops in when you visit.
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| Cairnpapple Hill |
Round Cairn |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
25th Aug 2018 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
Cairnpapple :
The site contains ;
*Neolithic Henge & Timber post holes
*Bronze Age Cists and Cairns
*Iron age burials
The main attraction is the Cairn with burial Cists inside. What was once a solid Cairn packed tight with thousands of stones, and burial Cists in the centre, it is now empty and covered by a protective concrete dome, letting us walk amongst the burial chambers. To enter the Cairn you must climb stairs to the summit, turn...Cairnpapple :
The site contains ;
*Neolithic Henge & Timber post holes
*Bronze Age Cists and Cairns
*Iron age burials
The main attraction is the Cairn with burial Cists inside. What was once a solid Cairn packed tight with thousands of stones, and burial Cists in the centre, it is now empty and covered by a protective concrete dome, letting us walk amongst the burial chambers. To enter the Cairn you must climb stairs to the summit, turn around, and climb down backwards, as if going down a set of ladders. The Northern grave at the far end has a large Menhir standing at it's Western end. And the Southern Chamber still has a massive Cup Marked Capstone on top of it (Although it is propped open letting us see inside) It is an amazing restoration job they have done, and being alone in the tomb was special, connecting to the spirits of old.
Outside is a massive Henge encircling the whole area, between the Henge and Cairn are a series of 14 holes believed to be Timber Postholes, which are impressive in their own right in a strange sort of way, they are now lined with red chips to try and prevent weeds growing through. Between the holes in the East are 4 Graves, two of which are aligned East~West.
Surrounding the Cairn is a stone chipped area, surrounded by a massive Stone Circle, made using boulders instead of Menhirs, the guy in the hut told me a few of these rocks were supposedly magnetic, so l tested them all, and found 3 that had slight magnetism.
Between this Stone Circle and Cairn are another series of holes, the remains of 13 in all, but these ones are much larger than the ones on the grassy outer henge part.
It is a most peculiar site, there is something magical about it.
I spent 2 hours there, and watched many people come and go, most people stayed for 15 minutes or so, so even though it was really busy at point's, there were times l had the whole place to myself, which was great.
Highly recommended.
*Getting There ; Around an 1hr 15m walk from Bathgate train station, which is 5km away.
Coming from Knock Stone Circle, continue North on along the country road for 1.05km. There are no turns to take, just a couple of bends in the road, getting here is pretty straightforward.
Upon reaching the entrance gate you climb some step's and reach a field with cows & a Bull roaming around, the Bull l saw was massive.
At the top of the entrance steps, to the left are some scatteres boulders, it looks to me like they have been placed there, and may be another ancient site, as far as l know it hasnt been excavated/investigated yet.
Walk through the Cattle field and enter the Cairnpapple field, which is fenced of to stop the cows destroying the site. An entrance fee is paid at a small visitors hut, which houses some artifacts and the history of the site.
The guy l spoke to was very knowledgeable and friendly.
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| Knock Stone Circle |
Modern Stone Circle etc |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
25th Aug 2018 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
Knock Stone Circle :
The Knock Stone Circle has 50 stones, with 17 of them in the smaller circle (although an 18th one may have been moved and now laying in the centre next to the Dolmen)
Inside the inner circle is a mini Dolmen raised up off the grass by 3 tiny stones, and a small Menhir to the West of the Dolmen.
Outside the circle, around 60m to the NE, standing on a small ridge is a waist height Menhir, it has an unusual shape to it, re...Knock Stone Circle :
The Knock Stone Circle has 50 stones, with 17 of them in the smaller circle (although an 18th one may have been moved and now laying in the centre next to the Dolmen)
Inside the inner circle is a mini Dolmen raised up off the grass by 3 tiny stones, and a small Menhir to the West of the Dolmen.
Outside the circle, around 60m to the NE, standing on a small ridge is a waist height Menhir, it has an unusual shape to it, reminding me of a Cetacea of some sort.
The Mystery Stones ;
No one knows exactly when these stones got put up, there are several stories doing the rounds regarding them. The stones look old, but we are told they only got put up less than 25 years ago.
*Some sources say it was built in 1998 by the farmers son at Knock Farm as a surprise for his dads 50th - would his dad not have noticed this massive circle being built?
*Others have told me it was actually built in memory of his father when he passed away - it may be difficult to find out when he passed away.
*And lastly, the comment below suggests it wasn't built in 2006 when an artist was painting the area - why was he painting an empty, featureless field l wonder? could this painter be mistaken?
Is it possible some of these stones were there already and the farmers son rebuilt them? Or perhaps the NE Menhir was always there, No one really knows, and the farmers son has never been interviewed.
Whatever the case may be, the Stone Circle looks spectacular, especially on a Sunny day. I like the small Dolmen in the centre, it is a nice touch.
Definitely worth a look when on your way to Cairnpapple Henge & Cairn, which is visible from the Stone Circle.
*Getting There ; About an hour walk from Bathgate train station, which is 3.9km away.
Coming from the Gala Braes Menhir, continue North on along the country road for 1.6km. There are no turns to take, just a slight bend in the road, getting here is pretty straightforward.
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| Galabraes |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
25th Aug 2018 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Gala Braes Menhir :
A 1.6m tall Whinstone Menhir, situated on a ridge 160m above sea level.
It is approximately aligned to the cardinal points, and lies about 1.9km (as the Crow flies) to the South of Cairnpapple.
The Southern Face of the Menhir looks out over the low lying countryside, with Goatfell on Arran visible to the West on clear days.
A farmer called Mr Carlaw found human bones in 1902, when digging at the base of this stone...Gala Braes Menhir :
A 1.6m tall Whinstone Menhir, situated on a ridge 160m above sea level.
It is approximately aligned to the cardinal points, and lies about 1.9km (as the Crow flies) to the South of Cairnpapple.
The Southern Face of the Menhir looks out over the low lying countryside, with Goatfell on Arran visible to the West on clear days.
A farmer called Mr Carlaw found human bones in 1902, when digging at the base of this stone.
A second Menhir lies toppled at the edge of the field nearby, 70m to the West.
*Getting There ; Just over half an hour walk from Bathgate train station, which is 2.3km away.
Leave the train station and cross Edinburgh Road into Gordon Avenue, take the 2nd left onto Marjoribanks Street, take the 2nd right and follow Balbardie Road until the end, turn right when you come to Drumcross Road.
Walk up this hill for about 15/20 minutes (1.25km) until you come to Limeroad crossroads where you make a left, the Menhir is in the second field to your left, you cant miss it. You have to climb over a small wall to access the field, which sometimes has Cattle in it.
(The journey is all uphill once you come to Balbardie Road. And Drumcross Road is the steepest part)
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| Machrie Moor 6 |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Isle of Arran |
Visited |
9th Aug 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
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.
...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.
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| Machrie Moor 1. |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Isle of Arran |
Visited |
9th Aug 2018 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
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 o...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.
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6 |
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| Machrie Moor 2 |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Isle of Arran |
Visited |
9th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
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 accompanie...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.
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6 |
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| Machrie Moor 3 |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Isle of Arran |
Visited |
9th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
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...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.
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| Machrie Moor 4 |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Isle of Arran |
Visited |
9th Aug 2018 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
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 60c...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.
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6 |
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| Machrie Moor 5 |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Isle of Arran |
Visited |
9th Aug 2018 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
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...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.
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| Moss farm chambered cairn |
Chambered Cairn |
Scotland |
Isle of Arran |
Visited |
9th Aug 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
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 re...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.
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| Tormore 2 |
Chambered Cairn |
Scotland |
Isle of Arran |
Visited |
9th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
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...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.
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6 |
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| Moss Farm Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Isle of Arran |
Visited |
9th Aug 2018 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
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 no...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.
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6 |
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| Machrie Moor 10 |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Isle of Arran |
Visited |
9th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
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 the...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.
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| Kings Cave |
Cave or Rock Shelter |
Scotland |
Isle of Arran |
Visited |
9th Aug 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Fionn's Cave :
Formed about 10,000 years ago after the end of the Younger Dryas, The Caves are situated below Torr Righ Mor (137m) on the West coast of Arran, halfway between Torbeg & Tormore. They look out onto the Kilbrannan Sound and across to the Kintyre Peninsula.
There are 3 caves next to each other, with the central one being the one tagged 'Kings Cave', although in the past it was known as 'Fionn's Cave' (Fingals Cave) after the my...Fionn's Cave :
Formed about 10,000 years ago after the end of the Younger Dryas, The Caves are situated below Torr Righ Mor (137m) on the West coast of Arran, halfway between Torbeg & Tormore. They look out onto the Kilbrannan Sound and across to the Kintyre Peninsula.
There are 3 caves next to each other, with the central one being the one tagged 'Kings Cave', although in the past it was known as 'Fionn's Cave' (Fingals Cave) after the mythical Irish hero - which would provide a connection with Fionn's Cauldron on Machrie Moor.
Occupied since ancient times, these deep caves would have provide adequate shelter and a good base for fishing and hunting for our Mesolithic ancestors. It has at least 1 Cup & Ring Mark, some Ogham Carvings, Viking Carvings and plenty more to discover on the walls of the Cave.
Not far from the Caves are documented Dinosaur footprints (1 of 3 sites on Arran)
*Getting There ; Coming from Doon Hillfort at Drumadoon Point, you can walk along the shore in front of the Forts cliff's, and then join the path, OR if coming from the Hillfort itself you will see a path leading down the slope's at the Northern end and joining a well worn path that takes you straight to the caves. (It is exactly 1.5km from the base of the cliffs to the caves)
Shortly after joining the path you will pass a small rocky area where people stack boulders on top of each other. After 15 minutes you pass a rocky part of the beach (when the tide is out) which contains dinosaur footprints. And after a further 5 minutes you will reach the caves.
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| Drumadoon Hillfort |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Isle of Arran |
Visited |
9th Aug 2018 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Drumadoon Hillfort :
The first thing that you see when approaching are the impressive Columnar Basalt Cliffs. You can climb the Hillfort form the South, behind the large geological dyke, or from the Eastern slopes, through lots of heavy vegetation.
The Hillfort has been inhabited since at least 3,000bc and some consider it to have been an Oppidium due to it's size and location. It has commanding 360° views.
On the Eastern side of the summ...Drumadoon Hillfort :
The first thing that you see when approaching are the impressive Columnar Basalt Cliffs. You can climb the Hillfort form the South, behind the large geological dyke, or from the Eastern slopes, through lots of heavy vegetation.
The Hillfort has been inhabited since at least 3,000bc and some consider it to have been an Oppidium due to it's size and location. It has commanding 360° views.
On the Eastern side of the summit stands a 1.5m high Menhir, and earlier reports mention the remains of a Souterrain, although the entrance to this is more than likely filled in with soil and vegetation debris and has not been seen in a long time.
It would have been quite the site 5,000 years ago, with a thriving community on top of the Hillfort, and all around the surrounding farmlands at the base of the Fort, and the nearby Kings Caves and Machrie Settlement's.
*Getting There ; Its about a 20 minute walk from the bus station at Blackwaterfoot
Cross the bridge and walk along the beach past the golf course to your right, continue on for 15 minutes until you hit Drumadoon Point and turn right.
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| Larkfield Moor |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
29th Jun 2018 |
-1 |
4 |
3 |
Larkfield Moor 1 :
Located about 100m above sea level, the view from Larkfield Moor is spectacular. Looking across the Clyde you have Kilcreggan on the Rosneath Peninsula, with the entrance to Loch Long to it's left, and the rugged peaks of the Arrochar Alps in the background.
To the back of the Moor near the factory is flat piece of land that is sheltered from the elements by a natural cliff face which provides protection and privacy.
It...Larkfield Moor 1 :
Located about 100m above sea level, the view from Larkfield Moor is spectacular. Looking across the Clyde you have Kilcreggan on the Rosneath Peninsula, with the entrance to Loch Long to it's left, and the rugged peaks of the Arrochar Alps in the background.
To the back of the Moor near the factory is flat piece of land that is sheltered from the elements by a natural cliff face which provides protection and privacy.
It would have been a great place for Neolithic People to have a tempoaray or permanent settlement.
This is one of 8 Cup Mark Sites found around the Larkfield Moor area so far (2 sites are on Earn Hill - above the cliffs in the main page photograph)
Site visits ;
1. 29/06/18
2. 21/06/19
*Getting There ; The moor is approx 2.5km from Gourock train station or 1.75km from McInroy's Point.
From the TRAIN station : Get to the Kempock Menhir, and from here it is just over a half hour walk through a maze of streets. Walk onto Bath Street and follow it onto Barhill Road, continue for 800m and then turn onto Victoria Road. From here take the first left up Golf Road and follow until the end of the road, take a quick left then right and you'll be on Cowal View, and 0.5km later you'll arrive at the golf course.
From the FERRY terminal : Walk Eastward along the Cloch Road for 1/2km until you see a turn in to your right. Walk up Cloch Brae and walk up the set of stairs cutting through the houses, you will come out on Turnberry Ave.
Walk Westward and take your first left, walk up Cowal View for 400m and you will reach the golf course.
Once at the golf course stick to the left hand side next to the Mile Burn. Walk up for about 5/10 minutes and it is somewhere around here the Rock Art was discovered.
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| Greenock Moors |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Inverclyde |
Visited |
30th May 2018 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
The Greenock Moors :
Documented on the Greenock Moors (So far) ;
*More than 30 Hut Circle sites
*25 Cairns
*32 Cup Mark sites (Including the 5 on Larkfield Moor)
*Neolithic & Bronze Age artefacts
Site visits ;
1. 30/05/18
2. 08/06/18
3. 30/03/19
4. 21/05/19
5. 10/06/19
Getting there ; There are lots of ways to get up onto the Moors, but the easiest way from Greenock is from Overton. Drumfrochar train station is 2 minutes from...The Greenock Moors :
Documented on the Greenock Moors (So far) ;
*More than 30 Hut Circle sites
*25 Cairns
*32 Cup Mark sites (Including the 5 on Larkfield Moor)
*Neolithic & Bronze Age artefacts
Site visits ;
1. 30/05/18
2. 08/06/18
3. 30/03/19
4. 21/05/19
5. 10/06/19
Getting there ; There are lots of ways to get up onto the Moors, but the easiest way from Greenock is from Overton. Drumfrochar train station is 2 minutes from the Old Largs Road, which takes you to the East side of Loch Thom, and if you continue on up the hill another few minutes you'll come to Overton Road, which takes you to the West side of the loch. The Old Largs Road route can be driven, the Overton Road way is for walking.
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3 |
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| Letterdeen |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Ireland (Republic of) |
Co. Galway |
Visited |
2nd Sep 2012 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
Letterdeen Menhir :
This 160cm tall Menhir sits on a patch of grass surrounded by salt marsh, at the edge of a small bay on the Atlantic Ocean. The Granite Menhir has 4 sides that are roughly aligned to the cardinal points.
This whole area is littered with Prehistoric sites (About 40 are documented within a 10km radius of this Menhir)
It would have been quite a sight around 4,000 years ago, with the Menhir overlooking a beautiful little f...Letterdeen Menhir :
This 160cm tall Menhir sits on a patch of grass surrounded by salt marsh, at the edge of a small bay on the Atlantic Ocean. The Granite Menhir has 4 sides that are roughly aligned to the cardinal points.
This whole area is littered with Prehistoric sites (About 40 are documented within a 10km radius of this Menhir)
It would have been quite a sight around 4,000 years ago, with the Menhir overlooking a beautiful little fishing bay with several islands, and Letterdeen Tomb a few hundred metres up the hill to the West.
*Getting There ; About an hours walk from Clifden Bus Stop (3.05km uphill)
Get off the bus and follow Market Street up to Main Street and turn right, walk along Main Street until you come to the petrol station and take a left up Westport Road (N59)
You have to follow this road for 2.45km (It is all uphill) You come to a small road turning left and running down to Streamstown Bay, once there you cant miss the Menhir.
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| Ballymacdermot |
Court Tomb |
Ireland (Northern) |
Co. Armagh |
Visited |
29th Apr 2011 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Cashla Court Tomb :
The "Place of Diarmaid's Son" ; 2km from Newry (as the crow flies)
Not far from the summit of BallymacDermot Mountain, lie the remains of a large Neolithic Court Tomb (3,500bc) what is left of them anyway (the British & American army thought it would be a good idea to test out their new tanks on top of the Tomb during WWII and wrecked most of it)
What remains is the semi-circular forecourt entrance, with some large u...Cashla Court Tomb :
The "Place of Diarmaid's Son" ; 2km from Newry (as the crow flies)
Not far from the summit of BallymacDermot Mountain, lie the remains of a large Neolithic Court Tomb (3,500bc) what is left of them anyway (the British & American army thought it would be a good idea to test out their new tanks on top of the Tomb during WWII and wrecked most of it)
What remains is the semi-circular forecourt entrance, with some large upright Menhirs still in place, this lead's into the 3 burial chambers, none of which have their capstone's anymore, but the site is still impressive.
Despite the destruction, this site still gives off a special aura, and l could feel & see why this would have been a sacred place for Neolithic inhabitants of the area.
On a Sunny day the view of the surrounding countryside with the Cooley & Mourne Mountains is beautiful, which is always a bonus.
*Getting There ; This is the only site l have visited where l was in a car so l dont have directions for this one. But it is really close to Newry town centre so shouldn't be hard for anyone to find. Due to the roads and elevation l would estimate it to be about a 45 minute walk from Newry.
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