THEOLDSTONESOFSCOTLAND

AFieldGuidetoMegalithicandOtherPrehistoricSites

TheMegalithicPortalEditedbyAndyBurnham

THEOLDSTONESOFSCOTLAND

WheretostartwithScotland?FromwhatamountstoastonecircleshowroomatMachrieMooronArran in thesouthwest,up toOrkney in the farnorthwheresomeofBritain’smost spectacularprehistoric remains canbe found, there areamazing sites of all types up and down the country. Some settings areunexpected–Balfarg,oneofScotland’slargesthengemonuments–issituatedin the centre of a 1980s housing estate in Fife, while the stone circle ofCraighead Badentoy in Aberdeenshire is surrounded by huge industrialcontainers. If you don't have long, then the Isle ofArran orKilmartinValley(Argyll) are good choices, as both are reachable in a day from Glasgow andcontain awealth of prehistoricmonuments. If you have longer, then considervisiting Orkney orWestern Isles such as Lewis and Harris for world-famoussitesaswellashundredsoflesser-knowntreasures.

TheOldStonesofScotlandispartofaseriescoveringthemegalithicandotherprehistoric sitesofBritainand Ireland.Theseries ispublished togetherasTheOld Stones: A Field Guide to the Megalithic Sites of Britain and Ireland,availableasabookandanebook.

ContentsEditor’sIntroduction

Scotland

StoneCirclesJohnBarnatt

DowsingatCairnHolyAngieLake

HiddenEvidence:TheLochbrowProjectKirstyMillican

Top10UrbanPrehistorySitesKennethBrophy

TheLivesofStonesAnneTate

InvestigatingtheForteviotCeremonialLandscapeAndyBurnham

ArchaeoastronomyinWesternScotlandGailHigginbottom

CarvedStoneBallsJulieKearney

RecumbentStoneCirclesAdamWelfare

SkyscapeArchaeologyatTomnaverieLizHenty

WhatistheLunarStandstill?

VickyTuckman

TheSongoftheLowMoonGrahameGardner

ExcavationsattheNessofBrodgarAndyBurnham

AnEarlyNeolithicHouseatCataSandVickiCummings

Editor’sIntroductionAndyBurnham,founderandEditoroftheMegalithicPortal

Thisisthefirstbookwrittenbyandforprehistoricsiteenthusiasts.Itisatrulycollaborativeproject–justliketheMegalithicPortalwebsiteitself–thatbringstogetherphotographs,siteinformation,theoriesandexpertisefromthethousandsofpeoplethatuseandpostonthesite.FocusingonsitesfromtheNeolithicandBronze Age, this is the most comprehensive guide ever created to the bestancientplaces tovisit inBritainandIreland,offeringanup-to-date lookat thearchaeology, including many extraordinary discoveries and theories that havebeenfeaturedonthepagesoftheMegalithicPortalovertheyears,aswellasatasterofthemoremysterioussideofthings.

Just as the Portal is a collaborative effort, so no one person’s ideas ortheoriesaregivenmoreweightinthisbook.Instead,wecelebratetheadvancesin archaeological practice, theory, dating and analysis that have takenplace inthelast25years.Geophysics,excavationanddatingtechniqueshaveprogressedinthis time.Therehasalsobeenanincreasedrecognitionof theimportanceofaccepting non-academic viewpoints, whether from schoolchildren, communityvolunteersorsomeofthemoreleftfieldtheorists.Alternativewaysofexploringandappreciatingsitesandwider landscapes–previouslytherealmofaradicalfringe–havefilteredintothemainstream.Landscapearchaeologyhasinmanycasesaccepted– ifnotwholeheartedlyembraced–phenomenologyandmulti-sensory approaches, which anyone can try with an open mind and a bit ofpractice. Advances in technology offer new ways of experiencing sites, forexample throughaugmented reality thatmergesGIS (geographical informationsystem)landscapemodelswith3Dreconstructionsofstructures.

Recently, I've been rereading early 1990s editions of 3rd Stonemagazine,styled “for the new antiquarian”, the realm of ley hunters and earthmysteriesresearchers.Havewemovedonin25years?Ideasofalignmentsbetweensites,ofstoneshapesmatchingthelandscape,oftheimportanceofcolour,soundandexperiencingsitesindifferentframesofmindhavefilteredthroughtotheoreticalarchaeology,tobediscussedopenlyinpapersandatconferences–eveniftheydon’talwaysgetpast thegatekeepersofarchaeologybooksandmagazines forconsumptionbythe“generalpublic”.

AbouttheMegalithicPortalTheMegalithicPortal iscompletely independent,withnooutsidefundingsavefor what we can raise with a bit of advertising on the site, and now throughroyaltiesfromthisbook,allofwhicharebeingploughedbackintothedayto-dayrunningandfurtherdevelopmentof thewebsiteandourotherprojects.For thelast 10 years we have run as a membership society, similar to any otherarchaeology society, except with an international reach and outlook.We holdmeetings by phone conference and our society members hail from all overEurope,aswellasNorthAmerica,Australia,NewZealand,Japanandbeyond.

ArdlairrecumbentstonecircleCowsrepresentoneofthebiggestchallengesfacedbythemegalithenthusiast!

OneoftheinspirationsfortheMegalithicPortalwasmyownexperience,inthe1980sandearly1990s,ofreadingaboutsitesinbooksormagazinearticleswithnoaccuratelocationdetails.Evennow,articlesandpapersoftendon’tgiveproperlocationinformation.Istartedcompilinglinkstositesontheearlywebin

1996. People began to offer their own information and photos, and acollaborative project was born. TheMegalithic Portal was formed in 2001 tocontinuethisprocess.Muchofthesite’scontenthasbeencreatedbyagroupofseveralhundreddedicatedvolunteers,butthereisahugerangeininvolvement,from those sending in a couple of photos or sites, to people who havecontributedmorethan10,000ofthese.

AboutthisBookThisbookisnotjustmadeupofmyownfavouritesitesbuthasbeencompiledinacollaborativeway,justliketheMegalithicPortalitself.Contributionsintheformofarticles,whichappearthroughoutthebook,havecomeinfromscoresofwriters,fromarchaeologiststoalternativetheoriststokeensitevisitors.ManyofBritainandIreland’stopprehistorianshavekindlycontributedpiecesabouttheirresearch.

I have included opinions from a wide range of people who have originalwaystoapproachancientsites.WhileIdon’tpersonallygoalongwithalloftheideasproposed,Ifeelit’simportanttoatleastgivethemanairingandletyou,thereader,makeupyourownmind.Sometimes thinkingaboutaprobleminanewandcreativewaycanleadtounexpectedbreakthroughsandweshouldnotbeclosedmindedtodifferentwaysofexperiencingancientsites.

TheMegalithicPortalphotogallerycontains imagesfromseveral thousanddifferentcontributors.Eachphotohasavotingbuttonallowingvisitorsto“like”aspecificsite.Thisanonymousvotingdataprovidedthebasisofa longlist forsites to include in thebook, fromwhicha teamofMegalithicPortalmembersselectedthefinallistofsitestoincludeforeachregion.Withthevotingdatainmind,aswellastheirlocalknowledge,theteamidentifiedthevery“best”sitesandgavetheseastar rating.ThevotingdataalsoprovidedthebasisformostoftheTop10and15listsyouwillseethroughoutthebook.Afterallthis,weareconfident this is the most comprehensive and democratically selected list ofprehistoricsitesthathaseverbeenputinabooklikethis,groupedintoregionsforconvenientvisitingandbrowsing.

Sitedescriptionshavebeencompiled from the available sources, includingexcavation reportsandblogs fromallover thevariouscountriesand regions. Imust here send thanks to the various online national site databases: Canmore(Historic Environment Scotland), PastScape (Historic England), Coflein(Wales), the National Monuments Service Historic Environment Viewer(Republic of Ireland), theNorthern Ireland Sites andMonumentsRecord, andtheManxMuseum for their information and help,which has been invaluable.SomeoftheonlineentriesarequitecomplexandhardtointerpretsoIhopeourpithy summaries are helpful. Again, these entries have been checked andamendedbyMegalithicPortalmembersfromallovertheUKandIreland.Thevast majority of pictures in the book have been sent in byMegalithic Portalcontributors.Peoplehavebeensogenerouswiththeirphotos,takingtimetolookthrough theirpersonalarchives. Imageshavecomefrommembersasfarafield

asNewZealandandJapan.Ithasbeentrickytokeeptrackofexactlyhowmanysiteswe’veincluded–inthespiritofthe“countlessstones”offolklore,wekeptgetting different totals.However, I can confidently saywe feature over 1,000sites,withmore than600witha fullprofile,plus some400“Nearby” listings,coveringfivecountriesandnotforgettingtheIsleofMan!

Each site listing includes an eight-figure Ordnance Surveymap reference,and gives the OS papermap sheet the site is found on. For the UK themapsheets are: E – Explorer (orange); OL – Outdoor Leisure (yellow); L –Landranger (pink); andD for theDiscoverermaps ofNorthern Ireland. In theRepublic of Ireland, theD is forDiscoveryMap,whose numbering is sharedwiththeNorth.ForSatNavandGPSuserswealsogivelatitudeandlongitudelocationsforsites.

Wehavenotgivenfulldirectionstoeachsiteaswecouldfillupabookjustwiththese!TheMegalithicPortal(www.megalithic.co.uk)hasapageforeachoftheentriesinthisbook(directlylinkedfromtheebooks),whereyouwillfindmore information.Youcansearchbysitenameorbymapreferenceusing thebox at top left of anyMegalithic Portal page.We also have a great app thatallowsyoutosearchforsitesbynameoronamap.Eachpagelinkstovariousonlinemapservicesandsatelliteimages.LookonthewebpagesfortheNearbySiteslisttofindthemoreobscuresitesthatwecouldn’tfitin.Youwillalsofindvisitorcommentsandsourcereferencesat thebottomofeachsitepage. Ifyouknowanysourcesofinformationwedon’tcurrentlylistorhaveanycommentsaboutsitesfeaturedinthisbookoronthewebsite,pleasedosubmitthem.

TheMegalithic Portal includes a wide range of ancient sites, so I shouldmentionsomethatwehaven’thadspacetocoverinthisbook:IronAgefeatures,suchashillforts,brochsandsouterrains;PalaeolithicandMesolithicfindspotsandcamps;earlyChristiancrossesandotherearlymedievalsites;holywellsandsacredsprings;modernstonecircles;naturalfeaturesthatmayhavebeenreveredbyorinspiredprehistoricpeople.

As this is a “field guide” we have only included a very few (particularlyinteresting) siteswhere there is little or nothing to see on the ground. In factthere are many more lost sites that have been destroyed. The Raunds AreaProject in Northamptonshire, for example, found more than 20 vanishedmounds,barrows,avenuesandcausewayedenclosuresintheNenevalley,nearWellingborough.Welist theonesweknowaboutonthewebsiteandwelcomephotosof the surrounding landscape–even if therearenoprehistoric remainsstilltobeseen.Visitingsitesthatarenolongerthere,imaginingwhattheywerelikeorhowtheywereused,istrue“hardcore”sitevisitingandforthiswesaluteyou!

ForreasonsofspacewehavehadtolimitourselvestotheUK,IsleofManand Ireland.We haven’t included sites on the Channel Islands, as these havemoreincommonwiththesitesofFrance,andthat’ssomethingforanotherday.WedidoriginallylookatincludingpartsofcontinentalEuropebutfeltitwouldbeimpossibletodojusticetothemanythousandsofmegalithicsitesincountriessuchasGermany,Denmark,France,SpainandPortugal,andineasternEurope.TherearealsomanyancientsitesintheUSAandtherestoftheAmericas.Notforgetting India, China and … why am I trying to list them all? The Portalfeaturessitesfrom136countries–includingLiechtenstein,whichIrecentlyhadtoaddsooneofourcontributorscouldpostanentry.

SAFETYDo not rely purely on modern technology for navigation; always carry abackupmap and compass.Knowyour limits and take care around ancientmonuments, which can be dangerous places with unseen holes, cliffs andother pitfalls. Take a torch with you and suitable rations if trekking longdistances.Wearappropriatefootwearandclothing.In thisebookwehaveembeddeda link in the titleofeachmegalithicsite.These lead directly to the relevant pages on the Megalithic Portal webresource, so if youhave an Internet connectionyou can clickon these formoreinformationandphotosofeachsite.

HowtoGetInvolvedWehavetriedtoensuretheinformationinthisbookisasaccurateaspossible,but if you find any errors please do let us know so thatwe can update futureeditions.Wewouldalsolovetohearfromyouonthewebsite.AttheMegalithicPortalweaimtobeasoundingboardfordiscussion,aswellasarepositoryforaccurateandup-to-dateinformationonspecificsitesandmonuments–andallofthis requires constant input from our contributors. We strive to be fair toeveryone and create an atmosphere where views can be challenged anddisagreedwithconstructivelyandrespectfully.Wehave,forexample,aSacredSites and Megalithic Mysteries forum where we encourage discussion of allmannerofexperiencesandtheoriesrelatingtoancientsites.Justberespectfultoothers,evenifyoudisagreewiththeirideas,andyou’llbewelcome.

Alsoonthesiteisavisitlogfeature,whereyoucankeeparecordofalltheancientsitesyouhavevisited,alongwithyourcommentsandpersonalratingsasyougo.Thiscanbefoundontheright-handsideofeachsiteentry,alongwiththelinktosubmitphotosofyourown.

Thesedays,electronicdevicessuchassmartphonesareavailabletoall,andthese have changed the way we interact with the outdoors, whether withaugmentedreality,audioguides,geocaching,PokémonGoorsimplybeingabletoaccessinformationwhileonthemove.Academicpapersareincreasinglyputonlineandeventraditionalclosedjournalsaregettinginonthetheact,offeringfreetrialperiodsorcodestogetthroughtheirpaywalls.Manyarchaeologysitedatabasesarenowavailableonline.Butbetterlinkingofinformationsourcesisstillbadlyneededandthat’ssomethingthatwetrytodoattheMegalithicPortal.Officialsitedatabasescouldbebetteratcuratinglinks,andprojectsshouldplanfor the long-termavailability of their data. I have lost count of the number ofprojects that forget to renew theirweb addresses,while entire online archivesdisappear as researchers lose funding, move on or just go for a redesign.Keeping knowledge free and available amounts to the “archaeology of theinternet”. But to get off my soapbox, it’s amazing that this unprecedentedamountof information is available to everyone– it’s there tobemadeuseof.And don’t forget traditional libraries, archives and just getting out there to doyourownresearch.

CODEOFCONDUCTMuchdamageisdoneaccidentallybypeoplewhomeannoharm.Thinktwice,and don’t do anything which would cause degradation to the monument. For

more details on visiting sites, see theMegalithic Portal Charter, linked at thebottomofanypageonthewebsite.

•Checkaccess.Exclusionstothe“righttoroam”includeprivategardensandcultivatedfarmland(unlessonfootpathsorfieldmargins).

•Getpermissiontovisitsitesonprivateland.Thisisusuallygrantedifaskedforpolitely–manylandownersappreciatetheirsitesasmuchaswedo,butrepeatedunauthorizedvisitscouldleadtoaccessbeingdeniedtoall.

•Don’tclimbonthestonesoronrockart.oDon’ttrytoremovelichenordignearanancientsite.

•Don’tusewaxcandlesornightlightsinsidetombs.YoucangetveryeffectiveLEDcandlesthataremuchcleanerandsafer.

•Don’tlightfiresclosetosites.oDonotmove,markoralterthesiteinanyway,eventemporarily.

•Don’thidecachesimmediatelyinoraroundsitesorusemetaldetectors.•AnyartefactsfoundshouldbereportedtothelocalmuseumorviathePortableAntiquitiesScheme(finds.org.uk).

•Donotflydronesaroundancientsiteswithoutpermission–foraerialphotographytryakiteorlongpoleinstead.

•Allinall,pleaseberespectful,keepdogsundercontrolanddon’t“hog”themonumentforyourownrituals/purposesifthereareothersaround.

This book is testament to the passion for prehistoric sites held by somany.Everyone can play a part in adding to our knowledge of ancient sites, andanyone can put time into researching, finding, photographing,monitoring andtidying them. I canonly imaginewhat our stone-raising ancestorswould havemadeofpeopleallovertheworldcommunicatingandratherobsessingovertheireffortswithseeminglymagicalwritingdevices,5,000yearsintothefuture!It’sastrangebuthumblingthought.

For a free extra year’s membership of theMegalithic Portal Society (twoyearsforthepriceofone),goto:www.megalithic.co.uk/double

SCOTLAND

Top15StoneCircles&RowsinScotland1.Callanish1(Lewis)p.338

2.RingofBrodgar(Orkney)p.344

3.StonesofStenness(Orkney)p.345

4.EasterAquhorthies(Aberdeenshire)p.320

5.Tyrebagger(Aberdeenshire)p.320

6.MachrieMoor(Arran)p.260

7.Ballymeanoch(Argyll)p.297

8.Torhousekie(DumfriesandGalloway)p.266

9.BalnuaranofClava(Highland)p.325

10.Callanish3(Lewis)p.340

11.Tomnaverie(Aberdeenshire)p.317

12.LochBuie(Mull)p.306

13.LoanheadofDaviot(Aberdeenshire)p.322

14.MidmarKirk(Aberdeenshire)p.316

15.Sunhoney(Aberdeenshire)p.316

SouthwestScotlandIsleofArranAUCHENCARAltName:DruidStanding Stone | Nearest Village: Blackwaterfoot Map: NR 8905 3633 |Sheets:1E361L69|Lat:55.57482N|Long:5.34786W

Afantasticredsandstonestandingstone,furrywith lichen,verynarrow(about0.2m/9in thick) and some5m (16ft)high, tapering to apoint.A second stone,brokenand fallen, lies to the south,3.5m(11ft5in) longand1.5m(5ft)at thebase.Thetwomayhaveformedpartofasetting.FabulousviewsoverMachrieBay, andBeinnBharrain to thenorth.AubreyBurl suspectedMachrieMoor’slargeredsandstonepillarsmayhavecomefromhere.

“In2000BC,thestarArcturuswouldhaveappearedtoskimalongthetopofBeinnBharrain(virtuallyduenorth).”DavidSmyth

AUCHAGALLONStone Circle | Nearest Village: Blackwaterfoot Map: NR 8928 3464 |Sheets:E361L69|Lat:55.55979N|Long:5.3428W

Set in an archaeologically rich landscape, just over 2km (1¼ miles) fromMachrieMoor10,thisunusualmonumentoverlookingMachrieBayisringedbya14.5×13m(47ft6in×42ft7in)circleof15sandstoneblocksthatrangefrom0.5m(1½ft)to2.3m(7½ft)inheight.In1910anelderlylocal,oneMrSim,wasquotedasstatingthatwhenhewasyoung, thecentreof thecirclewasflatandfreeofstones,suggestingthecairnmighthavebeenaugmentedbymodernfieldclearance.

Nearby |AtNR8945 3363, 1 km (0.6miles) SSEofAuchagallon, is the1.5m(5ft)Machriewaterfootstandingstone.AtNR90843511,1.6km(1mile)ENEofAuchagallon,istheMachrieBurnstonecircle,afour-posterofgranitepillarseacharound0.6m(2ft)high.

StoneCirclesJohn Barnatt, recently retired as Survey Archaeologist for the PeakDistrict(NationalPark)

Some stone circles are impressive communal monuments where manypeoplehadahandintheirconstruction.Othersaresmallaffairsbuiltbylocal farminggroups,perhaps comprisingonly a fewextended families.Theywere built for over 1,000 years,mostly in the laterNeolithic andearlierBronzeAge,fromaround2500to1500BC.Theconstructionphasesof individual circles are notoriously hard to date, even after excavation.Materialissometimesrecoveredfromusethatspannedhundredsofyears,or from after themonument had been transformed into something verydifferentfromwhatwasoriginallyintended.

The stone circles we see today are only vestiges of what was oncethere, some no doubt destroyed before antiquarians were recordingancientsites.Weknowfromarchaeologicalexcavationsthatsomestoneringswereprecededbyothersbuiltintimber.Inothercasestimberringswereneverreplacedinstone–thesewereprobablycommonbutareoftennowhardtofind.Somesiteshavecentralcairnsorringcairnsthatwerefundamental to thedesign from theoutset,whileelsewhere small cairnswere added later as simple funerary structures. Commonly, circles areonly one element withinmonument complexes with a variety of stone,timberandearthenstructures.

In Wessex and southwest England there are large, regularly builtcircleswithcarefullyspacedstones.Thesestandincontrasttootherringswith irregularly spaced stones that are built to appear roughly circular.Some regions have circles with distinctive architecture, such as therecumbentstonecirclesofAberdeenshirewiththeir“altarstones”flankedby tall pillars, and theClava cairns further north,which feature a stonecircle surrounding a chambered cairn or ring cairn. Another particularform is the four-posters of eastern Scotland, with four stones set in acircleorsquare.OnDartmoor,thedistinctiveringsatthebusinessendofstonerowsstandoutfromthelargeropencirclesonthemoor.

Stone circleswere primarily built for the living as gathering places,probablyforceremonies related to theseasonsor to thecycleof life,orforcommuningwiththespiritsofplace.However,itisunlikelythateach

hadoneunchangingpurposethroughtime.

MACHRIEMOORMegalithicComplex|NearestVillage:BlackwaterfootMap:NR90063265|Sheets:E361L69|Lat:55.54225N|Long:5.32907W

Machrie Moor is a remarkable place. As well as beautiful views across toKintyrefromsomesites,andawonderfulsettingamidArran’shillsfortherest,ithassuchavarietyofmonumentsit’salmostlikeashowroomforstonecircles.Inadditiontothesixcircles(whichhadbeenprecededbytimbercirclesinthesame locations) and four chambered cairns (some uncertain), there are fieldsystems, roundcairnsandhut circles.The larger ancient landscape includesatleast a further five stone circles, three stones and one chambered cairnwithin5km(3miles).Forexample:atNR90313106,1.6km(1mile)SSEofMachrieMoor10, isTormore1chamberedcairn; atNR92443225,2.4km(1½miles)eastofMachrieMoor10, isShiskinestonecircle;atNR908351,2.6km(justover(1½miles)NNEofMachrieMoor10,isMachrieBurnstonecircle.

MACHRIEMOOR10AtNR90063265,thisisthefirstsiteyoureachasyoustarttotraversethemoor.Thiscomplexringcairnhasbeenquitebadlyrobbedforstoneanddamagedbyatrack,butisstillimpressive.Excavationin1978–9revealedthatitwasoriginallyenclosedbyacircleofsandstoneslabs,ofwhich five remain.Surrounding thecircleisastonybanksome3m(10ft)wideand0.7m(2ft3in)high.

MOSSFARMSTONEAfinestandingstoneatNR90643254,totheleftofthemaintrack,theMossFarmorMachrieStone is heavily grooved andweathered. It stands close to amodernmemorialboulder.

TORMORE2As you progress further along the path to the main part of the moor, thischamberedcairnisofftotheright,atNR90583237.It’sbadlydamagedbutthechamberisstillvisible,measuringaround3×0.9m(10×3ft)withafinepairofportalstonestothenortheast.

MACHRIEMOOR5At NR 9088 3235, overlooking the rest of the moor, is a wonderful pair ofconcentriccircles,madeofchunkygranitebouldersaround0.9m(3ft) to1.2m(4ft) high. Fingal’s Cauldron Seat (Suidhe Coire Fhionn) is the only namedmonumentintheMachrieMoorcomplex.Lookoutfortheholedstonewhere,itis said, the giant Fingal tethered his dog,Bran,while he cooked his tea in anenormouscauldronbalancedonthecirclestones.Theinnercircleofeightstonesis12m(39ft)indiameter,whiletheoutercircleof15stones(includingtheholedone)is18m(59ft)across.In1873JohnMcArthurrecordedthesuperstitionthattheholedstone“wasbelievedtocontainafairyorbrownie,whocouldonlybepropitiated by the pouring of milk through the hole bored in the side of thestone.”

MACHRIEMOOR3OncetherewereninestonesinthiscircleatNR91013245,butonlyone4.3m(14ft) giant remains. The broken stumps of several others can be seen, theirburiedtopsandotherstonesnowhiddenfromviewbeneaththesoil.

MACHRIEMOOR4Thisisafour-posterstonecircleatNR91003236,withgranitebouldersabout0.9m(3ft)high.AubreyBurlraisedthepossibilityofafifthstoneonceexistingat the northwest, which would havemade this a five-stone circle of the Irishtype.

MACHRIEMOOR2

AtNR91143242 is themost famousof theMachrieMoorcircles.Originallytherewereprobablysevenoreighttallstonesinthe13.7m(45ft)circle,butonlythree remain intact, great pillars ofweathered red sandstone, rising from3.7m(12ft)to4.9m(16ft)tall.Thestumpsofseveralotherscanalsobeseen,aswellastwomillstones,ofadifferenttypeofrock,tothesoutheast,whichmayhavebeenmadefromafallenupright.

MACHRIEMOOR1This 11-stone circle, at NR 9120 3240, has alternating sandstone and graniteboulders, five of the former and six of the latter. Angela Haggerty found thepost-holes of two pre-existing concentric timber circles here, set around ahorseshoe of five post-holes, the opening facing northwest. Just outside thisopening,post-holeswerefoundofafurther,smalltimbercirclethatmaypredatethemain timbercircles.Afurther, solitarypost-holewas found to thenorthofthestonecircle,betweenitandMachrieMoor6.

MACHRIEMOOR11

This circle, atNR91223242,wasmoreor less completely concealedbeneaththe peat, before being located by probing and uncovered by Aubrey Burl in1978–9 (he named it Machrie Moor 11). It’s the most easterly circle on themoor,with10small stones,allbutoneof sandstone, ina13.5×12.5m(44×41ft) ring.The tallest stone reaches1.2m (4ft).Betweeneach stone is apit orpost-hole; it isnot clear if the timbercirclewasputupbefore the stonesor iftheywerecontemporaneous.

MAP

TORRYLINChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:LaggMap:NR95522107|Sheets:E361L69|Lat:55.44071N|Long:5.23420W

ThiswasprobablyonceaClydecairnbutstonerobbingandtheadditionoffieldclearancestoneshavegreatlyobscuredtheoriginalshapeofthemound–it’snotevenpossibletosaywhethertherewasaforecourtorfaçade.Whatcanbeseentoday is agrassymoundwith some slabsof the chamberprotruding.The sideslabsoverlapeachotherwheretheymeetthetransverseslabs,adesignthatwasprobablyintendedtohelpsupporttheroof.Anexcavationin1900foundaflintknife,partofabowlandsomehumanremainshere.

“AnicesitelocatedashortwalkfromthevillageofLagg,alongawell-markedfootpathleadingtowardthecoast.”DrewParsons

LARGYBEGPOINTAltName:TheSailor’sGraveStoneCircle|NearestVillage:WhitingBayMap: NS 0536 2334 | Sheets: E361 L69 | Lat: 55.46505N | Long:5.080340W

Variously described as a stone circle and a stone setting, the two stones onLargybeg Point stand 3m (10ft) apart, apparently alignedwithHoly Island inWhiting Bay. One is 1m (3ft 3in) high, the second is about 1.3m (4ft 3in).There’salsothepossiblestumpofathirdstone,just0.1m(4in)high,whichmaybe natural. Aubrey Burl suggests these stones may be the remains of a four-poster.Apileofslabsclosetotheuprightsmaybetheremainsofacist.

GIANTS’GRAVESChamberedCairns|NearestVillage:WhitingBayMap:NS04302467|Sheets:E361L69|Lat:55.4766N|Long:5.09806W

Visitingnowit’shardtoimaginewhatthissitelookedlikebeforetheplantationwas harvested, and photographs from the early 21st century seem to showsomewhereelseentirely.Theclimbupisreasonablyhardgoingbutit’sworthitfor the sweeping views across to Holy Island, and if you go back via thewaterfallitmakesanexcellentcircularwalk.BothtombsarelongcairnsoftheClyde cairn type, and quite badly damaged,with the northern, larger tomb inbettercondition–it’seasiertoseethehornedforecourtleadingtothechamber.The fallen capstone features graffiti from the 19th century. Interestingly, thecairns are not aligned in the same direction – the northern tomb has a north–southaxisandthesoutherncairnisatrightanglestoit.Excavationstookplacein 1902,when arrowheads, pottery sherds and burnt bonewere found, and in1960.It’sbelievedinsomecasesthebodieswereexcarnated(leftouttobede-fleshed)beforeburial.

MONAMOREAltName:Meallach’sGraveChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:LamlashMap:NS01752889|Sheets:E361L69|Lat:55.51341N|Long:5.14139W

It’sapleasantclimbupthroughthewoodstogettothisClydecairn,highuponthehillwithgreatviewsofGoatFell.Thetombhasbeenseverelyrobbed,andtheremainingcairniscoveredwithlonggrassandbracken.Theportalstonesarequite impressive, and you can step down into the chamber, which has threecompartments and overlapping side panels. The capstones are missing.Excavations in 1961 revealed an impressive forecourt façade, about 8m (26ft)across, consisting of eight uprights set in a shallow curve linked by dry-stonewalling.Oneradiocarbonmeasurementdatedasampleofcharcoalfragmentsto3160BC. AOC Archaeology have scanned and modelled these cairns; see theMegalithicPortalwebpage.

LAMLASHAltName:BlairmoreGlenStoneCircle|NearestVillage:LamlashMap:NS01883342|Sheets:E361L69|Lat:55.55410N|Long:5.14258W

Youcanjustaboutseesomeofthestonesofthisfour-stonecirclefromtheroad,onceyouknowwheretolook.Toaccesstheminvolvesabitofafightthroughthe bracken and gorse. The four rounded boulders are large but low, reachingfrom0.5mto1.2m(1ft8into4ft).Acentralrock-cutcistwasopenedbyJamesBrycein1861andcontainedevidenceofcrematedremains.

GLENSHIELStoneRow|NearestTown:BrodickMap:NS00633744|Sheets:E361L69|Lat:55.58966N|Long:5.16529W

You can take a rather circuitouswalk to find these red sandstone uprights, orpass them on the (one-way) road out from Brodick Castle. The road dividesthem,with two(3.6m/11ft9inand2.3m/7ft6in tall) inonefieldand theother(2.5m/8ft 2in tall) across the road.A cist containing a food vesselwas foundalignedwiththestonesin1980.

Nearby|AtNS01003661,970m(over½mile)southeastofGlenShiel,istheStronachstandingstone,rightbythesideoftheroadoutofBrodick.

AtNS00303636,1.2km(¾mile)SSWofGlenShiel,isStronachRidge,wheresomebeautifulrockartishidden.

NORTHSANNOXFARMChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:SannoxMap:NS01114676|Sheets:E361L69|Lat:55.67347N|Long:5.16442W

Formanyyears thischamberedcairncroucheddamplyin theforest,greenandmossy. The harvesting of the plantation has dramatically changed the setting:now a post-apocalyptic vista of tree stumps has exposed themonument to thesunoncemore,andrevealedtheviewacrosstothesea.Thebadlydamagedcairnisaround17×14m(56ft×46ft),havingbeenploughedoveratoneend.Onechamberisclearlyvisible.Thereisasemi-circularplatformtothesoutheast.

Nearby|AtNS01424659,352m(1,155ft)ESEofNorthSannoxFarm,isadamagedlargechamberedcairnwithoneuprightremaining.You’llfindthisonefirst,asit’sclosetothecarpark.Thechamberedcairndescribedaboveisupthe

hill from this site. Go through the gate in the fence and head to the right upwhat’sleftofatwisting,hard-to-seeForestryCommissionpath.

At NS 0143 4578, in Mid Sannox village and visible from the road, isMidSannoxstandingstone,2.7m(8ft10in)tall.An18]63recordtellsthatadoublecircleoftallstandingstonesmayhaveexistedhereuntil1836.Just290m(945ft)ESEofhereisanothertallstone,SannoxBay,inaprivategarden.

DumfriesandGalloway

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DRUMTRODDANStoneRow|NearestVillage:PortWilliamMap:NX36454430|Sheets:E311L83|Lat:54.76691N|Long:4.54375W

Originally recorded in the 19th century as a row of four stones, three stonesremain today and only one of these is still standing. That one is impressive,however, at over 3m (10ft) tall; the two fallen stones are over 3m (10ft) and2.7m (9ft) long. Commanding views from here over Dumfries andGalloway,extendingacrosstheMacharstothewestandasfarastheGallowayHillstothenortheast.

Nearby |AroundNX36264474,478m(1,568ft)northwestof therow,arethe fine Drumtroddan cup-and-ring carvings. Protected by fencing, theseoutcropshaveatleast84cup-and-rings.Somecupshaveuptosixrings;othersareconnectedbygrooves.FourmoregroupsofmotifsareatNX36284472.Tothesouthwest,justinsideDrumtroddanPlantationatNX36194470,isapanelthatincludesacupwithfourrings.

TORHOUSEKIE Alt Names:Torhouse Stones, King Gauldus’sTombStoneCircle|NearestTown:WigtownMap:NX38255649|Sheets:E311L83|Lat:54.87696N|Long:4.52252W

In addition to the beautiful and very accessible stone circle at Torhousekie,whichstandsbesidetheB733ingentlyrollingfarmland,therearealsostandingstones,asecondstonecircle,astonerowandcairns,allwithina200m(656ft)radiusonthenortheastbankoftheRiverBladnoch.

STONECIRCLEThereare19roundedgranitebouldersinthecircleatNX38255649,gradedinheight,withthetallest,at1.4m(4ft9in),totheESE.Inthecentreofthecircleare three stones set in a line, which tradition says marks the tomb of KingGauldus.This legendaryruler is thought tobeCorbredII,describedinGeorgeBuchanan’s16th-centuryHistoryofScotlandasthekingwhofoughtagainsttheRomaninvaders.

STANDINGSTONESAtNX38205644,76m(249ft)WSWof theTorhousekie stonecircle, are theTorhousekie West standing stones with field-clearance rocks (uncertain)betweenthem.Bothappeartofacethestonecircle.

Nearby|Closetothecircleandvisiblefromit,ontheothersideoftheroadatNX38385651, is the little three-stone rowknownasTorhousekieEast orTorhouseEast.Asitissetonaslightlycurvingline,ithasbeensuggestedthesestonesmaybetheremainsofacircle.Curiously,whenthecentralstonefellandwasre-erectedin1995,archaeologicalinvestigationfoundapossiblepost-hole,indicatingthattheremayhaveoriginallybeenatimbersettinghere.AtNX38435610,southoftheB733andjustofftheapproachroadtoCunninghameFarm,isastandingstone.It’ssimilarinsizeandshapetothestonesofthecircle.Cattleareusuallykept in this field,whichcanmake itverymuddy; thestonecanbeviewed from the road. To complete this ancient landscape, there are also anumberofcairnscentredaroundNX38175665,alljustnorthoftheB733andnowveryruined.

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MIDGLENIRONChamberedCairns|NearestVillage:GlenluceMap:NX18676100|Sheets:E310L82|Lat:54.91069N|Long:4.83023W

MIDGLENIRON1Thischamberedlong(Clyde-type)cairnwasconstructedinmultiplephases.Thefirst, early Neolithic, phase saw the building of a small, oval cairn with achamberopeningfromthenorth.Asecondcairnwasthenaddedinfrontofthefirst.A third phase saw the construction of a façade of upright stones; a thirdchamberwasbuiltlaterallybetweenthetwoearliercairnswithitsentranceinthewest, giving the impression of a long, straight-sided mound with a concavenorth-facingentrance.IntheBronzeAge,ninecremationsinfuneraryurnswereplacedinthesoutheasternsideofthecairn.

MIDGLENIRON2AtNX18776093,122m(400ft)ESEofMidGleniron1,isasecondmultiphase,chamberedlongcairn:MidGleniron2.Onceafree-standingcairnwithasmallchamber opening towards the east, it was later incorporated into a long cairnwith a shallow forecourt at theSSWend. In its final form itmeasured 14.3m(47ft) in length and up to 12m (39ft) across, but now survives only as a lowmoundwiththeremainsofasix-stonefaçade.NeolithicpotteryandtoolsfoundduringtheexcavationofbothcairnscanbeseeninDumfriesMuseum.Anotherthreecairnscanbefoundwithinaradiusof100m,atNX18766092,NX18856100andNX18716092.

Nearby |AtNX1984 6441, some 3.6km (2¼miles)NNE fromGlenironand just off the SouthernUplandWay,Caves ofKilhern is an example of aBargrennan-typechamberedcairn(seepage268).Althoughbadlydamaged,thefourchambersareclearlyvisibleandoneretainsitscapstone.It’sabout33.5m(110ft)longandupto1.5m(5ft)tall,andstillimpressive.

LAGGANGARNStandingStones|NearestTown:Stranraer

Map:NX22237166|Sheets:E310L76|Lat:55.00765N|Long:4.78137W

Thesetwoprehistoricstandingstonesaresetclosetogetheronalowknollinaforestryclearingonthelong-distance,coast-to-coastSouthernUplandWay.Thesandstoneuprightsare1.9m(6ft2in)and1.6m(5ft2in)highrespectively,andboth stones have beenChristianizedwith 0.6–0.9m (2–3ft) Latin crosseswithincisedcrosslets in theanglesontheirwesternfaces, inastyleassociatedwiththe7th–9thcenturyAD. It’ssaidtherewereoriginally14stoneshere,ofwhichseven remained in 1873, the rest apparently reused as gateposts and lintels.Apillar13.5m(45ft)totheeastissaidtomarkthegraveofafarmerwhodaredtoremovesomeofthestones!

BARGRENNANWHITECAIRNAltName:GlentroolChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:GlentroolMap:NX35247836|Sheets:E318L77|Lat:55.07227N|Long:4.58199W

This chambered round cairn has given its name to the Bargrennan cairngroup(asopposedtothemorecommonClyde-typelongcairns),foundonlyinsouthwestScotland.Aboutadozen fit thisdescription, typicallywithmultiple,small, box-like chambers with passages set within round cairns. At presentundated,earlyBronzeAgereusehasbeenidentifiedatexcavatedsites.Nowsetin forestry plantation, theWhiteCairn is about 13.7m (45ft) across and up to1.4m (4ft 7in) tall. The chamber and south-facing entrance passage were leftopenafterexcavation;afirepitcontainingcrematedbonesandoakcharcoalwerealso found. The most recent excavation (2004–5) identified a kerb of stonesburied under the collapsed cairn. Check your map reference; there are otherWhiteCairnsaroundhere!

BORELANDChamberedCairn|NearestTown:NewtonStewartMap:NX40576900|Sheets:E319L83|Lat:54.98998N|Long:4.49342W

InaclearinginthewoodstothenorthofNewtonStewart,thisisagoodexampleofaClyde-typelongcairn.Robbedforroadbuildinginthe19thcentury–ithaslostits“horns”andpilesofstonespreparedforroadmetalcanstillbeseennexttothecairntoday–Borelandisnonethelessanimpressive,steep-sidedmoundofstonessome2m(6½ft)highand24.5m(80ft)long.It’sorientedonasoutheast–northwest axis,with the façade at the southeast end. Today, it is topped by amodernmarkercairn.

BAGBIEAltName:KirkmabreckMegalithicComplex|NearestVillage:CarsluithMap:NX49805640|Sheets:E311L83|Lat:54.87973N|Long:4.34272W

AtBagbie there is a cairn, a four-poster stone circle and a standing stone, allwithin around 200m (656ft). The cairn, at NX 4879 5640, is 13.5m (44½ft)

acrossand1.2m (3ft11in)high.Twouprightson its eastern side,witha thirdedgeslabtothenortheast,areprobablytheremainsofitskerb.Thefour-posterisatNX49815638, immediately to thenortheast,with threesmallstonesstillstanding.Another standing stone (pictured), 1.6m (5ft 3in) tall, is atNX49775620,200m(656ft)southofthecairn.

GLENQUICKEN Alt Names: Cambret Moor, Bill Diamond’sBridgeStoneCircle|NearestTown:CreetownMap: NX 5096 5821 | Sheets: E312 L83 | Lat: 54.896327N | Long:4.325583W

Thispicturesquestonecircle,withdramaticviewsnorthtowardCairnsmoreandtheMinnigaffHills,wasdescribedbyAubreyBurlas“thefinestofallcentre-stone circles”. The 28 low, boulder-like stones are set in a 15.5m (51ft) ringarounda centralgranitepillar, 1.6m (5ft 3in) tall.The tallest stones are in thesoutheastofthecircle,andagaptothesouthwestsuggestsamissing,29thstone.Thecentralareaiscobbled,althoughovergrownwithgrassandreeds.In1850,asecondstonecirclewasrecorded250m(820ft)tothenorthwest,butnotraceofthisisnowapparent.

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CAULDSIDEBURNStoneCircleandCairns|NearestVillage:AnwothMap:NX52955711|Sheets:E312L83|Lat:54.88703N|Long:4.29401W

The25m(82ft)stonecirclehas11remainingslabs;thelargestisonly1.2m(4ft)sotheycanbehardtofind.AslablyingatNX52985723,some100m(328ft)NNEofthecircle,maybeanoutlier.Under30m(98ft)NNWofthecircleisawell-preserved cairn with a cist at its centre. At NX 5291 5722, 85m (279ft)northwest of the cairn, is a setting of two stones, one upright and the otheralmost buried inpeat.Thenorthernmost cairn, atNX52905725, around30m(98ft) NNW of the stone setting, is now visible as a hummocky mound,surroundedbya low, stonybank.At itscentre isacist,partiallycoveredbyaslab.

Nearby | At NX 5285 5738, 288m (945ft) NNW of the Cauldside Burncircle,isthePennyStone.Theimpressiverockarthereincludesacup-and-ring

encircledbyasix-circuitspiral0.6m(2ft)across.

CAIRNHOLYAltNames:Kirkdale,Caldus’sTombChamberedCairns|NearestVillage:CarsluithMap:NX51765389|Sheets:E312L83|Lat:54.85777N|Long:4.31089W

Famously photogenic, Cairn Holy I and II are a dramatic pair of Clyde-typechamberedcairns,sethighonthehillside,withgreatviewsacrossWigtownBayonagoodday.

CAIRNHOLYIThis is the first monument you come to, its curving façade, with eightspectacularly tall, tooth-like stones, approachedvia a cairn thatmeasures43×10m(141×33ft).Thelargegrassymoundisimpressiveinitself,buttheimpactoftheportalsandhornedfaçadeisincredible.Thetombhastwochambers,theoneatthebacksealedoffwithalargeblockingstone,whichmayhavebeentheoriginal monument, with the second chamber, toweringly portal stones andcurvingfaçadeaddedlater.Anumberofimportantfindshereincludedpartofajadeiteaxe(nowintheRoyalMuseumofScotland),aswellasNeolithicpotteryandaleaf-shapedarrowhead.Alargeslabintheinnerchamberhasamultiringedcup-mark.

CAIRNHOLYIICarryonupthetrackabout150m(492ft)toNX51825405toseeCairnHolyII,whichislessdramaticbutonlybycomparison–atanyothersiteyou’dbeblownawaybythethrustingformofthelargestportalstone,andthebed-likecapstonenowexposedbytheerosionofearthcoveringthecairn.SimilarinplantoCairnHolyI,withasealed,innerchamberandasecond,probablyadditionalchamber,this tombis inamoredominantposition,onaraisedknoll. It’salsoknownasCaldus’sTomb,andisanothersitetraditionallybelievedtobethegraveofthemythicalScottishking.

Nearby |AtNX53955342,about2.2km(1¼miles)eastofCairnHoly,isHighAuchenlarie, thought to be the remains of a long cairn, the three largestandingstonesformingpartof itsfaçade.Morerecently ithasbeensuggestedthatthesearesimplytheremainsoftwofielddykes.However,thearrangementofthestonesinanelongatedovalaroundthecairnindicatesdifferently.

HIGHBANKSFARM

RockArt|NearestTown:KirkcudbrightMap:NX70914895|Sheets:E312L84|Lat:54.81871N|Long:4.01057W

This30m(98ft)rocksheetfeaturesunusualmarkings,withsomeringedcupssetinamassofsinglecupsthatcreateanappealing“dimpled”effect.CastsofthisremarkablerockaswellasothersnearbyareexhibitedintheStewartryMuseuminKircudbright.

Nearby | At NX 6424 4714, 6.9km (4¼ miles) west of High Banks, isClauchandolly1,afinerockartpaneldecoratedwiththreecup-and-ringmarksand an oval cartouche-like motif. At NX 6447 4722, 243m (979ft) ENE ofClauchandolly 1, isClauchandolly 8, with three cup-and-ringmotifs all in aline. There are several other panels to be explored in the same areawest andsouthwestoftheSmithy.

DowsingatCairnHoly

AngieLake

I dowsed Cairn Holy 1 and 2 for ceremonial movement in June 2002.Curiousastohowthesemonumentswereoriginallyused,in1999Ibeganto ask: “Please showme how the original builders moved during theirmostimportantceremoniesattheheightofthissite’simportance.”Ifinddowsingthiswaycanhighlightunnoticedpartsofamonumentthatcouldbeimportant,andthemostreveredstoneorlandscapealignment.

Mymethodistorelax, thenfocuson“beingin”thoseancienttimes,whileasking tobeshown,via theL-shapedcopper rods,what Ineed tolearn.Holding the rods in the “search” position (pointing forward, heldcomfortablyatwaistlevel,atrightanglestomybody),Iwalkacrosstheforecourt of a tomb, asking for the beginning of a ceremony. The rodsmove to indicate where this starts. I make an on-site sketch whilefollowing all the rods’ movements to subsequent positions in theprocessionalroute,usingdifferentcolourstoillustrateoverlappingroutestaken and numbering them in sequence, with different colours used tosignifynumbersindifferentdowses(inthediagram,right,myfirstdowseisnumberedinblack;thesecondinred.)

In Britain 3000 BC, Rodney Castleden featured a diagram of thebuildingsequenceataClyde-typechamberedcairn,usingCairnHoly1asanexample: the initialconstructionofanuncoveredcistandfaçadewasfollowedbythecoveringofthecairnwithamoundofstone.Thismademe realizewhymy two dowses theremay have had separate, but bothimportant,focalpoints.Asthebookwasnotpublisheduntil2003,Icouldnot have been influenced by it. Had I discovered a longer dedicationceremony(rednumbers),inwhichanimportantpersonwasburiedatthetomb’screation?Anddidtheshorterceremony(blacknumbers)reflectafinalclosingritual,afterthetombhadbeencoveredover?

I found the reporton the1949excavationsatCairnHoly1and2 in2017.Comparingmy dowsing planswith those detailed 1949 forecourtplans,Iwasintriguedbyhowclosemyrecordedmovementsweretothediscoveredritualdepositsandhearths,alsocircuitingaspotoppositethetomb’sentrance,attheapexofthearcofmovementaroundtheforecourt,wherearchaeologistshadrecordedastandingstoneandahearth…asifItrulyhadfollowedthepathofthatancientpriest.

CeremoniesdowsedbyAngieLakeatCairnHoly

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TWELVEAPOSTLES(NEWBRIDGE)StoneCircle|NearestVillage:NewbridgeMap:NX94707940 |Sheets:E321L84|Lat:55.0978N |Long:3.6517W

One of Britain’s largest stone circles, the Twelve Apostles are set in animportantlandscapeofNeolithicmonuments,includingtwocursuses(visibleascropmarksonaerialphotographs), ringditches,enclosuresandmounds. It’sanimpressively spacious, flattened circle some80m (262ft) in diameter, its sheersizemakingitdifficulttophotographallatonce,withlarge,solid-lookingstonesup to1.9m(6ft) tall.Fivestonesarestilluprightof the11 that remain,a12thstone having been removed before 1837.All the stones are setwith their flatfacesinalinewiththecircumference.Intriguingly,in1975itwasobservedthat

half of this ring of stones is a true circlewith a diameter of 89m (292ft); theotheristhearcofamuchlargercircle,drawnfromapointonthecircumferenceofthefirst.(Note: thereisanotherstonecircleof thesamenameinYorkshire,seepage161.)

“When I first saw this circle in 1992, it was divided in two by a lowhedge, the remains of which can still be seen today. Easily accessible,withagateintothefield.”AnneTate

LOUPIN’STANES&GIRDLESTANESStoneCircles|NearestVillage:EskdalemuirMap:NY25709663|Sheets:E323L79|Lat:55.25822N|Long:3.17057W

TheLoupin’StanesandtheGirdleStanesareaccessedfromthesamecarpark.From theLoupin’ Stanes you canwalk to theGirdle Stanes, either beside theriver or across the fields following the route ofwhatmay have once been anavenueorstonerow–ormerelyfortunatelyplacederratics.

LOUPIN’STANESAtNY25709663,thislovely,smallcircleisnestledonpasturelandjusttothesouthofabendintheWhiteEsk.The12lowstonesformaflattenedcircle,11.5×10.3m(37ft8in×33ft9in)across.An“entrance”isapparentlyformedbytwotallerpillars,1.6m(5ft3in)high.Thecircle’snamecomesfromthelocalstorythat“lads,andevenalass”wouldleapfromonepillartotheother(at2.5m/8ftapart,thisseemsunlikely!).Thelow,stonybankonwhichthestonesaresetmaybefieldclearance.

GIRDLESTANESOnthebankoftheWhiteEskatNY25359615,thisevocativecirclehaslostitswesternstones to theriver (severalcanbeseenon theriverbed).Elevenfallenstones and13 standing stones survive, the tallest about 1.6m (5ft 3in) and thelongestfallenstonearound2m(6½ft).Theplatformonwhichthestonesstandmaybeaplantationbankortheresultoffieldclearance.Agoodphotographcanbetakenfromthestileonthewalk.

HiddenEvidence:TheLochbrowProjectKirstyMillican,HistoricEnvironmentScotland

Anapparentlyfeaturelesscowfield,Lochbrowisnonethelessoneofmyfavourite archaeological sites in Scotland. Cropmarks, formed by thedifferential growth of crops over buried archaeology, are best capturedfromtheair,andwerefirstrecordedatLochbrowin1992,indicatingthepresenceofpitsandditches.Thesecanbeinterpretedasatimbercursusmonument(usuallydatingtotheearlierNeolithic),atleastone,ifnottwo,timbercircles (dating from the laterNeolithic into theBronzeAge)andseveralroundbarrows(laterprehistoricmonuments).Thiswasclearlyanimportantlocationforalongtime.

Ifyouvisit thesitetoday(atNY09518935)thereisnothingtosee.Thecursusandtimbercircleswerebuiltofwood,soallthatremainsaretheinfilledpitsdugtotaketheuprighttimbers.Thecropmarksgiveusarareglimpseintotheactivitiesof,andstructuresbuiltby,ourprehistoricancestors–withoutaerialphotographywewouldknownothingaboutthisimportantgroupofmonuments.Alotcanbelearnedaboutsitesliketheseby considering their place in the landscape.At Lochbrow the cursus inparticular seems tomimic thedominant topography.Byvisiting the siteit’s been possible to suggest that the topography of this location likelyinfluencedtheuseandfunctioningof thesemonuments,andperhapstheformtheytook.Ongoingworkhereinvolvesinvestigatingthepossibilityofadditionalsitesandfeaturesnotrecordedbythecropmarks.Resultssofararepromising,andI’mexcitedbythenotionthatsomuchliesburiedbeneathour feet.Withperseverancewemaybeable toaddmore to thestoryofthissite.

BALLOCHMYLERockArt|NearestVillage:MauchlineMap:NS51122556|Sheets:E327L70|Lat:55.50111N|Long:4.35863W

Thislarge,vertical,redsandstonerockfaceoverlookingatributaryoftheRiverAyr contains some absolutely amazing and unusual rock art. Carved from theNeolithic to the Bronze Age, the art was only discovered in 1986 duringvegetationclearance.Thereareseveralhundredcup-and-rings,manywithdeepcups and multiple rings, unusual square cups, ringed stars and curvilineargrooves.Thereisalsomoderngraffiti.Thesiteisnearaquarry,justover200m(656ft) south of theA76 and 260m (853ft) northeast ofBallochmyleViaduct.There is a long stretch of cliff face at this location, and the site is subject toseasonalwaterflow,soGPSisrecommendedtofindit.

Borders

BURGHHILLAltName:DodBurnStoneCircle|NearestVillage:SkelfhillMap:NT47010624|Sheets:E331L79|Lat:55.34731N|Long:2.83714W

Inanareafullofhillfortsandprehistoricsettlements,mostlyIronAge,it’sniceto find this little egg-shaped circle, 16.5× 13.4m (54× 44ft). Thirteen stonesremain standing of the 25 on site – none of them very large, ranging from acoupleofcentimetresto0.8m(2ft8in)aboveground,andmostwiththeirwiderface alignedon the egg-shapedperimeter.Oneof theprostrate stones ismuchlarger,at1.5m(5ft)long.FineviewstotheLammermuirHillssome48km(30miles)away.Agoodfarmtracktakesyouupalmosttothisstonesetting.

Nearby|AtNT46810616,just215m(705ft)furtherupthehillfromBurghHill circle, thewell-preservedBurghHillhill forthasmagnificent360-degreeviews and twomassive rampartswith external ditches.There is evidence of asecondary settlement in the northeastern half of the interior,where hut circlescanbeseen,alongwithastandingstone.

Ifyou’reheadinguptoBurghHillfromHawickyoumaypassLord’sTree,adamagedbutstill impressivecairnabout10m(33ft)across,itscircularbanksstillremaining,atNT48090957.Thenamewasalreadytraditionalbythemid-19thcentury,butthere’snotreeherenow.Withinsight,ontheoppositesideoftheroad,isCaKnowe,thoughttobeanancientburialmound,andtraditionallythesiteofthereadingoftheburgessrollaftertheperambulationofthemarches.

DERESTREETAltName:BlackKnoweCairnRoundCairnandStandingStone|NearestVillage:HownamMap: NT 7506 1552 | Sheets: OL16 L80 | Lat: 55.432930N | Long:2.395676W

Tomakeadayofit,startfromthewell-preservedhillfortWoden’sLaw(atNT76771254),thenwalkalongDereStreetRomanroadtovisitPennymuirRomancamps,FallaKnowecairn(aninsignificantmonumenttotheleftofthetrackatNT74711475,withafencepostinitsmiddle),DereStreetcairn,BlackKnowestandingstone,TrestlecairnandthestonecircleFiveStanes.Forashortervisit,startfromFallaKnowe.

DERESTREETCAIRNANDSTANDINGSTONEAtNT75061552,totheleftoftheRomanroadandjustoverthedry-stonewall,isDereStreet(alsoknownasBlackKnowe)cairn,measuringabout9m(29½ft)across and just 0.6m (2ft) high. Five boulders lie on its edge,with fourmorenearby, presumably removed from the cairn. Across the line of Dere Street,some 70m (230ft) to the east of this cairn, you will see the Black Knowestandingstone,atNT75131554.Whilethisstandsonly0.75m(2½ft)highandlookslikeanaturalboulder,itislikelytobeacompaniontotheoutlyingstonesofthecairn.Closebyarefivebrokenfragmentsofthesametypeofstoneasthemainstone;it’simpossibletotelliftheywerebrokenfromit.

TRESTLECAIRNAtNT75181612,Trestle(alsoknownasDereStreetIIandPleaShank)ismorea cairn than a stone circle and, while badly damaged in antiquity, is still animpressive site in a lovely ridge location. There are 17 stones (only two stillearthfast) within the now demolished cairn, with another 15 broken stonesscatteredaroundthesite.Thetwolargeststonesstand0.75m(2½ft)tall.

FIVESTANES

AlsoknownasDereStreetIII,theFiveStanescircleisatNT75261686,withfivestonesofwhichthreearestillstanding.It’sasmallcircle,about6m(20ft)indiameter,withthebiggeststonebeing0.85m(2ft10in).Themoorlandsettingislovely.Anotherthreestones,some15.5m(50ft)totheeast,mayoriginallyhavebeenpartofthecircle.

THEGLEBESTONEStandingStone|NearestVillage:YarrowMap:NT35262760|Sheets:E337L73|Lat:55.53783N|Long:3.02734W

Sited in a field just northofYarrowWater and southofWhitehopeBurn, theGlebeStoneisoneofthreestonesclosetogetherjustwestofYarrowvillage.It’sachunkystone,about1.4m(4½ft)tallandupto1.2m(4ft)wide.Therearetwopossiblecup-marksononeside.Itwasreportedthatacairncontainingskeletalremainsoncesurroundedthestone,butthereisnoevidenceofthistoday.

Nearby|AtNT34812744,482m(1,581ft)WSWoftheGlebeStone,istheYarrowStone;humanbonesaresaidtohavebeenfoundburiedunderneathinabout1803.Theskeletalremainsareinterestinginlightofthe6th-centuryLatininscriptiononone face:“This is theeverlastingmemorial. In thisplace lie themostfamousprincesNudusandDumnogenus.Inthis tomblie thetwosonsofLiberalis.”Laterinthe19thcentury,itwasmovedtoBowhill,thensubsequentlyreturned,havingbeenmarkedbythechainsusedtomoveit.

AtNT35452775,238m(780ft)ENEof theGlebeStone, is the1.6m (5ft3in)Warrior’sRest (AnnanStreet) stone, in thegardenof thecottagenamedafteritandviewablefromthegate.Longstonecistsfoundclosebyindicatethatthis stone marked the site of an early Christian cemetery. Bronze Age findsindicatethattheareahadbeenusedforburialovermanycenturies.In2003,twopreviouslyunremarkedcup-markswerefoundontheeasternsideofthestone.

MAP

STOBOKIRKPossibleStandingStone|NearestVillage:StoboMap:NT18263765|Sheets:E336L72|Lat:55.62557N|Long:3.29965W

OneoftheoldestchurchesintheBorders,andthemostimportantchurchintheUpper Tweed valley in medieval times, this is famously the site where StKentigernwassupposedtohaveconvertedMerlintoChristianity.Anumberofpossible standing stones built into the walls of the church include a long,horizontallyplacedstoneinthewestwallofthenorthaisle.

SHERIFFMUIRStandingStones|NearestTown:PeeblesMap:NT20104006|Sheets:E336L72|Lat:55.64748N|Long:3.27115W

StandingjustwestofwhereLyneWaterjoinstheRiverTweed,thisisapairofstanding stones, about2.2m(7ft) apart andalignednorth– south.Thenorthernstoneis1.2m(4ft)tallandthesouthern1.3m(4ft3in).Apparentlythereusedtobe further stones, about 0.3m (1ft) high, on a curving line running east, butthere’snosignofthemnow.

“ThemenhirsarealsoknownasArthurandMerlin.”AustenJohnReid

CentralScotland

BROTHERS’STONESStandingStones|NearestVillage:SmailholmMap:NT61903600|Sheets:E339L74|Lat:55.61609N|Long:2.60645W

This pair of standing stones are prominently sited, straddling the summit ofBrotherstoneHill,andseemtobealignedwiththeCowStonefurtherdownthehill(seebelow).Thesoutheaststoneis2.5m(8ft);theother,14m(46ft)away,isjustunder2m(6½ft)high.

Nearby | At NT 6216 3620, some 350m (1,148ft) ENE of the Brothers’Stones and clearly visible from there, is the Cow Stone, also known asBrotherstoneHillstandingstone.It’sanirregularlyshaped,squarishstone,about2×2mwide(6½×6½ft).

AtNT59663973, 4.3km (2¾miles) northwest of theBrothers’Stones, isthe 1.6m (5ft) Purveshaugh (Earlston) standing stone, sited against a wall ashortwayofftheroad.Ithasitsownsignproclaimingita“standingstone”andisabitbatteredandmisshapen,withgoodviewsoftheEildonHillsbeyond.

East,West,MidLothian

NINESTONESRIGAltNames:Johnscleugh,CrowStonesStoneCircle|NearestVillage:Cranshaws/DanskineMap:NT62546549|Sheets:E345L67|Lat:55.88109N|Long:2.60035W

Thisjumbleofnineboulder-likestonesintheLammermuirHillsofEastLothianonceformedacircleabout6.4m(21ft)indiameter.In1979,astonewasplacedinanemptyhole(itwaspossibly thehole’soriginaloccupant).Local traditionheld that treasure had been hidden in the circle,whichmight explain the lessthanpristinestateoftheplace;accordingtoan1853record,“variousattempts,allunsuccessful,havebeenmadetofindit.”

EASTERBROOMHOUSEStandingStone|NearestTown:DunbarMap:NT68017662|Sheets:E351L67|Lat:55.98144N|Long:2.51428W

Fine seaviews across the fields from this 2.7m (9ft) red sandstone stonewiththree cup-marks on the western side. At its foot you can see deeply carvedgroovescausedbythecableofasteamplough.

Nearby|AtNT61687760,6.4km(4miles)westoftheEasterBroomhousestone,isKirklandhillstandingstone,arugged3.4m(11ft)uprightinarablelandjusttotheeastoftheA199/A198junction.

CAIYSTANEAltName:CamusStoneStandingStone|NearestCity:Edinburgh(Fairmilehead)Map:NT24246836|Sheets:E350L66|Lat:55.90234N|Long:3.21319W

This impressive,2.75m(9ft3in) redsandstonemonolithhassixweatheredbutstill visible cup-marks 0.5m (1½ft) from the ground on its eastern side (away

from the road). Today it stands captive in a cobbled semicircle on CaiystaneView in south Edinburgh, but the hillside onwhich it standswas used in theBronzeAge;in1840,aMrStuartrecordedthat“hundredsofskeletonswereatthattimefoundwhilstmakingtheroads”.

Nearby|AtNT24506923,909m(justover½mile)NNEoftheCaiyStane,is thesmallBuckStane.TheCatStane isatNT27457068, in thesuburbofInchand4km(justunder2½miles)ENEoftheCaiyStane.AtNT28287050,inMidlothianand4.6km(2¾miles)ENEoftheCaiyStane,istheRavenswoodAvenuestandingstone.

HULYHILLAltNameNewbridgeStandingStones&RoundCairn|NearestVillage:NewbridgeMap:NT12347261|Sheets:E350L65|Lat:55.93851N|Long:3.40486WKennethBrophy

HulyHillsitswestofthejunctionoftheA8andtheM8/M9,undertheflightpathofEdinburghAirport.Tothesouth,asmallserviceareawithapetrolstationandaMcDonald’s.Tothenorth,aseriesof luxurycarshowrooms.Industrialunitsabound.It’saBallardiandystopia,themonumenttrappedamidtheinfrastructureofthecar.Surprisinglylittleisknownaboutthissettingofthreestandingstones,withacircularbarrow,tumulusorcairnoffset.About30m(98ft)indiameter,itrises to a height of 3m (10ft), having been “tidied up”with amodernwall atsome point since it was dug into by Daniel Wilson in 1830. A bronze“spearhead” or daggerwas found alongwith fragments of bone and charcoal.WhenFredColessurveyedthemonumentin1899,hewas“unabletoascertainthetrueextentorlocationofthisexcavation,orthefateofthecontents”.Itwasthought possible that the three remaining standing stoneswere once part of acircle,butgeophysicalsurveysinthe1970sand2000sconfirmtherehaveonlyeverbeenthree,andnoditch,either.Twostonesare2m(6½ft)tallandthethird1.3m (4ft 3in). East of the motorway, 320m (1,050ft) away on an industrialestate,atNT12657262, isa fourthstone,3m(10ft)high,whichmay,ormaynot, be connected to the site. There is no interpretation board or sign, andapparentlynoexpectation that anyonewillvisit, although thousandsofdriversandpassengersmustseethissiteeveryday,asdopeopleatanadjacentbusstop,dogwalkers, burger-munchers atMcDonald’s and thepilots of theplanes thatflyoverit.Thestonesandencirclingwallaresubjecttograffiti,crowdedoutbythe modern world. It takes an effort of will to imagine what this monumentmightoncehavebeen like:aplaceofdeathandmemory.Nowit isaplaceoflorries,fastfoodwrappersandpaint.

Top10UrbanPrehistorySitesKennethBrophy,SeniorLecturerinArchaeology,UniversityofGlasgow1.TheCalderstones,Liverpool:Themonumentwasdismantled,movedand re-erected in a confused roadside arrangement in the 19th century,thenmoved again (twice) in the 1950s into a greenhouse, before goinginto storage in 2017 ahead of a grand re-erection beside CalderstonesMansionHouse.2. Balfarg, Glenrothes, Fife: One of the largest henge monuments inScotland and now, along with two standing stones and some cut-downtelegraphpoles,thereconstructedcentrepieceofa1980shousingestate.3.TheStoneofMannan,Clackmannan:Ahuge standing stonewith asmallerstonefixedontoplocatedbesideatollbooth,movedtherein1833from a more rural location in Lookabootye Brae; it looks like a hugepenis.4. Ravenswood Avenue standing stone, Edinburgh: A standing stonethatasrecentlyas1903wassurroundedbyfieldsandgrazingcattlebutisnowtrappedinacageonthepavementina1930shousingestate.5. Sandy Road, Perth: This kerbed cairn was excavated in the 1960s,removedaheadofhousingdevelopment,thenreconstructedinitsoriginallocationintheformofagardenlandscapedstonecircleinaculdesac.6. Huly Hill, Newbridge, Edinburgh: A landscaped barrow with threesatellite standing stones situated beside a service station and majormotorwayintersection,andbeneaththeflightpathofEdinburghAirport.7.KingArthur’sRoundTable,Penrith:HengemonumentnearPenriththat was drawn fancifully by Stukeley and then converted into a teagardenbytheowneroftheneighbouringCrownInninthe19thcentury.8.TheDagonStone,Darvel,Ayrshire:Aweirdstonetoppedwithastoneball; it has beenmoved at least three times since prehistory, was oncecovered in paint byLudovicMann and now sits across from aChinesetakeaway.9.CarregCoetanArthur,Pembrokeshire:PortaldolmensituatedamidaverymiddleclassbungaloidareaofthevillageofNewport,overlookedbygardensandconstantlymonitoredbymenofacertainagemowing theirlawnsandwashingtheir4×4s.10.TheCochnoStone,Clydebank:OneofthelargestrockartpanelsinBritain,painted in fivecoloursbyLudovicMann in1937, thencovered

with dozens of scratched names like a huge stone visitor book, it wasburiedbytheauthoritiesin1965butneverforgotten.

SouthLanarkshire

CAIRNPAPPLEHILLRoundCairn|NearestVillage:TorphichenMap:NS98727175|Sheets:E349L65|Lat:55.92811N|Long:3.62251W

ImpressiveviewsatCairnpappleHill,WestLothian:onaclearday,youcanseefrom Bass Rock in the North Sea to Goatfell (Arran’s highest peak) and themountains of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, south to the Border hills, andnorthwest beyond Stirling to the Trossachs and Schiehallion. This is one ofmainland Scotland’smost important archaeological sites, in use as a place ofritual and burial for over 4,000 years. It developed over five different phases,indicating the enduring significance of this place. In the first phase, a simplecremationcemeteryhadsevensmallpitsinanarc.Inthesecondphase,ahengewasbuiltaswellasanovalsettingof24standingstones.Inthethirdphase,c.1800–1700BC, the standing stones were taken down and a cairn was built tocovertwocentralcists.Thefourthphaseinvolvedenlargingthecairntotwiceitsoriginaldiameter,with thefirst-phasepitsmakingup itswesternarc.Thefifthand final phase is represented by four extended burials, aligned almost east–west; these have been dated to the Iron Age or first century AD, and arereminiscentofearlyChristianburials.Thetwocistburialshavebeencoveredbyamoderncasing,creatingtheappearanceofahugetumulus.Accesstotheinsideofthechamberisviaasteepladderwithhandrail.

Nearby |AtNS96847250,2km(1¼miles)WNWofCairnpappleHill, istheenigmaticTorphichenStone,alsoknownastheSanctuaryorRefugeStone.Standing in the churchyard, this small, squarish stone is believed to beprehistoric,andpossiblyfromCairnpapple.Ithasanumberofcup-marksontheeast face; on the top is an incised cross. Said to have been reused in the 4thcenturybyStNinianand,by the IrishStFeichinorFechinduring the6th–7thcentury,itisthoughttohavemarkedaplaceofsanctuary.OtherstonesbelievedtohavemarkedtheboundariesofthesanctuaryareaincludetheGormyreStone(atNS98067311)andtheWestfieldFarmRefugeStone(atNS94377211).

NORMANGILLHenge|NearestVillage:CrawfordMap:NS97102153|Sheets:E329L72|Lat:55.48205N|Long:3.62739W

Despitetheroad(originallyarailwaytrack)runningrightthroughit,removingastripabout11m(36ft)wide,thishengeinSouthLanarkshireisoneofScotland’sbest examples of a Class II henge (one with two diametrically opposedentrances).Althoughyoucouldprobablydrivethroughitwithoutnoticing,onceyouknowit’stherethebanksandinternalditcharecleartosee.It’sabout61×55m(200×180ft)acrossandhastwounusuallywideentrances,eachmeasuring

23m(75ft)acrossatthegapinthebank,and17m(55ft)atthegapintheditch.

TheLivesofStonesAnneTate,Anglo-Saxonsculpturedstoneandrockartenthusiast

Whiletheoriginalsignificanceofstandingstonesmaybelost,theyareanenduringreminderof long-vanishedpeopleandcultures.TheMegalithicPortalbearswitnesstowhatcanhappenwhentimeerodesmeaning,withhorrorstoriesofstonesbrokenupforbuildingmaterial,andstonecircles,suchasKempHoweinShap,blownupordraggedasidetomakewayformoderndevelopments;othersweredestroyedforfearofsuperstitionandmagic,cuttingthepastfromthepresent.

Somestoneshavehadagentlertransitionthroughtime,undergoingaprocessofcontinuousadaptationandchange,inwhichtheirpurposewasamended and enhanced to give them new life and meaning. Megalithsoftendominatetheirsetting,demandingattention,andmanyancientsiteshave been reused because of their special significance –Cairnpapple inWestLothianwasahengein3000BC,by2000bcitwasaburialcomplex,andin1000ADitwasusedbyearlyChristians–eachreuseaddingalayerofsignificance.

AsChristianity tookhold inBritainduring the3rdand4thcenturiesAD, people reused standing stones as memorials, assimilating ancientbeliefstomagnifytheirown.InPowys,MaenMadoc,standingnexttotheSarn Helen Roman road, was recarved to mark a Christian burial, andbearsaprobable6th-centuryLatinepitaph to“Dervacus,sonofJustus”.The Four Pillar Stones near Pontfaen in Pembrokeshire each bear anincisedcrossofdifferentdesign;theLaggangarnstonesinDumfriesandGalloway are both carvedwith a Latin cross. In Ireland, the 5m (16ft)prehistoric Doonfeeny Pillar in County Mayo was recut with twoChristiancrosses.Bypermanently rededicatingapagan stone toGod, itwasgivenadoublemeaning,perhapsmoresymbolicthanitsdestructionwouldhavebeen.

Crosseswereaddedtoexistingstandingstonestosignalthemasway-markersandasplacestogivethanks,anexamplebeingBennet’sCrossinDevon, a 1.7m (5½ft) tall standing stone thatwasmodified in the 15thcentury.Manystoneswerereusedasgatepostsorrubbingstones.Othershavebeenmovedintochurchyardsorchurches,evenbeingincorporatedinto their fabric. The 12th-century StoboKirk, in the Scottish Borders,

mayhaveoneormorestandingstonesinitsexternalwalls.Similarly,thechurchofStMaelandStSulieninDenbighshirenotonlyhasastandingstonebuilt into the eastwall of theporchbut alsohosts several ancientcrosses,onewithapossiblycupmarkedbase.

As land boundaries became more defined, stones such as Bennet’sCrossandBeddMorrisinCwmGwaun,Pembrokeshirewerecooptedandre-inscribed as parish boundary markers. In more recent times, theVictoriansenthusiasticallyrelocatedstandingstonesandburialchambers– the Wallington Hall stone in Northumberland was uprooted from anearbyBronzeAgecairn in the19thcenturyandusedtodressagardenpond.

Andsothelivesofstonescontinue,withanumberofrecentlyerectedstonecircles,andmodernmegalithsoccasionallyusedasgravemarkers,suchasthoseinKensalGreenCemetery.Cutfromstonetoreplicatethepast,butlivingfarintothefuture.

Nearby|AtNS97092153,some600m(1,968ft)SSWofNormangillhenge,isaruinedcairnonacrestofNormangillRig.A19th-centuryrecordstatesthatmostof thestones in thecairnwere reused tobuild fieldwalls in1855;at thesametime,“thebonesofamanoflargestature”wereuncovered.It’sstillaround26m (85ft) across and 2m (6½ft) tall, with a dry-stone wall forming a large,semicircularlooparoundthecairn.

WestDunbartonshireandInverclyde

SIGHTHILLPARKAltName:SpringburnStonesModernStoneCircle|NearestCity:GlasgowMap:NS59696642|Sheets:E342L64|Lat:55.87045N|Long:4.24394W

AlthoughmoderncirclesarenotusuallyfeaturedinthisguidetoNeolithicandBronzeAge sites, Sighthill is included here as Scotland’s best-knownmodernstonecircleand the firstastronomicallyalignedcircle tobebuilt in theUK inover3,000years.Itwasconstructedinthelate1970sbyamateurastronomerandscience writer Duncan Lunan and the Glasgow Parks Astronomy Project, torepresenttherisingandsettingofthesunandmoonacrossGlasgow.Althoughthe project was never fully completed, the stones (from Beltmoss quarry inKilsyth)allstillexist.SighthillParkiscurrentlyundergoingredevelopmentandthecirclewas takendown inApril2016. It isdue tobe re-erected in thenewpark,ontheoriginalchoiceofsite,whichwaspreviouslyunsuitableduetothetowerblocksinterferingwiththesightlines.Nowtheblockshavegone,andthecircleshouldbeinplaceby2019.

THECOCHNOSTONEAltName:Whitehill1RockArt|NearestCity:GlasgowMap:NS50457388|Sheets:E342L64|Lat:55.93464N|Long:4.39559W

TheCochnoStone(thenamecomingfromtheGaelicfor“littlecups”)isoneofthemostspectacularandextensivepanelsofrockartinBritain.It’slocatedinanurbanparkinFaifley,ahousingestateinClydebank,butyouwon’tbeabletoseeitbecause,apartfromafewbriefdaysin2015and2016,ithasbeenburiedbeneath a protective 1m (3ft 3in) layer of soil and turf since 1965. Theundulatingsurfaceofthesoftgritstone(sandstone)outcrop,about15×8m(50×26ft), is covered in scores of cupmarks, cup-and-ringmarks, spirals and otherunusualmotifsincludinganincisedcrossandtwofour-toefootprints.The2016excavation resulted in a very high-resolution scan of the stone,whichwill beusedtocreateareplicatobedisplayedonsite.

Nearby | Although the Cochno Stone has now been re-covered, there areother cup-and-ring marked rocks within 1km (0.6 miles) to explore:Auchnacraig1atNS50287365;Auchnacraig4atNS50297362;Whitehill3atNS51157386;Whitehill 4 atNS51307398; andWhitehill 5 atNS51387403.

Stirling

GRANNYKEMPOCK Alt Names:TheKempock Stone, TheLangStaneofGourockStandingStone|NearestTown:GourockMap:NS24087786|Sheets:E341L63|Lat:55.96139N|Long:4.81982W

Nowadays surroundedbybuildingsand setbehind railings, this1.8m (6ft) tallmica-schiststandingstonewouldoncehavebeeninaprominentpositionontheclifftopoverlookingKempockPoint.Itsresemblancetoahoodedfigureiswhatliesbehindtheevocativename“GrannyKempock”.It’ssaidthatthoseabouttoembark on a sea voyagewouldwalk round the stone seven times, chanting averserequestinggoodfortuneandsafepassage;andnewly-wedswouldalsopassroundthestoneforgoodluckandahappymarriage.In1662,oneMaryLamont,whowaslaterburnedasawitch,confessedtoplanningwithotherstothrowitinthesea.

RANDOLPHFIELDStandingStones|NearestCity:StirlingMap:NS79449244|Sheets:E366L57|Lat:56.10945N|Long:3.94019W

Outside themainpolicestation inStirling, these twostonesare1.2m(4ft)and1.1m(3ft8in)highandabout45m(147ft)apart.Thoughttobeprehistoric,localtradition has long linked them to a skirmish fought in 1314 on the eve of theBattle ofBannockburn betweenSirThomasRandolph,Earl ofMoray, and anEnglishforce.Atleastoneofthestoneswasmovedtothissitebeforethepolicestation was built. The larger stone shows signs of having been cut and re-cemented back together.No prehistoricmaterialwas foundwhen the sitewasexcavatedin2014.

DOUNEAltName:GlenheadFarmStoneRow|NearestVillage:DouneMap:NN75490046|Sheets:E366L57|Lat:56.18042N|Long:4.00737W

Originally thought to be part of a larger monument, this alignment of threeprehistoric stonesextends for9m(29½ft).Thecentral stone is1.2m(4ft)highandhasmorethan20cupmarksonbothitstopandwesternside(althoughsomearehard to see),and is flankedby two leaningstones thatwouldbeabout2m(6½ft)tallifupright.Ablockatthenorthernendofthealignmentmayhavesplitoff thenorthernmost stone.Parkat theDavidStirlingSASmemorialopposite.Therowisinanarablefield,soaccessisnotavailablewhencropsaregrowing.

SHERIFFMUIRROWAltNames:WallaceStone,LairhillStoneRow|NearestTown:DunblaneMap:NN83240226|Sheets:E366L57|Lat:56.19857N|Long:3.88344W

This 68m (223ft) row is aligned southwest–northeast and includes five stones,although it’s thought thatonestonemightbemissing from thealignment.TheWallaceStone is1.8m(6ft)highand theonlyonestill standing;anotherstonehas19cupmarks.Thiswasthesiteofabattlein1715anditisalsotraditionallybelievedtohavebeenthegatheringplaceforScottishtroopsbeforetheBattleofStirlingBridge(1297).

“This alignment once stood beside the major routeway from Stirlingtoward the north of Scotland. It is probable that this was also asignificantprehistoricrouteway.”SandyGerrard

KINNELLPARKAltName:AchmoreStoneCircle|NearestVillage:KillinMap:NN57703280|Sheets:OL48L51|Lat:56.4658N|Long:4.31125W

Adelightfulcircle inparklandsoutheastof theRiverDochart,overlooking theconfluence of theDochart and theLochay, and thewestern end ofLochTay,where steeply sloping woodland forms a sheltered bowl. It’s just 10m (33ft)across, with six stones between 1.4m (4ft 7in) and 2m (6½ft) in height. Thenorthernmost stone has three cupmarks on the top. The circle’s air of tidyperfectionmust have been appreciated by the owners of Kinnell House – the

MacnabsofMacnab–inthedayswhenanantiquarianfeaturewasamust-haveforacountryestate.

Nearby|About5.4km(3.3miles)WNWofKinnell,atDuncroisk,inGlenLochay,there’salong,prominent,ridgeofquartziteschistrockoutcropcentredat NN 5322 3582, with eight groups of cups and rings. The largest rings are0.25m (9in) in diameter; one rock has 58 cups and another has 60. There arearound200motifsintotal.

More rock art can be found nearby: Duncroisk 2 at NN 5313 3584;CorrycharmaigEast4atNN53103582;CorrycharmaigEast2atNN52943588;Corrycharmaig3atNN52783549;Duncroisk1atNN53113640.

Fife

TUILYIESAltName:TorryburnStoneSetting|NearestVillage:TuilyiesMap:NT02918658|Sheets:E367L65|Lat:56.06217N|Long:3.56084W

An unusual setting of four stones, with a 2.4m (8ft) tall standing stoneaccompaniedby three smaller boulders arranged in a triangle just to its south.The spectacular standing stone has many cupmarks on the eastern face, anddeep,weatheredgroovescutbytherain.

BALBIRNIEAltName:Druid’sCircleCairnCircle|NearestTown:GlenrothesMap:NO28590297|Sheets:E370L59|Lat:56.21391N|Long:3.15298W

Moved from its original site, 125m (410ft) to the northwest,when theA92 inFifewaswidened, and reconstructed to the same layout, this is an interesting,easy-to-visitsuburbanstonecircle.Amultiphasesitewithactivitybeginningc.3000BC,theearliestphasewasthecircleofeightstandingstones(ofanoriginal10)associatedwithmostlyfemalecremationburials.Thecistburialswithinthecirclearelater(thecup-and-ring-markedciststoneisareplica).Crematedbones,a jet button and beads, a food vessel and a flint knife were found duringexcavations. The final phase saw the interior of the circle filled with cairnmaterial,whichcontainedsherdsofcineraryurnsandcrematedbone.

BALFARGHenge|NearestTown:GlenrothesMap:NO28200312|Sheets:E370L59|Lat:56.21524N|Long:3.15929W

NotfarfromBalbirnieistheequallysuburbanBalfarghenge.Thesitebeganlifec.4000BCwhenpitsweredugtoholdsherdsofpottery,burntwoodandbone.Later came a 60m (196ft) ditched causewayed enclosure, one of Scotland’s

largesthengeearthworks,withasettingof16massivepostsupto4m(13ft)tall.Concentricinteriorpostandstonearrangementsarecomplex,withevidenceformultiple timbercircles,anditmaybe thatoneormorestonecircleswere thenadded,ofwhichonestoneremainstoday.Theotherstoneonthesite,offsetfromthecircle,isconsideredtobeanentrancemarker.Thefinalphasesawaburialinthehengecentre,withabeakerandaflintknife,markedtodaybyaflatstone.Thesitehasbeensympatheticallydeveloped,postsindicatingthepositionofthetimbersetting.

Nearby | At NO 2848 0314, 282m (925ft) east of Balfarg henge, is theBalfargRidingSchoolmortuaryenclosureandhenge.Woodenpostsshowthepositionsofpost-holes.Thesecondoftwotimberstructuresonthesitewaslatercoveredbyamoundandaditchcutaroundit.

LUNDINLINKSAltName:StandingStonesofLundyStoneCircle|NearestVillage:LundinMap:NO40480272|Sheets:E370L59|Lat:56.21332N|Long:2.96121W

Surelyoneof themost iconicandspectacularstonesettings inScotland, ifnotBritain,thetoweringstonesofLundinLinksareprobablytheremainsofafour-poster stone circlewith a diameter of 16.5m (54ft).Only three stones remain,standing inmanicured isolationon the third fairwayof theLadies’GolfClub.They’revisiblefromtheroad,but theclubishappytoallowaccessas longasyouaskpermission,andevenhaveaphotocopiedinformationsheet.Theseredsandstonegiantsarehuge,formingtwosidesofarectangle: theNNWstoneis

5.2m(17ft)tall,theSSW4.6m(15ft)andtheSSE4.3m(14ft)talland2.1m(7ft)broad.TheNNEstoneismissing,althoughitlaybyitsstumpin1792,brokenbytreasure hunters. Excavation here in the 18th century found cists, bones(includingaskull),andpossiblyajetbutton(nowlost).

Angus

ABERLEMNOStandingStones|NearestVillage:AberlemnoMap:NO52285592|Sheets:E389L54|Lat:56.69201N|Long:2.78136W

“FromOctobertoEasterthestonesareallcoveredbywoodenboxestoprotectthemfromfrost,sosaveyourvisittillthesummer!”EwenRennie

Aberlemno in Angus has four Pictish stones, one in the churchyard and theothers beside the B9134, 365m (¼mile) away to the NNW. There aremanyPictish stones listed on theMegalithic Portalwebsite but they are outside thescopeof thisguide;however, thestoneatNO52285592hassixcupmarksonthe back, near the bottom, that presumably predate the Pictish carvings (aserpent,adoublediscwithZ-rod,amirrorandacomb).

MEIKLEKENNYAltNames:Baldovie,WestSchurrochStoneCircle|NearestVillage:KirktonofKingoldrumMap:NO31765415|Sheets:E381L53|Lat:56.6741N|Long:3.11522W

Three separate four-poster circles or stone settings, known collectively in the18th century as the “Druids Alters”, lie in an almost straight line near thenortheastern edge of West Schurroch Ridge. Meikle Kenny A (at NO 31765415) is now a lone standing stone, 1.4m (4ft 7in) tall, its three companionshaving been removed around 1842. In the woods to the east, the twoneighbouring settings are now both reduced to three smallish stones. MeikleKennyBisatNO31805417,45m(148ft)tothenortheast,andMeikleKennyCisafurther21m(69ft)inthesamedirectionatNO31825418.

BALGARTHNOAltNames:FarmofCorn,MyrekirkStoneCircle|NearestCity:DundeeMap:NO35333161|Sheets:E380L54|Lat:56.47215N|Long:3.05134W

OntheoutskirtsofDundeeintheCharlestonhousingestate,this8m(26ft)ringhasnine,heavilyweatheredstones,oneofwhichisstandingand1.5m(5ft)high.Fragments of flint and jet found here are kept at the National Museum ofScotland.Thestonesarenowfencedintoprotectthemfromvandalism.

Nearby |AtNO34583102,952m(over½mile)WSWofBalgarthno, theDevil’sStone(inPerthandKinross)isabulbousstandingstonevisiblefromtheroadthroughsomerailingsthatbridgeagapinastonewall.

PerthandKinross

BANDIRRANAltName:WoodburnCottageStoneCircles|NearestVillage:BalbeggieMap:NO20913099|Sheets:E380L53|Lat:56.46439N|Long:3.28516W

Setamongpineandbirchtreesclosetothewood’swesternedge,thiscirclemayonce have had at least 10 stones. Today, eight are visible, with two of themremaining upright. Nearby, to the east, is another small group of stones, twostandingandonefallen.In1997,asurveybythePerthshireSocietyofNaturalScience suggested that these could formpartof a14.5m (48ft) circleof sevenstones.

Nearby | At NO 1520 2626, 7.4km (4½ miles) WSW of Bandirran, isMurrayshall standing stone, set in arable land on top of a low ridge. It’s anicelyshapedstone,1.8m(6ft)talland1.2m(4ft)wideatitswidestpoint,withataperingtop.Inthesamefield,30m(98ft)northeastofthisstone,theremainsoftwosettlementsandapossibleroundhousecanbeseenascropmarksintherightconditions.

MONCRIEFFEStoneCircle|NearestVillage:BridgeofEarnMap:NO13601933|Sheets:E369L58|Lat:56.35838N|Long:3.39990W

In thegroundsofMoncrieffeHouse,where itwasre-erected in1980, thiswasoften listed (controversially) as a recumbent circle, but is now thought to bemore typical of Perthshire’s small stone circles. This multiphase monumentbeganasahengewitharingofpost-holes,possiblythenfollowedbyakerbedcairn ringed by standing stones, which was then replaced by an eight-stonecircle.Astonemarkedwith15cups,originallysitedinthecircle,isnowlocated9.6m(31½ft)tothewest.

FOWLISWESTERAltName:MoorofArdochMegalithicComplex|NearestVillage:FowlisWester

Map: NN 9243 2492 | Sheets: OL47 L52/58 | Lat: 56.4042N | Long:3.74471W

AninterestingcomplexonthemoorofArdoch.Theeasternmostmonumenthastwocircular settings: thekerbof a denuded cairn surroundedby a ruined ringabout4.9×5.7m(16ft×18ft8in)across.AslabontheSSWsideofthekerbhasthreecupmarks.Northeastofthekerbcairnisafallenoutlierwithacupmark.Asecond,prostrate stone lies to thewest, close to thewesterncircle,25m(82ft)fromtheeasternone.Thewesterncircle,alsolikelytobeacairn,showssignsofhavingbeenblasted–thepairofstonesat itsnorthernendaresplit fragments.

Fourstonesofthiscirclesurvive,butexcavationin1939tracedthepitsofsevenotherstones.

InvestigatingtheForteviotCeremonialLandscapeAndyBurnham,founderandEditoroftheMegalithicPortal

At Forteviot in Perthshire one of the most extensive prehistoricceremonial landscapes in Britain has been under investigation by theUniversity of Glasgow since 2007. Sites include a palisaded enclosuredatingtothelaterNeolithic(around2800BC)andmeasuringaround270m(885ft) indiameter–asbigas five football fields.Thiswasmarkedoutwith around 150 massive oak posts perhaps 4–6m (13–20ft) high. Anavenuejust4m(13ft)wideledinfromthenorth–imagineceremoniallyprocessing this narrow space and the feeling of awe on entering a vastarena.

The Neolithic cremation cemetery here is the largest known inScotland, whichwas subsequently surrounded by another timber circle,still over 40m (131ft) across, again marked out with huge oak posts.Later,anearthenhengewasbuiltoverthiscircle,withalargeditchupto2m (6½ft) deep and 7m (23ft) wide. The complex included two otherhenges, and another circular enclosure (not classed as a henge)immediatelytothenorthwestofthepalisadedenclosurewasexcavatedin2010. This had two concentric ditches that once held timber fences, afallen standing stone and, at its centre, three adjoining stone coffins (atriplecist)nexttoapitcontainingacompletebeaker.

Bothlargehengesshowedlateractivity,includingaBronzeAgestonecist(2100–2000BC)sealedwithalargecapstonewithanunusualsymbolcarvedontheunderside.Thiswasliftedin2009,revealingaburialwitharich collection of grave goods, including a bronze dagger, woodencontainers andwhat seems to be a leather bag containing a small knifeand a “strike-a-light” kit, presumably for use in the afterlife (see page168).Largenumbersofmeadowsweetflowerheadsandstalkswerefoundin the cist, left there for the dead, and placing the burial in the latesummer. The cist was lined with water-worn pebbles and larger quartzpebbles,followedbyalayerofbirchbarkonwhichthebody(whichhasbeenlost)wasplaced.

In2012theexcavationsextendedtonearbyLeadkettywhereanother

equally huge palisaded enclosure,with a henge and a small four-postertimber structure were found. The four-poster seems to have beensurroundedbya timbercircle,possiblyahigh-statushouserather thanaceremonialstructure.Excavations in2014–15atWellhill,nearDunning,found a further cist burial and early Neolithic pits associated with apossible field ditch and faint linear marks probably made by an ard(handheldploughthatdoesnotturnoverthesoil).Evidenceforploughingand fields in Neolithic Britain is incredibly rare, according to projectdirectors Dr Kenneth Brophy and Dr Dene Wright, both from theUniversityofGlasgow.Thefindssuggesta farmingeconomyhad takenhold here just a few generations after farming began in the region, in4000BC.Furtherradiocarbon-datingshowedhunter-gathereractivitysometwomillenniaearlier in theformofaveryrareexampleofaMesolithicpitalignment.

FindoutmoreabouttheStrathearnEnvironsandRoyalForteviot(SERF)Projectat:www.gla.ac.uk/schools/humanities/research/archaeologyresearch/projects/serf/

MONZIEKerbCairn|NearestVillage:GilmertonMap: NN 8816 2417 | Sheets: OL47 L52/58 | Lat: 56.39651N | Long:3.81349W

In open pasture dominated by the Knock of Crieff, this kerb cairn with ninelarge,boulder-likestonesisdefinedbya5.5m(18ft5in)diameterkerb.Alargeprostrate outlier, about 2.1 × 1.5m (6ft 10in × 5ft) lies 3m (10ft) to thesouthwest.Decoratedwitharound60cupandcup-and-ringmarks(somewithupto four rings), itwas foundduringexcavations in1938 tobe connected to thecircle by a causeway of stone cobbles. By 1966 many of the smaller stonesassociatedwiththiscairncircle(inlegendsaidtobeimpossibletocount)wereno longer evident. The cist within these stones, also now removed, containedburntboneandquartzfragments;quartzcanalsobefoundaroundthestones.

Nearby | At NN 8798 2431, 227m (745ft) to theWNW ofMonzie kerbcairn,isastandingstonecalledtheWitches’Stone.It’sinafieldsouthofthedriveleadinguptoMonzieCastle.

DALGINROSS Alt Names: The Court Knoll, The Roundel,Dunmhoid,MuirendStoneCircle|NearestVillage:ComrieMap: NN 7803 2126 | Sheets: OL47 L52 | Lat: 56.36791N | Long:3.97622W

A rather charming four-poster in a very damp andmossy clearing beside theroad(originallypartofawood),betweensomehousesatthesoutheasternedgeofDalginross village, next to the cemetery. In 1876, only one stonewas stillstanding,althoughallwerere-erectedafterastonecistwasfoundinfrontofthelargeststone.By1911twostoneshadfallenoncemoreandleftwheretheylay.Today,onlyoneremainsstanding.Thesestonessituponacircularplatformjustabovetheleveloftheroad,whichmaybeamodernfeature.Dunmhoidissaidlocallytomean“hillofjudgement”.

CLACHNATIOMPANStoneCircle|NearestVillage:GilmertonMap:NN82963286|Sheets:E379L52|Lat:56.47327N|Long:3.90157W

Two stones, the tallest 1.3m (4ft 3in) high, survive in this small four-postercircle enclosing a cairn. Excavation discovered the socket holes of the otherstones,onelyingnearbytothesouth.Tothenorth,ontheothersideofthetrack,is a long cairnoncemeasuring58×11.5m (190×38ft), and1.5m (5ft) high,withfourchambers.Itwasdamagedwhentheroadwasdriventhroughitinthe19thcentury.

Nearby |AtNN82593299,391m(¼mile)westofClachnaTiompan, isGlenshervieBurn,halfofanother,ratherwreckedfour-posterstonecircle.

ACHARNFALLSAltName:GreenlandStoneCircle|NearestVillage:AcharnMap: NN 7679 4249 | Sheets: E379 L51/52 | Lat: 56.5582N | Long:4.00628W

It’safairclimbupfromthevillage(thereandbackwilltakeyouaroundanhourandahalf)butwellworthitforthefabulousviewsofthemountainsandLochTay. About 8.8m (29ft) in diameter, the circle is quite ruinous, but thespectacularsettinggivesalltheatmosphereyoucouldwant.Sevenstonesremainof nine,with four still standing; the tallest 1.75m (5ft 8in).A stonewallmaycontainremainsoftheothers.

Nearby|Onthewayup,andagoodplacetotakearest,istheAcharnBurncairnatNN76074294.

CROFTMORAIGStoneCircle|NearestVillage:KenmoreMap: NN 7977 4727 | Sheets: E379 L51/52 | Lat: 56.60185N | Long:3.95999W

CroftMoraigisafascinatingandcomplexsite,withastonecircleandanoval-shapedstone settingoverlyinganearlier timber structure, illustrating the reuseand range of monuments over the Neolithic and early Bronze Age periods.Excavations in1965showedithad threephasesofconstruction. In theearliestphase,14timberpostsestimatedtobeabout2mhigh,weresetinapenannular(horseshoe)arrangementmeasuringabout8m×7m(26×23ft),whichmayhavehadacentralhearth.Thesepostswerelaterreplacedbyeightstonesina7×6m(23×20ft)oval.Anoutlyingslab,locatedonthesurroundingbank,has21cupsandtwocup-and-rings.Thethirdphasewastheadditionofanoutercircle,12m(39ft)indiameter,ofninegradedstonesandtwooutlyingstones(oneofwhichhasnowfallen),whichformanentrance.Thisoutercirclealsoincorporatesthreeboulders fromanearlierphase,makinga circleof12 stones.Twodeepburial

pitsarejustoutsidethecircle.

CARSEFARMAltNames:Dull,WeemStoneCircle|NearestVillage:KenmoreMap:NN80224873|Sheets:E379L52|Lat:56.61507N|Long:3.95335W

“Besttovisitwhenthefieldhasjustbeenharvestedandthefarmerisinagoodmood.IraisedahareasIwascrossingtothestones.”Hamish

Inafieldbesidetheroad,justoutsidethevillageofDull,thelittleCarseFarm1four-posterformsarectangle3.9×2.7m(12ft9in×8ft10in).Thetalleststone,in the southeast and 1.8m (6ft) high, has three cupmarks, while the northeaststonehas17cups.Curiously,allthecupsarecarvedontopofthestonesratherontheirverticalfaces.Excavationledtothediscoveryofapitfullofcrematedboneandcharcoal,alongwithacollaredurnwithgeometricdecoration.

Nearby |AtNN80284846,270m (885ft) to theSSEofCarseFarm1, isanothercircle,CarseFarm2,ofwhichonlyonestonestillstands,withafurthertwocupmarkedstoneshalf-buried.

EASTCULTStoneRow|NearestVillage:CaputhMap:NO07254216|Sheets:E379L52|Lat:56.5622N|Long:3.51075W

Onthecrestofaridge,justtothewestofEastCultFarm,standswhatmightbethe remains of a stone row accompanied by a profusely cupmarked boulder.Today,apairof stones standabout9m(29ft) apart; thewestern stone is1.9m(6ft3in)highand the taller,easternstonereaches2.15m(7ft).Thecupmarkedboulder, whichmay or may not have stood upright, has 130 cupmarks and adumbbell(twocupsjoinedbyagroove)onitsupperface,andthreecupmarksontheeasternside.

Nearby | At NO 0449 4106, 3km (1¾ miles) WSW of East Cult, theNewtyle (Dunkeld) standing stones are a pair of roughly playing-card orlozenge-shaped stones, closebeside theA984andoftenpartially concealedbythebracken.Thetaller,westernmoststoneis2.1m(6ft10in)high,taperingtoapoint; the other is flat-topped. It has been suggested that the two stones alignwith midsummer sunset, and also that the very dissimilar shapes of the paircouldbeinterpretedassymbolizingmale/femaleaspects.

LUNDINFARMMegalithicCluster|NearestVillage:AberfeldyMap: NN 8807 5057 | Sheets: OL49 L52 | Lat: 56.63354N | Long:3.82637W

Severalsiteslieincloseproximityatthislocation.Walkingalongthetrackfromthe A827 main road you will find a single standing stone, known asTomtayewen,atNN87835059.Apairofsmallstandingstones(theeasternonerecentlymovedby2.5m/8ft2in,thewesternonestillinsitu)liesbythesideoftheroadatNN88025062,withacupmarkedstonebetweenthem.Then,atNN88075057,istheLundinFarmstonecircle,areallydelightfulfour-postersetona little raised mound above the fields, accessed across a stream by a sturdywooden bridge. Its stones,which originally surrounded a cairn and now growaroundatree,are2.2m(7ft3in),1.4m(4ft8in),1.45m(4ft10in)and1.15m(3ft9in) tall respectively.A further stonewith 43 cupmarks lies 30m (98ft) to thesoutheastatNN88075054.

CLACHANANDIRIDHAltName:FonabMoorStoneCircle|NearestTown:PitlochryMap:NN92515574|Sheets:OL49L52|Lat:56.681N|Long:3.75612W

HighonthehillsideabovePitlochry,thenameofthisfour-postermeans“stonesof the ascent”, which feels extremely apposite after the climb up to get here.Once the site would have had spectacular views down to the Tay and theGrampians, but it’s now in the middle of a mature plantation, although stillimpressive and atmospheric in its forest clearing. Three of the stones arestanding,thebiggest1.7m(5½ft)talland1.8m(5ft10in)wide,butjust0.4m(1ft3in)thick.Fragmentsofthefourthcanbeseenscatteredontheground.In2012,extensive geophysical and laser scanning took place at the site. The resultssuggestsomesub-surfacearchaeology,butanexcavationisyettobecarriedout.

Nearby | At NN 9462 5211, 4.2km (2.6 miles) southeast of Clachan anDiridh, Clach na Croiche, also known as Balnaguard, standing stone wasprobablyoncepartofastonerowalignedeast–west.It’sshapelyandimposing,2.15m(7ft)tall,witheightcupmarksatitsbase.Duringploughinginthe1960stwo further stoneswere foundburied, 7.8m (25ft 7in) and12.5m (41ft) to theeast.Whenthesitewasexcavatedin1971,threefurtherstonesina9m(30ft)arcwere locatedclose to theeastern fieldboundary,protruding througha layeroflarge,water-wornstones.

“Local tradition has it that the stones were visited on the first day ofMay,whenaprocessionwasmadearoundtheminadeiseil (clockwise)direction.”AndySweet

CRAIGHNADUNLegendary Stone Circle from Outlander | Nearest Village: KinlochRannochMap:NN71065781|Sheets:OL49L52|Lat:56.6942N|Long:4.1071W

AfictionalstonecirclethatfeaturesintheOutlanderbooksbyDianaGabaldonand the TV series of the same name. “Craigh na Dun” is one of the mostsearched-for phrases on the Megalithic Portal so there must be manydisappointed the circle doesn’t really exist. So here at last is the site of themythicalcircle–oratleastthefilminglocationfromtheTVseries.Therearenostones – these were built for the filming – but it is still a beautiful locationoverlookingthewater.Onprivateland.

WestScotland

IsleofBute

STMICHAEL’SGRAVEChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:PortBannatyneMap:NR99477031|Sheets:E362L62|Lat:55.8841N|Long:5.20779W

Ona terraceclose to theKylesofButeshoreline, thisClydecairn is inaveryruinous state, severely reduced by robbing and ploughing. Excavation showedthechambercontainedtwocompartments.Theinteriorisfullofrubble,andthe

fallencapstone,2×1.4m(6½ft×4ft7in),liestothesouth.AroughtrackattheendoftheB875takesyoupastthisandthenearbysitesmentionedbelow.

Nearby |AtNR99717057,349m(1,145ft)ENEofStMichael’sGrave,isGlenvoidean chambered cairn, its capstone displaced in recent years. At NS00636932,1.5km(almost1mile)ESEofStMichael’sGrave,arethemossyandovergrownremainsofCairnBanchamberedcairn.

AtNS00746826(sheetL63),2.4km(1½miles)southeastofStMichael’sGrave,isGlecknabaechamberedcairn.ThisbadlydisturbedClydecairnisnowastony,grass-coveredmound,about18×9m(59×30ft)andabout1.2m(4ft)high, with the end slabs of the central chamber visible. Excavations in 1903showedthatpartofthecairnwasbuiltoverashellmidden.Twosmallchambers(the eastern chamber is now destroyed) containing fragments of burnt andunburntbone,alongwithpotsherdsandflint,werefound,andtherewasalsoacist.Onthefallenstoneeastofthecairnthereappeartobeseveralcupmarks,butthesehavenotbeenconfirmed.

BLACKPARKAltName:KingarthStoneCircle|NearestVillage:KingarthMap:NS09165567|Sheets:E362L63|Lat:55.75661N|Long:5.04276W

Threestonesstillstandofthesevennotedinthelate18thcenturyatthiscircleinBlackpark plantation. The 2.2m (7ft) southern stone was restored after beingdamaged in 1974. The second stone, 2.8m (9ft) high, has been cracked byweathering.Thethirdstone,also2.2m(7ft),issupportedbyanironbar,andthetopofitisalmostcircular;it’sveryunusualandstriking.

Nearby |AtNS08465536,760m(almost½mile)WSWofBlackpark, isthe stone row known as Stravanan Bay or Largizean Farm. Three largewhinstone boulders stand in a field, with fine views across the bay. Alignednorthwest–southeast,thethreestand1.5m(5ft)high,1.7m(5½ft)highand1.9m(6ft2in)high.

At NS 0745 6365, 8.2km (just over 5 miles) NNW of Blackpark, isCraigberochstandingstone,anangularstone2.4m(8ft)highandwithseveralcupmarksvisibleonitssouthwestface.It’ssetclosetotheruinsofCraigbiorachFarm.

Argyll

MAP

BRAINPORTBAYMegalithicComplex|NearestVillage:MinardMap:NR97599507|Sheets:E358L55|Lat:56.10542N|Long:5.25635W

ThisArgyll site isan interestingandcontroversialone.Thereareanumberofapparently aligned cupmarked rocks and possible standing stones overlookingBrainport Bay, as well as a group of what have been described as “viewingplatforms”,builtagainstarockyoutcropalignednortheastandsouthwest,withacentralcleftonthesamealignment–towardmidsummersunrise.In1994,twostandingstoneswerevandalized–onebrokenbeyondrepair.

ACHNABRECKRockArt|NearestVillage:CairnbaanMap:NR85559067|Sheets:E358L55|Lat:56.06067N|Long:5.44613W

Concentrated in Kilmartin Glen is an outstanding collection of prehistoricmonuments and some of Britain’s most impressive rock art. The Achnabreckoutcrops arewhere you’ll find themost extensive and complex group of cup-and-ringcarvingsinScotland.Therearethreeoutcropsintheforestryland,withsignpostedaccess.Motifsincludecups,cup-and-rings,ringedstars,groovesandspirals;someofthecupssurroundedbyupto12rings.Onecarving,acupwithsevenrings,measuresmorethan1m(3ft3in)indiameter–it’sthelargestinthecountry. Look for motifs overlying others and the range of different styles,indicatingcarvingoveralongperiod.

Nearby | At NR 8556 9081, 144m (472ft) north of Achnabreck, isAchnabreckForest,alsoknownasCnocnaMoine,apaneldiscoveredin2008after a storm brought down a tree. TheAchnabreck Eastern panel is at NR85729064,173m(567ft) eastofAchnabreck.Standing stonesareatNR85549018, 490m (1,607ft) south of Achnabreck, and at NR 8563 8992, 754m (½mile)SSEofthemainsite.

MAP

CAIRNBAANRockArt|NearestVillage:CairnbaanMap:NR83889106|Sheets:E358L55|Lat:56.06338N|Long:5.47326W

There are two groups of rock art at Cairnbaan, just 1.6km (1 mile) fromAchnabreck and signposted from the Cairnbaan Hotel. It can be very wet uphere,sowearyourboots!Cairnbaan2(atNR83889106)hassomecomplexandveryfineconjoinedmultipleringedcups, includingaring linkedtoacupbyaseriesofrays.Cairnbaan1,thesecondgroup,isatNR83999103,114m(374ft)eastofCairnbaan2,withtwopanelsofdecoratedoutcrops,enclosedbyrailings.The southern panel is decorated with cupmarks, cups with single and double

rings,andakeyholemotif.Thecarvingsof themoreweatherednorthernpanelarehardertosee.

KILMICHAELGLASSARYRockArt|NearestVillage:KilmichaelGlassaryMap:NR85809350|Sheets:E358L55|Lat:56.08612N|Long:5.44443W

Tucked unexpectedly behind modern housing, not far from the road, is theKilmichaelGlassary1outcrop,partiallyprotectedbyanironfenceandcoveredwithover120cupmarksandcup-andrings.Theseincludefourcupswithunusualkeyhole-like rings. Some 60m (197ft) northeast of this stone is the KilmartinGlassary2outcrop,partiallyburiedundertreeroots,withnumeroussinglecupsaswellas threecupswith tworings,onecupwithfourringsandanotherwithfive rings. You can explore Hamish Fenton’s 3D models of these rock artoutcropsbyfollowingthelinksfromtheMegalithicPortalpageforKilmichaelGlassary.

Nearby |AtNR84719291,1.2km(¾mile)WSWofKilmichaelGlassary,are the three stones of Dunamuck North. Only one still stands, thesouthernmoststonehavingfallenatsomepointsince2008.TheyareveryclosetotheRiverAddandthewalkacrossthefieldsfromKilmartinGlassarycanbewet.AtNR84839248,447m(1,466ft)SSWofDunamuckNorth,are the twofurther standing stones ofDunamuck South. The third set of stones in thisgroup,Leacaichluaine,canbefoundatNR84839232,160m(525ft)southofDunamuckSouth;boththesestonesarenowfallen,buteasilyspotted.

AtNR83879361,1.9km(justover1mile)westofKilmichaelGlassaryandclosetotherivernearDunaddhillfort,istheDunaddstandingstone,asquarish,1.4m(4ft7in)tallstone,oneedgeofwhichseemstohavebeenbrokenoff.

BALLYMEANOCHStoneRows&Cairn|NearestVillage:KilmartinMap:NR83379642|Sheets:E358L55|Lat:56.11123N|Long:5.48569W

AveryfinesitenearKilmartin,withtwomoreorlessparallelrowsofstandingstones, aligned northwest–southeast, and an attractive kerb cairn.You can see

therowsfromtheroadveryclearlyandaccessiseasy.Therearesixstones,fourinonerowandtwointheother–thesetwoleanquitedramaticallyinoppositedirections.Thetalleststoneis4.1m(13ft5in)inheight.Thetwomiddlestonesof the four-stone line havemultiple cup and cup-and-ringmarks (over 70 onstoneB).A seventh stone, pierced and cupmarked, has fallen since 1881, andnowliesbythekerbcairnatNR83399643, just30m(98ft)ENEofthestonerows.Althoughthecairnisdamaged,11gradedstonescreateanimpressiveringofuprightslabs.

DUNCHRAIGAIGCairn|NearestVillage:KilmartinMap:NR83319681|Sheets:E358L55|Lat:56.11473N|Long:5.48706W

Abadlyrobbedbutstill impressivecairnformedfromwater-wornstones,nowaround 30m (98ft) in diameter and 2.5m (8ft) high in the centre,with severalcists.DunchraigaigisnotconsideredpartoftheKilmartinlineargroupofcairnsasitisoff-line,awaytothesoutheast.Excavatedin1864,onecist,probablytheprimaryburial,containeddepositsofburntbone,perhapstheremainsofeight–10people.Asecondcist,foundinwhatisnowthecentreofthecairn(mostofits south side having been removed) contained a food vessel and burnt bone.Beneathit,underapavedfloor,wasacrouchedburial,andapparentlythelidorroofofthiscisthadanextendedburialonit.Thethirdcist,nolongervisible,totheeast,alsocontainedafoodvessel.Variousfinds,includingagreenstoneaxe,aresadlylost.Onthenorthernsideofthecairnareseveralearthfastbouldersthatmaybetheremainsofacairn.

BALUACHRAIGRockArt|NearestVillage:KilmartinMap:NR83129696|Sheets:E358L55|Lat:56.11601N|Long:5.49022W

Averyfineselectionofrockartonthreeoutcropswithinaprotectiveenclosure,close to the road and therefore easy to find. The largest and most profuselydecorated panel has around 15 single-ringed cupmarks, 17 cups with doubleringsandatleast127plaincupmarks.Thesecondrockhas10plaincupmarks;thethird,twocups,onewithasinglering.FromhereyoucanseeDunchraigaigcairn(seeabove).

MAP

GLEBECAIRNCairn|NearestVillage:KilmartinMap:NR83309894|Sheets:E358L55|Lat:56.13379N|Long:5.48886W

FromKilmartinvillage,analignmentofcairns–alinearcemetery–cutsSSW

acrossthelandscapefor5km(3miles).Thenorthernmostofthese,GlebeCairn,isenormousandvery impressiveasyouwalkpast,butyoucan’tget inside it.Now30m(98ft)acrossand3m(10ft)high,itwasoriginallyatleast4m(13ft)inheight.Itwasexcavatedin1864,whenabouldercistcontaininganinhumationandatripartitefoodvesselwasfound.Asecondcisttothesouthwestcontainedan Irish food vessel and a wonderful necklace made of 28 jet beads. Theplacement of the cists indicated two separate periods of construction and use.OnefoodvesselisattheNationalMuseumofScotland,theotherintheBritishMuseum;thenecklace,sadly,waslostinafireatPoltallochHouse.

Excavations prior to gravel extraction on the plateau nearby, at UpperLargie, resulted in the discoveryof twograves.The earlier of these containedthreeveryearlyBeakerpots,similartothosefromthelowerRhine.Othersitesidentified on the plateau included aNeolithic cursus and a timber circle, 46m(150ft)indiameter.

Nearby |Whenvisitingtherockart,linearcemeteryandassociatedsitesatKilmartin, you’ll probably park at the award-winning Kilmartin HouseMuseum, which is well worth a visit. It explores the archaeology of theKilmartinlandscapeindetailandholdsalargecollectionofprehistoricartefacts,manyfromthevalleyitself.

NETHERLARGIECairn|NearestVillage:KilmartinMap:NR83099847|Sheets:E358L55|Lat:56.12953N|Long:5.49194W

NETHERLARGIENORTHAnother large cairn in the Kilmartin alignment, Nether Largie North wasexcavated in 1930,when thewhole cairnwas taken apart, and has since beenentirely reconstructed.The finds included twoupright slabs,oneofwhichwascarvedwithtwopeckedcircles(nowintheNationalMuseumofScotland).Thecairnnowstandsalmost2.7m(9ft)highandmeasures20m(66ft) indiameter.Visitorscanclimbdownaladderfromtheroofhatchintothecentralchambertoseethelargecentralcistandtheundersideoftheimpressivecapstone,whichiscarvedwitharound40cupmarksandtheoutlinesof10axeheads.

NETHERLARGIEMID

ThisBronzeAge cairn has been dated to c. 2000BC.Before the 1920s, itwasaround3m(10ft)talland32m(105ft)indiameter.Sincethen,muchofthestonehasbeen robbed forbuildingand road repairs, and itnowstands less than1m(3ft 3in) tall. The two cists this cairn was built to contain are visible: thenorthernmostismarkedbylowconcreteposts;theotherisatthesouthernedgeofthecairnandstillhasitscapstone(althoughthishasbeenmovedsovisitorscanseeinside),togetherwithtwoofitsendslabs.Thenorthwesternslabhasatleast one cupmark and the faint pecked motif of a bronze axehead. At thesouthernedgeofthecairn,theremainsofthekerbcanbeseen,andwithinthisisanotherslabbearingfivecupmarks.

NETHERLARGIESOUTHThis chambered cairn of the Clyde type is the earliest of the burial sites inKilmartin’s linear cemetery, dating from around 3000BC. The cairn wasreconstructed1,000yearslaterintheBronzeAgewhencistswereaddedtotheoriginal structure. Its chamber, now in the centre of the cairn,was divided bystone slabs (in away that resembles structuresonOrkney) tohold selectedorcurated bones after excarnation, rather than individual burials. In the 19thcentury,thecairnhadreachedadiameterof40m(134ft)butmostofithadbeenremovedby1864,whenthetombwasexcavated;mostofwhatremainshasbeenheaped up around the chamber. The chamber, entered between the two portalstones,isabout6m(20ft)longand1.8m(6ft)wideatthenorth,taperingto1m(3ft3in)atthesouthernend.Onecistofthetwoinsertedintothecairnafteritsconstructionisstillvisible.

MAP

RICRUINCairn|NearestVillage:KilmartinMap:NR82559712|Sheets:E358L55|Lat:56.11714N|Long:5.49949W

Southernmost of the burial sites in the Kilmartin linear cemetery, thisreconstructedkerbedroundcairnisnowabout20m(66ft)indiameter.Originallyithadthreecists,includingonewithcarvedaxeheadsdecoratingtheinsideoftheslabatthewesternend,whichcanstillbeseen.Whenthecairnwasexcavatedin1870,bonefragmentswerefoundinallthreecists,allofwhichhadgroovedsideslabs tomake themfitneatly together.A furthercarvedslab, featuringa rake-likemotif–orperhapsahalberdorevenaboat–wasdestroyed in the fireatPoltalloch House, but fortunately a cast is kept at the National Museum ofScotland.

TEMPLEWOODAltName:MoonWoodStoneCircle|NearestVillage:KilmartinMap:NR82639783|Sheets:E358L55|Lat:56.12356N|Long:5.49874W

Radiocarbon-datinghasindicatedthatthetwostonecirclesatthisKilmartinsiteare among the earliest examples of stone circles in Scotland and maybe inBritain. Temple Wood South is a multiphase monument with a number ofunusualelements.Thisembankedcirclehasanovalringof13standingstones(therewere22originally),about12m(39ft)indiameter,setwithinacairn-likecoveringofwater-rolledpebbles.Acentralcist is, in turn, surroundedbyanothercircleofmuchsmaller stones.Twoofthestandingstoneshaverockart;onewithveryfaintconcentriccircles,theotherwithaspiralcarvingthatisunusualasonehalfofthespiralisononeface,theotheronthenext.

TempleWoodNorth is some 38m (124ft) from the southern circle. Itwasonly discovered in 1979 and has been reconstructedwith concretemarkers toillustratethetwomainphasesofconstruction.Beginninglifeasatimbersetting,theuprighttimberswereeventuallyreplacedbyanelliptical10.5m(34ft)settingoffivestoneswithanotherat itscentre.Excavationhasrevealedthat thestone

circlewasdismantledinprehistorictimes,finallybeingcoveredwithalayerofcobbling.

NETHERLARGIEROWStoneRow|NearestVillage:KilmartinMap:NR82839761|Sheets:E358L55|Lat:56.12168N|Long:5.49535W

Acomplexand intriguingstonesetting to thewestofKilmartinBurn,close totheTempleWoodcircles.Apairofstandingstonesformthenortheastendofthealignment; the western stone of these has three, possibly four, cupmarks.Anotherpairformthesouthwestendofthealignment;theeasternstonehasfivecupmarks. Inbetween the twopairs are twogroupsof standing stones: oneoffourandanotheroffive.Thenortherlygroupoffivestoneshasacentralstone,surrounded originally by four other stones that formed a rectangle around its

base;todayonlythreeofthese“flankers”remain.Thiscentralstonehas40cupsand a cup-and-ringmotif. The southerly group of four stones aremade up ofbrokenuprightstones.In1973,anotherfallenstonewasdiscoveredtothewestofthealignment.

Nearby | At NR 8279 9772, 127m (417ft) northwest of the main stonealignment and forming part of it, isNetherLargie standing stone.Originallyrecorded as 1.8m (6ft) high, it now stands 1.5m (5ft) tall on a slight mound,perhapsformedbyploughingaroundthestoneovertheyears.

CARNASSERIESTONESStandingStones|NearestVillage:KilmartinMap: NM 8345 0077 | Sheets: E358 L55 | Lat: 56.15029N | Long:5.48798W

A splendid pair of 2.6m (8½ft) playing-card stones, the southernmost with acupmarknear its base.Access to these and theCarnasserie rock art is on footfromtheCarnasserieCastlecarpark.

Nearby|AtNM83890086and9m(30ft)westofthenorthwesternangleofthe castle, is a rock art boulder decoratedwith deep, large cupmarks.AtNM82220267,2.3km(justunder1½miles)northwestoftheCarnasseriestones,isthemagnificentOrmaig rock art panelwith 200 carvings,many in extremelygood condition as they were only uncovered in 1974. There are three mainpanels including someamazing rosettemotifson the eastern rock.Please treatthemwithgreatcare.

THEFORDSTONEStandingStone|NearestVillage:FordMap: NM 8668 0332 | Sheets: E358 L55 | Lat: 56.17459N | Long:5.43811W

Only one stone (3m/10ft high) remains of what was originally a pair, said tomark thesiteofanancientgrave.Thesecondstoneapparentlynowlies in thegardenofAuchinellanHouse(nowaholidaycottage)atNM86530268,some670m(under½mile)tothesouth.

Nearby|AtNM86890356,320m(1,050ft)northeastoftheFordStone,atthevillagecrossroadsandclosetotheRiverFord,istheFordcist,setintothe

westernsideofanaturalgravelknoll.Whileitmeasuresjust0.85×0.65m(2ft9in×2ft),ithasanimpressivecapstoneandbothendslabssurvive.Havealookfor some other stones nearby, all close to the road: atNM8595 0156, 1.9km(just over 1 mile) SSW of the Ford Stone, isCreagantairbh Beag with itsbrokenstump(itwasblowndown in the1879TayBridgeGale);atNM85730112,2.4km(1½miles)southwestof theFordStone, is theGlennan stone;atNM 8790 0488, 2km (1¼ miles) northeast of the Ford Stone, is theTorranCrossincisedstone.

KINTRAWAltName:DanishKing’sGraveStandingStone|NearestVillage:ArdfernMap: NM 8305 0497 | Sheets: E358 L55 | Lat: 56.18778N | Long:5.49783W

Thisimpressivelytallstone,markingwhatistraditionallysaidtobethegraveofaDanish king, stands 4m (13ft) high beside the road and close to four cairnsmaking up a Bronze Age complex. According to a 17th-century drawing byEdwardLhuyd,thisistheremainingstoneofafour-stonealignment;itwasre-erected after falling in 1979.The site looks toward Jura,with very fine views(whenit’snotraining).AlexanderThomdrewattentiontoanalignmentwiththesaddleof landbetweenBeinnShiantaidhandBeinna’Chaolais inJuraand themidwinter sunset. Debate about this continues, although evidence for thealignment includes alternative, higher observation points on the hill. Furtherstonealignmentsat thissitearesaidtoindicateDubhBheinn,wherethemoonsetsatitsminorstandstill.

IsleofIslay

MAP

CARRAGHBHANStandingStone|NearestTown:PortEllenMap:NR32834781|Sheets:E352L60|Lat:55.65013N|Long:6.24835W

A large, square stone on the Isle of Islay, about 2.2m (7ft) tall and leaningslightly,withviewsnorthtothePapsofJura.It’straditionallysaidtomarkthegraveoftheManxkingGodredCrovan(d.1095).

Nearby |AtNR3292 4519, 2.6km (just over 1½miles) south ofCarraghBhan,isCragabuschamberedcairn,averyruinousexampleoftheClydegroup,withnosignofanycairn.Someofthefaçadesurvives,andthestandingstonetotheeastisprobablyaportalstone,suggestingthechamberwasoriginallysome5m (16ft) long, with at least three compartments. Thomas Hastie Bryce’sexcavation in 1901 produced human bones “inmuch disorder, thoughmostlygroupedinthecorners,andbythesidesofthecists.”It’sverydifficulttofindagoodplacetoparkhere,sobecareful.

BALLINABYStoneRow|NearestVillage:BallinabyMap:NR21996720|Sheets:E353L60|Lat:55.81781N|Long:6.43964W

In the 18th century therewere three stones here; now there are only two, onestanding, andonebroken.The remainingupright is amagnificent slab, almost5m (16ft) tall, about1m (3ft 3in)wide and just 0.3m (1ft) thick.About200m(656ft) to the northeast is another stone, 2m (6½ft) tall, originallymuch tallerandprobablydeliberatelybroken.

Nearby | At NR 2483 5761, 10km (6¼ miles) SSE of Ballinaby, is thechamberedClyde cairnPortCharlotte, badly damaged by stone robbing andexcavation.Excavation in1976demonstrated that the façadewas to theNNE,andthechamberhadfourcompartments.Humanboneswerefoundinthesecondcompartment; flint knives, arrowheads and Neolithic pottery sherds were alsofoundatthesite.

IsleofMull

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BALLISCATEAltNames:Tobermory,Sgriob-RuadhStoneRow|NearestTown:TobermoryMap: NM 4996 5413 | Sheets: E374 L47 | Lat: 56.61212N | Long:6.07658W

AboveTobermory,with fantastic views over theSound ofMull, is this three-stonebasaltrowalignednorth–south.Thenorthernstoneis1.7m(5½ft)tall,thecentralstone,whichhasfallen,isabout2.8m(9ft)long,andthemoreirregularsouthern stone is 2.6m (8½ft) tall. Excavation revealed the stump of a fourthstone,alignedtothenorthoftheothers.

GLENGORMStoneRow|NearestTown:TobermoryMap: NM 4347 5713 | Sheets: E374 L47 | Lat: 56.63549N | Long:6.18501W

“Amagnificent site.Thekerbaround the stonesmayhavebeenaddedwhenthestoneswerere-erected.”NickBrand

WestofGlengormCastle,thethreestandingstonesofthisrowhaveadramaticsetting on top of a prominent knoll in low-lying land. Two had fallen by theearly 1800s, but both had been re-erected by 1942. The enclosure banksurrounding them is not prehistoric. The stones range from2.05m (6ft 8in) to2.15m (7ft) in height. The northern stone was re-erected close to its originalposition; theone to thesouthhasbeenmoved to thenortheast inorder to takeadvantageofacleftinthebedrock.GlengormisoneofthesitesthathelpedGailHigginbottomdevelopalandscapemodeldemonstratingtheroleofastronomicalalignments and the horizon in the siting of freestanding stone monuments inScotland(seepage307).

Nearby | At NM 4134 5524, 2.8km (1¾ miles) WSW of Glengorm, isQuinish stone row. Alexander Thom suggested the four stones were alignedtowardmoonriseatthemajorsouthernlunarstandstill.Onlyonestoneremainsstanding.

DERVAIGAltNames:DervaigB,CnocFadaStoneRow|NearestVillage:DervaigMap: NM 4390 5203 | Sheets: E374 L47 | Lat: 56.59003N | Long:6.17297W

On the hillside above Dervaig, the fivestone row of basalt blocks known asDervaigCentrenowhasonlytwostonesstandingbutisstillimpressive,allthestonesabout2.5m(8ft) tall (or long)andalignedNNW–SSE.Thesurroundingplantationhasnowbeenharvested,dramaticallychangingthesettingfromdarkanddamptoopen,withviewsofthesurroundinghills.

Nearby | At NM 4393 5189, 143m (469ft) SSE of Dervaig Centre, isDervaigD,apossiblestonerow(butperhapsjustnaturalboulders)builtintoawall.

AtNM43865162,411m(1,348ft)southofDervaigCentre,DervaigSSE,also known as Dervaig C or Glac Mhor, is another stone row, rather badlytreated.ThreestonesarealignedmoreorlessNNW–SSE:oneisagatepost,oneissetinthedykeandoneisbroken.Thetallestreaches1.7m(5½ft).

NM43605305,about1km(0.6miles)NNWofDervaigCentre,MaolMor,alsoknownasDervaigA,KilmoreorFrachadil,isalsoastonerow,some10m(33ft)long,withfourneatstonesalignedNNW–SSE,setinaforestryplantation.Threeareupright,around2.2m(7ft)high.Thefourth,fallenstone,is2.5m(8ft)long.

CILLCHRIOSDStandingStone|NearestVillage:DervaigMap: NM 3772 5350 | Sheets: E374 L47 | Lat: 56.59981N | Long:6.27473W

A fine 2.6m (8½ft) high stone, with a level top and vertical sides. Gail

Higginbottom(seepage307)proposesthatCillchriosdisalignedtomoonriseatthesoutherlyminorstandstill.Intheoppositedirection,thealignmentiswithinafewdegreesofthemidsummersunset.

MAP

LOCHBUIEStoneCircle|NearestVillage:CraignureMap: NM 6177 2510 | Sheets: E375 L49 | Lat: 56.35806N | Long:5.85808W

Remote Loch Buie has a magical setting, with Ben Buie rising dramaticallybehindandgoldeneaglesflyingoverhead,butitis,essentially,inabog,socomeprepared (wellies are essential). Originally a circle of nine granite slabs, thepositionofonemissingstone isnowmarkedbya smallboulder.Thecircle is12m (39ft) in diameter and the stones, the tallest ofwhich is 2m (6½ft), havebeen set with their flatter faces turned inward. There are three associatedoutliers,thetallestissome40m(131ft)southwestofthecircleand3m(10ft)tall.StonecirclesarerareinthewestofScotland,makingthisasignificantsite.

Nearby | Hidden among trees at NM 6155 2525, 265m (869ft)WNW ofLochBuiecircle,isaruinedkerbcairn.Youwillprobablypassbyonyourwayfromtheparkingspottothestonecircle.

AtNM61632542, about365m(1,197ft)northwestof thecircle, theLochBuiestandingstoneisabout2m(6½ft)tall.

At NM 5463 3002, 8.6km (5¼ miles) WNW of the circle, are the fourUluvalt stones, three of which have fallen (one of these may be a naturalerratic).

“Fromtheparkingspot,followthewhitemarkerstonesacrossextremelyboggy pastureland.These peter out in front of a clump of trees.Makeyourwaytothefenceandfollowitalongtothelefttofindthegatetothestones.”FionaRobertson

TAOSLINStandingStone|NearestVillage:BunessanMap: NM 3973 2239 | Sheets: E373 L48 | Lat: 56.32216N | Long:6.21113W

Standingby theFionnphort road, this stonemaybeprehistoricora laterway-marker for Ionapilgrims. It’sabout2m(6½ft) tall,withaslightlysloping top.DavidSmythhasexaminedtheroleofitsshadow,andconcludedthatatequinoxit is notably elongated down its east side. He also highlights possiblearchaeoastronomical features of the stone, including that, from here, the starArcturuswouldhaveappearedtoskimthetopoftheBurghilltothenorth.

ArchaeoastronomyinWesternScotlandGail Higginbottom, archaeologist and leader of the Western ScotlandMegalithicLandscape Project alongwith astrophysicistRogerClay andothersfromtheUniversityofAdelaide

Ourprojectusesinnovative2Dgraphicsand3Drenderingtechniquestodemonstrate that the builders ofBronzeAge standing stonemonumentschoselocationsbasedonparticularhorizonshapes,consideringdistance,direction and relative height in relation to a monument’s position. Itbuilds on our statistical reassessment of the work of Clive Ruggles,showing thatmanymoresites thanpreviously thoughtweredeliberatelyorientedtothesunormoon.Significantly,approximatelyhalfthesiteswelooked at have a particular form of horizon shape surrounding them,higherandcloserinthenorth,andfurtherawayandlowerinthesouth–we call these “classic sites”. The remaining sites, with horizons higherandcloser in the south,we label “reverse sites”.The relativeheightsofthehorizonsaffectwherethesunandmoonareseentoriseandset,anditwouldseemthemegalithbuilderstriedtoensurethatthesebodiesinteractwithparticularpeaksorhighgroundatspecifictimesintheircycles.

This combination of high and low horizons around the monumentcreatedgreatastronomicalshowsatdifferenttimesoftheyear,includingthesolsticesandtheminorandmajorlunarstandstills(extremerisingandsettingtimesofthemoon,whichoccuronlyevery18.6years).Themostspectaculardisplayoccurswhenthesetwoeventscoincide.

It’sclear thereweremanyessentialnaturalelements toconsiderandunderstandwhen choosingwhere to build amegalithicmonument. Thefinalelementwasto includeoneormorealignmentsbetweenthestonesof the same monument, or separate, intervisible monuments, again toindicateoneormoreof theextreme risingand settingpointsof the sunand/ormoon.

We show that the visible patterns found atBronzeAge sites on theinner isles and mainland of western Scotland were first established instoneattwooftheearliestdated“greatcircles”:CallanishontheIsleofLewis and Stenness in Orkney. To do this, we developed two newmethods to formally test the likelihood of a connection between stonecirclesandastronomybycross-correlation,comparingthestonedirections

with the direction of astronomical phenomena crossing the horizon.Forthefirsttest,thenumberofrandomcirclesatthesamelocationswhichhitthesamenumberoftargetsasStennessis27andnineforCallanish.Thelikelihood of the number of astronomical “hits” coming from randomchanceis1.25percentand1.66percentrespectively.Forthesecondtest,lookingat the likelihoodof themonumentsbeingastronomical,with47independentsamplesforeach,theresultsare97.87percentforbothsites.

Thebaneofmanyanarchaeoastronomerhasbeenthelargenumberofpotential randomerrorsand“backgroundnoise”, aswell as the inherentnumberofstatisticaltrialsneeded–themorestonesinacircle,thegreaterthenumbersoftrials(testingofeachalignment),increasingthelikelihoodthatthepatternobservedisduetochance.Ourtestshavebeenconstructedtoovercomethesefactors,andare,Ibelieve,abreakthroughinthequesttodiscoverwhenandwherecomplexastronomicalandlandscapepatternswere first associated with standing-stone structures in Scotland, andpossibly all ofBritain.The statistical results forStenness andCallanisharecompelling.

ThevisualdominanceofthefirstgreatcirclesinthenorthofBritainseemstohaveledaculturaltransformationthatconnectedstandingstonesto the local landscape and themotion of the sun andmoon across thatlandscape.Soonafter thesesiteswerecreated,more lateNeolithicstonemonuments were erected – circles, pairs and single standing stones –continuinguntiltheearlyBronzeAge.Byapproximately800BChundredsof smaller stone circles and settings existed, and these latermonumentscontinuedthetraditionofconnectingwithacosmologicallandscapeidealthat was first set in standing stone more than 2,000 years previously,demonstrating the longevity and relevance of this cosmological system,despitethevariousradicalmaterialandsocialchangesthatoccurredfromthelateNeolithictothelateBronzeAge.

LochBuieandUluvalt(upper)onMullareexamplesofsiteswiththe“classic”landscapearoundthem.Thesesitesarenotlocatednexttoeachother,yet theirprofilesareverysimilar (seediagram,below).Therearevariationsindetailbutthegeneralfactorsstaythesame.Ifyougotootherlocations on the island the mountain chains may not be as extreme inheightoryoumaygetonesinglelong,curvingrangewithouttwodistinctpeaks. We have statistical evidence that shows that the “classic” siteshavehorizonshapesthataresignificantlydifferentfromthegenerallieofthe land, which tells us that their occurrence is very unlikely to haveoccurredbychance.

Higginbottom,G.andMom,V."Place:ThePhysicalEmbodimentofCollectiveInformation”inJ.B.Glover,J.M.MossandD.Rissolo(eds),DigitalArchaeologies,MaterialWorlds.Tübingen:UniversityofTübingen.

The3DprogramHorizon,developedbyAndrewG.K.Smith,astrophysicistattheUniversityofAdelaide,canbedownloadedfrom:www.agksmith.net/horizon/

Plotstakenfrom3Drenderingsofthepathofthesunatsolsticeandequinox,andthemoonattheminorandmajorstandstills,overtheLochBuie(topandmiddle)andUluvalt(bottom)landscapes

MAP

IsleofTiree

TIRGHOILStandingStone|NearestVillage:BunessanMap:NM35322242|Sheets:E373L48|Lat:56.32N|Long:6.28228W

In a field beside the road to Fionnphort, this 2.6m (8½ft) granite pillar istraditionallyheld tobeanothermarkerfor theIonapilgrimroute,althoughit’sjustaslikelytobeprehistoric.

Nearby |AtNM32502217,2.8km(1¾miles)westofTirghoil,isPoitnah-I,astandingstonewithapleasingtriangularshape.AtNM31332331,1.6km(1mile)WNWofPoitnah-I, is the2.4m(7ft10in)AchabanHousestanding

stone,whichmaybeprehistoricoranotherlatermarkeroftheroutetoIona.Askforpermissionattheguesthouse.

TIREE RINGING ROCK Alt Names: Balephetrish GongStone,Clacha’ChoireGlacialErraticwithCup-marks|NearestVillage:BalephetrishMap: NM 0268 4869 | Sheets: E372 L46 | Lat: 56.53584N | Long:6.83802W

This large glacial erratic was carried by the ice from Rum to Tiree, and is amuchyoungertypeofrock(granodiorite)thananythingnativetotheisland.It’scoveredinmorethan50cup-marks,perhapsrelatingtothefactthatit“rings”ifyoutaporbangitwithapebble.It’ssaidthatiftherockismovedTireewillsinkbeneaththewaves.

“IwasalsotoldifeverTireewereintrouble,therockwouldbreakopenandourancestorswouldcomeoutandrescuetheisland.”Anon

HOUGHAltNames:Tiree3,MossBStoneCircle|NearestVillage:HoughMap:NL95814504|Sheets:E372L46|Lat:56.49878N|Long:6.94503W

There are two circles up herewithin about 150m (492ft) of each other, about1km(0.6miles)southeastofHoughHouse.TheSSWcircle(NL95814504)isthe larger, 40m (131ft) in diameter, with 11 fallen stones and the stump of a12th.Theremayoriginallyhavebeenmorestones,butthesearenowmissing.

HoughNNEcircle(NL95894515)–alsoknownasTiree3andMossA–is136m(446ft)northeastofHoughSSW.Thisstonecirclehas10stones,oneofwhichisuprightandabout1.8m(6ft)tall.Fiveothersarereducedtostumpsandtherestarefallen.Alowmoundinthecentre,about14m(46ft)indiameter,maybeacairn.

Nearby|AtNL94694300,2.3km(1½miles)southwestofHoughSSW,isMiddletonstandingstone,1.6m(5ft3in)high.

At NL 9731 4259, 2.9km (1¾ miles) southeast of Hough SSW, is the

elongated,triangularCeasabhstandingstone,1.9m(6ft3in)high.

NortheastScotland

Aberdeenshire

STONEOFMORPHIEStandingStone|NearestVillage:HillsideMap:NO71706275|Sheets:E382L45|Lat:56.75549N|Long:2.46443W

Justofftheroad,thisveryimpressive3.4m(11ft)standingstoneissaidtomarkthegraveofasonof theDanishgeneralCamus,killed inabattlebetween theScots and theDanes.Skeletal remainswere indeed foundburiedunderneath itwhen it was re-erected in the 19th century, having fallen before 1856. It hassplendidviewsoftheAngusHills.

“Although the immediate vicinity consists of mundane farm buildings,the stone stands close by some of the best coastal scenery of northeastScotland.”C.MichaelHogan

ESSLIETHEGREATERAltName:EsslieSouthStoneCircle|NearestVillage:StrachanMap:NO71729159|Sheets:E406L30|Lat:57.01457N|Long:2.46732W

AtEsslietheGreater,arecumbentstonecircle,22.5m(74ft)across,surroundsaring cairn. The cairn is badly robbed, but you can see the two rings of kerbstonesquiteclearly.Therecumbent,triangularinshape,isabout2.8m(9ft)long.Originally, therewereprobably eightornine stones (aswell as the recumbentandflankers)inthecircle,withfiveofthesenowremaining.Twolinesofstonesrunfromtheendsoftherecumbenttothecairn.

Nearby | At NO 7225 9215, some 770m (under ½ mile) ENE from its“Greater” siblingandvisible from there, standsEsslie theLesserstonecircle.Sixstonessurroundaringcairn,butthesiteisoftenbadlyovergrownandfieldclearanceconfusesmattersfurther.

AtNO72409117,justunder1km(0.6miles)southeastfromtheEsslies,isGarrolWood, also known asNine Stanes, a recumbent stone circlewith thetypical internal ring cairn. This is a wonderfully mossy, lichen-shrouded site,appearing mysterious in its forest setting. Originally eight stones plus therecumbentandflankers,oneisnowmissingandanotheramerestump.

CarvedStoneBallsJulieKearney,whoresearchesthelinksbetweenconsciousness,creativityandnaturalenergies

Found mainly in Aberdeenshire, their distribution coinciding withrecumbentstonecirclesites,carvedstoneballs(petrospheres)arethoughttohavebeenmadefromthelateNeolithicperiod,around5,200yearsago.Made of sandstone, greenstone, quartzite and granite, they generallymeasurearound7cm(2¾in)across–aboutthesizeofatennisball–andfit comfortably in the hand. Some are beautifully decoratedwith ornatecarvingsofspiralsandchevrons,otherswithconcentrictriangles,hatchesandzigzags,and,ofover425discoveredsofar,mostareadornedwithaprecise pattern of carved symmetrical knobs. Dorothy N. Marshall’sdiagrams of the balls, 387 of which are catalogued in Volume 108 ofProceedingsoftheSocietyofAntiquariesofScotland(1976),demonstratethatalthoughafewhavesmallindentedcupslikegolfballs,themajorityhave anywhere from three to 160knobs, andmost have six.Most ballswerediscoveredduringagriculturalactivityandfewhavebeenfound inanarchaeologicalcontext–oneexceptionbeingararefindinsituattheNessofBrodgarin2013.

Theories about the balls’ purpose include use as weights for nets,leatherworking tools, currency, weight measures, thrown weapons,ceremonial speaking stones, oracles, game pieces and ball bearings formonument construction. But the central question remains: what wouldjustify the time and effort spent on the precision and, in some cases,intricacy of the carvings? Another theory speculates that the balls mayhavebeenaNeolithicstonemason’s“portablerésumé”.Therangeinskillshown,frommaster-craftsmanleveltobasicscratching,maysupportsuchatheory,butnoballshavebeenfoundingraves,indicatingtheymaynothavebeenvalued aspersonal artefacts.Anothermuch-debated theory isthat the balls represent very early experimentationwith solid geometricfigures.

The designs and portability of the balls reminded Australianresearcher Lynne Kelly of stone “memory devices” used by someindigenous peoples. Use of these is linked with notable places in thelandscape and a tradition of following a journey along structured paths

calledsonglines.Theyaidinrecordingknowledge,suchasofnavigationandastronomy,or of ethical or other guidelines.Kellybelieves that thestone balls might be connected to the nearby stone circles as portablememorydevices.

The balls can be seen in several museums, including the NationalMuseumofScotland,theAshmoleaninOxford,theHunterianMuseuminGlasgow, and theBritishMuseum.A recent report indicates that a six-knobbedstoneball,verysimilarinappearancetotheScottishstoneballs,isondisplay in theNationalArchaeologyMuseuminLaPaz,Bolivia–partofanexhibitionoffindsfromLakeTiticaca.Newconnections?Themysterycontinues…

Neolithiccarvedstoneballs

AUQUHOLLIEAltName:LangStaneStandingStone|NearestTown:StonehavenMap:NO82339080|Sheets:E396L38|Lat:57.008N|Long:2.29255W

Agoodstandingstone,2.35m(8½ft)tall,withfineviews.Nowinalittlefencedenclosure,itisallegedtohaveoncebeenpartofacircle–howeverthereisnoevidence for this.Anogham inscription reads“VUONON (I)TEDOV”.ThePictishcarvingsthatwereoncevisibleonthenortheastsideofthestonecanno

longerbeseen.

AUCHQUHORTHIESStoneCircle|NearestVillage:PortlethenMap:NO90199634|Sheets:E406L38|Lat:57.058N|Long:2.16336W

Acomplexsite inanopen,pasturelandsetting,withviewsacross to thesea.Ithasquiteajumbledappearanceonfirstsight,buttherecumbentstonecircleandring cairn arebothwell preserved. It’s thought that in its final form the circlewas about 18m (59ft) across, and had at least 18 stones, set on the edge of aplatformandencirclingacairn.Fourteenstonesremain,twoarestumps.Thereisan unusual forecourt feature in front of the recumbent, framed by two stones.Therecumbentitselfis2.7m(9ft)longandnearly1.4m(4ft7in)tall.Theeasternflankerismissing.Therestofthestandingstonesmightseemirregular,butit’sbelievedthattherewereinfacttwocircles,withdifferentlysizedstones,eightofthelargertypeandsevenorevennineofthesmaller.Theringcairnhasamoreorlesscontinuouskerb,buthasbeenbadlyrobbed.

Nearby |AtNO90369608, ina field justover300m(984ft) southeastofAuchquhorthies,isthe26m(85ft)diameterOldBourtreebushstonecircle.Fivestones remain (one fallen),with twoother possible candidates for inclusion inthecircleinthewestandeast.

At NO 9064 9750, 1.2km (¾ mile) northeast of Auchquhorthies, is thereconstructed stone circle and cairnofCairnwell. Itwasmoved175m (574ft)northwestofitsoriginalpositiontomakewayforanindustrialsitein1995andnowstandsinalandscapedsettingbesidearoad.Excavationshowedacomplexsequence of activity, from a semi-circle of pits to the monument as it nowappears.

RecumbentStoneCirclesAdamWelfare,anarchaeologistwithHistoricEnvironmentScotland

Recumbent stone circles are found only in northeast Scotland, althoughthey share several characteristics withmany other stone rings scatteredthroughout Britain and Ireland. Over 70 are known, and their mostdistinctive feature is a large, horizontal stonepositioned in the southernquadrantof thecircle.Thisrecumbentstone is thebroadestandbulkieststone and is invariably carefully levelled, although its summit is notnecessarilyflat.Itmayhaveanasymmetric,boat-likeprofile(asatAikeyBraeandKirktonofBourtie) andappear tobe raked slightlybackward,whileitsexternalfaceisoftenstriking,addingtoitsimpressiveness.Twotall stones fitting tightly against each end of the recumbent are termed“flankers” and together the three form the recumbent setting. Theflankers, which usually tower over the recumbent (Cothiemuir Wood,page319,isagoodexample)normallyformacontrastingpair,withonebeingslender,whiletheotherisstout.Manyhaveapronouncedcurvetotheirsilhouette(asatMidmarKirk,seepage316)and,togetherwiththerecumbentstonetheymakeanimportantvisualstatement,oftenenhancedbyaflatteningofthering’scurvatureinthissector.Theremainderoftheringisusuallymadeupofbetweensixand10uprightstonesororthostats.Their broader faces are generally turned outward, like those of therecumbentandflankers;andtheyarepositionedinpairseithersideofthering’s axis, forming a remarkably regular circle behind the recumbentsetting–whichcanappearskewedbycomparison.Theuprightsarealsoroughlygradedinheightfromtheflankerstotheshorteststone,whichistypically situated somewhere in the ring’s northeast quadrant. Theirdiameter usuallymeasures between 15m and 25m (49–82ft), but largerand smaller examples are found. If there are cup-marks, they almostalways occur on the recumbent setting or the adjacent uprights (as atSunhoney,page316).

However,arecumbentstonecircleismorethanadistinctivering.Thestones’ footings are generally embedded within a rubble platformencircling a low, flat-topped, polygonal cairn. The platform is usuallywellfounded,butnotmuchlargerthanthering,anditsouterperimeterisrarelyneatlyfinished.Thiscontrastswiththecairn,whichwillgenerally

be carefully built, despite being constructed directly on subsoil.Wheretheseareringcairns,tightlypackedkerbstonesretainanearthandrubblematrixwithasmallkerbedcourtatthecentre(asatAuchquhorthies,page313). The outer kerbs are sometimes turned outward to link with therecumbent or flankers, while the kerb stones themselves sometimescrudelymimicthegradingoftheringstones.Othercairnsappeartolackacentral court,while a small group of rings in the extreme northeast areconnectedwithsmallkerbedstonywallsenclosingrelativelywide,opencourts.

Excavationsincethemid-19thcenturyhasyieldedusefulinformation,butaclearstructuralsequencewasonlyretrievedfromTomnaverie(seepage317)attheendofthe20thcentury.Aseriesofdatesconfirmingtheorigin of these circles in the early Bronze Age was also obtained. Theearliestactivitywasdenotedbyasmallheapofburntsoil,charcoalandpulverized bone: debris from a funeral pyre. This was later enclosedwithin a low cairn bondedwith the platform, at the edge of which therecumbent stone circle was later erected – necessitating thereconfigurationofthecairnbehindtherecumbentsettingsothatthekerblinkedwiththeflankers.

Thelocationoftherecumbentsettingprovidestheringwithadistinctorientation, althoughwhether the target lies in the sky or the landscapehasprovedcontentious.Untilrecently,therangeofazimuths(anazimuthbeing the angle between a celestial body and the north, measuredclockwisearoundtheobserver’shorizon)appearedtofavourthemoonasthefocus.Thiswasthoughttobesupportedbythecommonincidenceofcup-marks and milky white quartz in the rings. This mineral, like theorientationandthecoloursofthestonesthemselves,wasclearlyintendedtoconveymeaning,butotheraspectsofthearchitecturearealsointenselysymbolicandeveryelementmustcontribute toaconsistentexplanation.TheVictoriansbelieved the recumbentsettingcouldbe readasacloseddoorway,lockingghostsintothecircle;butsincethenithasbeenslowlycomprehended thatmuchof thedesign appears to have its origin in thearchitecture ofNeolithic chambered tombs.Another level of symbolismconstrues quartz as referencing the sun,which in radiatingwarmth andlight is synonymouswith fire– themeansbywhich thedeadwhowerebroughttotheseplacesweretransmutedintoanotherdimension.Thus,theorientationsshouldbeinterpretedasgeneralizedsolaralignments,whichin conjunctionwith the contrast between the location of the recumbentsetting and the smallest upright in the ring, places the emphasis on the

winter solstice: the point where the old year dies and the new begins;while the overall symbolism, expressed in the circularity of thesemonuments,alludestothecycleoflife.

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CRAIGHEADBADENTOYStoneCircle|NearestTown:PortlethenMap:NO91189772|Sheets:E406L38|Lat:57.07042N|Long:2.14709W

An unusual site in an industrial setting of huge containers, this reconstructedcircle resembles a four-poster, although it seems to have had seven stonesoriginally. All four remaining stones havemetal rings attached to their lowerfaces(onceusedtotetheraflagstaff)anditseemsunlikelythatanyareintheiroriginal positions, except possibly the southernmost. The northeastern one hasbeensplitusingadrill,themarksstillclearlyvisible.

CULLERLIEStoneCircle|NearestVillage:EchtMap:NJ78510428|Sheets:E406L38|Lat:57.12889N|Long:2.35659W

Considered by some to be overly manicured, Cullerlie is nevertheless aninterestingandunusual site,witha ringofeight large,boulder-likestones thatsurrounds eight small burial cairns. In the early 19th century there wereapparently a number of similar circles to the southwest but no trace of theseremains.Thesiteislaterthantherecumbentcirclesofthearea.

SUNHONEYStoneCircle|NearestVillage:EchtMap:NJ71590569|Sheets:E406L38|Lat:57.14122N|Long:2.47107W

A lovely if sometimes overgrown recumbent circle, the delightfully namedSunhoney (named after the farm on whose land it stands) is 27m (87ft) indiameterandhas11redgraniteorgneissstandingstonesalongwithalargegreygraniterecumbent,which,althoughithasslipped(orbeenmoved)andbroken,isstillimpressiveat5.3m(17ft4in)long.Ithasmorethan30cup-marks,althoughsomearehardtosee.There’saraisedplatform,7m(23ft)acrossand0.3m(1ft)high,withinthecircle,probablytheremainsofacairn,andcremationdepositswerefoundwhenthecirclewasexcavatedin1865.

Nearby | At NJ 7260 0712, some 1.7km (just over 1 mile) northeast ofSunhoney,BarmekinofEchtisamulti-vallatehillfortwithanunusuallylarge

number of entrances and five concentric ramparts. It is probably amultiphasemonument, as at least one entrance is blocked by a subsequentwall.A 3.3kg(7lb4oz)NeolithicstoneaxemadefromlocalchloriteschistwasfoundhereinVictoriantimesandisnowintheNationalMuseumofScotland.It’ssobigit’sthoughtthatitmusthavebeenusedforcuttingdowntrees.

MIDMARKIRKStoneCircle|NearestVillage:EchtMap:NJ69940649|Sheets:E406L38|Lat:57.1483N|Long:2.49843W

Unusually located among gravestones in the churchyard ofMidmarKirk, thisrecumbentcircleofeightstonesis17m(55ft)across.It’sthoughtthattherewereoriginally10or11stonesintotal.Thecurvedflankingstones,bothabout2.5m(8ft)tall,areverystriking,resemblinghornsorteeth.It’sacuriousplaceandallthemorepleasingforthat.Therecumbentismassive,4.5m(14ft)longandupto1.2m(4ft)wide,andweighing18tonnes(20tons).Fivestandingstonessurvive,aswellasthetwoflankersandtherecumbent.Theremainsofacairnareevidentinthesouthernsideofthecircle;thecairncouldhavebeenclearedawaywhenthegraveyardwaslaidoutin1914.

Nearby | At NJ 6987 0659, just 122m (400ft) or so north of the church,MidmarKirkN, alsoknownas theBalbairStone, is a fine, slender standingstoneinawoodlandsetting.

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GLASSELStoneCircle|NearestVillage:TorphinsMap:NO64909969|Sheets:E406L37|Lat:57.08686N|Long:2.58076W

Oddly hard to find if you’re not paying attention, Glassel stone circle is in aclearinginwoodland,delightful indappledsunlight.Itcomprisesfivestandingstonesofreddishgranite,noneofthemverytall(1m/3ft3inisthehighest),inasub-oval setting.The circle is thought to represent a transitional type betweenrecumbentcirclesandfour-posters.

“Theforesttracktothestoneswashardgoing.Comingback,Ifollowedtherivertotheroad–mucheasier.”ChristopherBickerton

TOMNAVERIEStoneCircle|NearestVillage:TarlandMap:NJ48650348|Sheets:OL59L37|Lat:57.11937N|Long:2.84963W

Inasettingthatfeelsratherprecarious,almostundercutbyadisusedquarry,thisisa fine recumbentcircle.As it isnothemmed inbycommercial forestry, theviewsarewonderful.The17m(56ft)ringwasreconstructedfollowingRichardBradley’sexcavationsinthelate1990s.Therearenow11stonesstanding(mostofpaleredgranite),ofanoriginal13,witha3.2m(10ft5in)recumbentofgreygranitethathastwocup-marks.Theremainsofacentralringcairncanalsobeseen.Theexcavationrevealedthecirclewasbuiltonanearlierlevelledplatformand burial cairn – under the recumbent stone a pit containing charcoal wasfound,whichhasbeen radiocarbon-dated to2500BC.TheapparentlyorganizednatureofconstructionledBradleytosuggestthattheentiresequenceofbuildingfromplatformandcairntofinalcirclewasconceivedfromtheoutset.

SkyscapeArchaeologyatTomnaverieLizHenty,Co-editoroftheJournalofSkyscapeArchaeology

Skyscape archaeology is an interdisciplinary way of studying materialremains, adopting a phenomenological approach to marryarchaeoastronomical researchwith theknownarchaeology.Thismethodwas applied to recent research into Tomnaverie recumbent stone circle(Henty 2014) to examine the movements of the sun, moon and starsduringtheyear2580BCBC,whichisthedatejudgedtobetheearliestonepossible for the construction of the central ringmound (Bradley 2005).When seen from a northeast position outside the circle, below stones 8and 9, the recumbent arrangement at the southwest appears to form awindow to the sky through which an observer can view celestialmovements.

Inthewintermonths,betweenOctoberandFebruary, thesettingsuncan be observed through thiswindow,with the setting points travellingtoward the solstice position and back again. The high fullmoonwouldhave traversed the recumbent in thewinter,but therewasapparentlynointerest inthestandstillmoonatTomnaverie.Onthenightof thewintersolsticemanybrightstarswouldhavesetwithinanhourofeachother:thered starsAldebaran andBetelgeuse to thewest of thewindow, and thebrightwhiteSiriusslightlytothesouth.ThestarsofOrion’sBeltwouldhaveappeared to set almosthorizontallyon topof the recumbent stone.This pastiche of red and white stars corresponds to the red and white(weathered pale grey) stones of the circle. With small variation thiscyclicalpatternofsettingstarswouldhavebeenvisiblethroughthewintermonths, not just during the year 2580BC but annually, in a spectaculardisplaythatwasworthstayingupfor.

InsummerthesunsetslateinnorthernScotlandandtheskydoesnotget completely dark, so the longwinter nights aremore favourable formakingcelestialobservations.Researchersdisagreeon thenatureof thealignments at recumbent stone circles and whether the moon was aspecific focus, but considering the repeating solar, lunar and stellaralignmentsinthewintermonthsitseemslikelythatcircleswerebuilttorelatetothewintersky.ThesepulchralfunctionoftheTomnaveriecirclewithitsearlierfuneralpyrescouldhavebeenassociatedwith thesetting

of the sun in thewinter,whichmetaphorically symbolizes death beforethe spring renewal. It follows that the recumbent arrangementmonumentally enshrined the particular configurations of the celestialmovements sacred to the builders, creating a holistic cosmology toaccountfordeath.

Bradley,R.,2005.TheMoonandtheBonfire:AnInvestigationofThreeStoneCirclesinAberdeenshire.Edinburgh:SocietyofAntiquariesofScotland.

Henty,Liz,2014.“TheArchaeoastronomyofTomnaverieRecumbentStoneCircle:AComparisonofMethodologies”.PapersfromtheInstituteofArchaeology,Vol.24,2014,pp.45–59.

Findoutmoreaboutskyscapearchaeologyat:journals.equinoxpub.com/index.php/JSA

CASTLEFRASERAltNames:Balgorkar,WestMainStoneCircle|NearestVillage:KemnayMap: NJ 7150 1253 | Sheets: E406/421 L38 | Lat: 57.20265N | Long:2.47334W

Afinerecumbentstonecircle,notedbyAubreyBurlasoneofthebestexamplesofitstype.It’ssaidtherewereoriginally11stoneshereina21m(69ft)ring,butoneismissing,whileothershavefallen.Oneofthestoneswasknockedoverandbroken in two in 2002. The recumbent and flankers are really splendid, the2.25m(7ft4in)recumbentsittingneatlybetweenflankersthatriseto2.45m(8ft)and2.7m(8ft10in)high.The remainsofaplough-damaged ringcairn,withafewkerbstonesprotrudingfromthemound,canbeseenwithinthecircle.

Nearby | At NJ 7174 1252, in the same field as the stone circle, 239m(784ft)totheeast,aretwostandingstonesorastonerow.Thenortheaststoneisabout2m(6½ft)inheight,thesouthwestabout1.8m(6ft).

At NJ 7105 1344, just 1km (0.6 miles) northwest of Castle Fraser stonecircle,WoodendofClunyorTonBurnisanextremelyimpressive3.3m(11ft)standingstone,coveredinlichenandsetinabroadleafplantation.

COTHIEMUIRWOODAltName:Devil’sHoofmarksStoneCircle|NearestTown:AlfordMap:NJ61711980|Sheets:E421L38|Lat:57.26724N|Long:2.63649W

A really lovely location in awoodland clearing. Therewas some controversyabout theareanearbybeingchosenforanaturalburialground,but itdoesnotimpingeonthesite.Althoughthecircleisbadlydamageditisimpressive,withavery large recumbent, 4.3m (14ft) long, and towering 2.7m (9ft) flankers. In1842therewerestill12stonesbutthistotalisnowreducedtoeight,withsevenstill standing. The monument began life as a low cairn, open in the middle,possibly containing a cist. The sockets of two standing stones cut through thecairn, showing that the stone circlewas a later addition.The alternative nameDevil’sHoofmarkscomesfromthenaturalindentationsontherecumbent;thereareacoupleofpossiblecup-marksaswell.

Nearby|AtNJ59651939,2.1km(1¼miles)westofCothiemuirWood,isthewonderfulOldKeigstonecircle.Itmaybebadlydamaged,butitstillretainsmuch of its power, perhaps due to its enormous recumbent: at 5m (16ft 7in)long,2m(6½ft) thickand2.1m(6ft10in)high,andweighinganestimated48tonnes(53tons),it’sthelargestandheaviestthereis–anditprobablytravelled10km(6¼miles) togethere.Theflankersare impressive, too,reachingnearly3m(9½ft)inheight.Thisstonehasrealpresence–andfineviews.Arobbed-outcairnstandswithinthecircle.

AtNJ55272794,around10km(6miles)northwestofCothiemuirWood,isArdlairrecumbentstonecircle(seephoto,page8),situatedinaveryimpressivelocationsurroundedbyhills.

“Still imposing despitemost of the east side being destroyed.LikeOldKeig, just over 2km (1¼ miles) to the west, this has an excellentrecumbentandflankers.”EwenRennie

EASTERAQUHORTHIESStoneCircle|NearestTown:InverurieMap:NJ73232079 |SheetsE421L38|Lat:57.27695N |Long:2.4456W

Anattractiverecumbentstonecircle,well-keptandneatand,unusually,withallits stones still in place, surrounded by a stone-walled enclosure in a farmlandsetting. There are 11 stones in the circle plus the recumbent itself, which hasthreefurtherstonessetalmostatrightanglestoit.Thestandingstonesareallredjasper, except the grey granite flanking stones either side of the recumbent.

These flankers are the tallest: 2.2–2.4m (7–8ft). The recumbent is 3.8m (12ft5in)long.Theinteriormaycontainaringcairnandcist,apparentlyundisturbed.

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TYREBAGGERAltName:DyceStoneCircle|NearestVillage:DyceMap: NJ 8595 1322 | Sheets: E406/421 L38 | Lat: 57.20952N | Long:2.23422W

A wonderful recumbent circle, with a great atmosphere despite the adjacentradiomastandviewsoverDyceAirport(althoughaplannedbypasswillmakeitnoisier infuture).Some18.5m(61ft) indiameter, thecirclehasstonesthataresetinalowstonybankthatsurroundstheremainsofaringcairn.Thedarkgreygraniterecumbentis3.4m(11ft)long,2.4m(8ft)high,andweighs21tonnes(23tons),whilethe10circlestones,whicharefrom1.3m(4ft3in)to3.2m(10ft7in)tall,aremadeofagrittyredgranite.

“TodescribeTyrebaggerasabeautifulplacewouldbelikesayingwateris wet. I simply don’t have the words. I suggest you see for yourself.”SheilaCaldwell

BROOMENDOFCRICHIEMegalithicComplex|NearestVillage:PortElphinstoneMap:NJ77911968|Sheets:E421L38|Lat:57.26723N|Long:2.36789W

Close to the main road, an industrial complex and a housing estate, this is acurioussiteandamelancholysurvivalofwhatwasanimportant lateNeolithicceremonial complex. Once there was a six-stone circle inside a small henge,33.5m(110ft)indiameter,anda400m(1,312ft)avenue,containinganestimated72stonesintworows,thatleadsouthtotheriverandnorthtoasettingofthreeconcentriccircles,50m(164ft)northofthehenge.Thestonesofthehengecircleandavenueweredynamitedinthe19thcentury,leavingjusttwooriginalstoneswithin the henge, and only three or four stones remaining in the avenue,including one just south of the henge.The three concentric stone circleswerealso destroyed. The third stone now standing in the henge is a Pictish carvedstonethatwasmovedherewhentheAberdeen–Invernessrailwaylinewasbuilt.It may be a reused prehistoric standing stone, but the fine carvings date toaround600AD.

Nearby | At NJ 7787 1917 and NJ 7783 1922, in woodland some 500m(1,640ft)southofthehenge,aretheoddstoneseatsthatwereconstructedfromprehistoriccistsfoundwhentheaccessroadforthenowdisusedpapermillwasbuilt.ThefourcistswerefoundatthesouthernendoftheBroomendofCrichieavenue;onewasempty,whiletheotherscontainedBeakerburials.

KIRKTONOFBOURTIStoneCircle|NearestVillage:OldmeldrumMap:NJ80092488|Sheets:E421L38|Lat:57.31404N|Long:2.33217W

Therecumbenthereisabsolutelyenormous–5m(16ft)long,1.9m(6ft4in)talland 1.7m (5½ft)wide.Originally therewere probably 10 or 11 stones – onlyfour survive. The remaining, eastern flanker is 3m (10ft) tall. Please don’t gointo the field if there are crops growing; ask for permission at the farm if indoubt.

SOUTHYTHSIEStoneCircle|NearestVillage:TarvesMap:NJ88503040|Sheets:E421L30|Lat:57.36392N|Long:2.19281W

Areallycharmingcircle,setinfarmland.It’sjust8.2m(27ft)indiameter,withsix large, boulder-like stones (the tallest 1.7m/5ft 7in). Itmay have originallybeenafour-poster.

“Verycutelittlecircle,withfineviewsacrossthefields.”JackieBates

LOANHEADOFDAVIOTStoneCircle|NearestVillage:DaviotMap:NJ74772885|Sheets:E421L38|Lat:57.34944N|Long:2.42089W

Thisinterestingmultiphasesitehasafinerecumbentstonecircle,20.5m(64ft)indiameter,with an interior cist surrounded by a low covering of cairnmaterialanda ringorkerbof smaller stones.The frost-cracked recumbent is largeandstill has its flankers, and there are eight other stones in the circle, graded inheight.Thestoneeastoftheeasternflankerhasalineoffivecup-marks.Nearbyisamorerecent(c.1500BC)circularcremationcemetery.

Nearby|AtNJ74562966,836m(½mile)NNWofLoanheadofDaviot,aretheremainingstonesoftheNewCraigstonecircle:acrackedrecumbentanditsflankers. The stones are impressive (the recumbent is 4m/13ft long) and havebeenbuilt intoastonewall.Anumberofother largestonescanbeseeninthewoodlandbehind.

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BACKHILLOFDRACHLAWStoneCircle|NearestTown:TurriffMap:NJ67294633|Sheets:E425L29|Lat:57.50597N|Long:2.54752W

Quite anunusual circle for thispart of theworld, built fromsixvery striking,large pebble-filled conglomerate rockswith no recumbent.The tallest stone is1.5m(5ft)andtheringisabout8.5m(28ft)across.

“Thestonesareunusualinbeingbasalticwithveinsofpebblesinthem.”EwenRennie

AIKEYBRAE

StoneCircle|NearestVillage:MintlawMap:NJ95884709|SheetsE427L30|Lat:57.51397N|Long:2.07042W

Ifyouwalkthroughthematureplantationtoreachthissiteyou’llfinditverydarkandatmospheric,thetreescreakingaboveyouinthewind…steppingoutintothesunlighttoseethecircleisanexcitingmoment.ThisisaBuchan-typerecumbentstonecircle,withakerbedrubblebankorwall.Excavation in2001suggestedthecirclewasimposedonapreviousmonument,astheholesforthestonescutthroughtherubblebank.Thecirclehasfiveerectstonesincludingtheimpressiveandratherwhale-like (orphallic,dependingonyourpointofview)recumbentstoneandtheeasternflanker,andfiveprostratestonesincludingthewesternflanker.

Nearby |AtNJ 9610 4974, some 2.7km (1½miles) north ofAikeyBrae,LoudonWoodcanbetrickytofindinitsplantationsetting.Itisbadlydamaged,with just the recumbent and four other stones (two of which are fallen)

remaining.Therecumbenthasbeencrackedbyhavingafirelitbeneathit.

STRICHENHOUSEStoneCircle|NearestVillage:StrichenMap:NJ93675449|Sheets:E427L30|Lat:57.58041N|Long:2.1075W

Strichen is a site with a fascinating history. In the early 19th century, all thestonesof this recumbentcircle, except the recumbentand flankers,were takendown by the tenant farmer. The landowner protested, and the circle wasreconstructed,incorrectlyandinaslightlydifferentplace.In1960,allthestoneswereremoved.Therecumbentandflankerswerereplaced,only toberemovedagain in1965during tree-fellingoperations.Finally, thesitewasexcavatedbyAubreyBurl himself in 1979–83, and the circle reconstructed once again, thistime in itsoriginalposition. It’saBuchan-typecircle,with thestones setonalowearthbank.Therearesevenstonesinadditiontotherecumbentandflankers.

NETHERTONStoneCircle|NearestVillage:CrimondMap:NK04335722|Sheets:E427L30|Lat:57.60496N|Long:1.9292W

Thispartlyrestoredrecumbentstonecircle,surroundedbyamodernwallandsetinalittlecopseofdeciduouswoodland,isespeciallylovelywhenthebluebellsareout.It’sabout17m(55ft)across,witheightstones,oneofwhichhasfallen.Therecumbentisaround2.9m(9½ft)inlength.

Nearby|AtNK02765716,inasmallwoodedarea1.6km(1mile)westofNetherton,Berrybraestonecirclehasjustfiveremainingstonesofanoriginalnine,includingtherecumbent,3.3m(10ft10in)long.Thestonesaresetintoanovalbank,13.7m(45ft) indiameter,whichalongwith thestonecirclewas thefirst phase of the monument. A ring cairn in the centre held three cremationburials. The second phase saw the standing stones thrown down, the cairnlevelled and an enclosed cremation cemetery created. The bank wasreconstructedafterAubreyBurl’s1976excavation.

MEMSIECairn|NearestVillage:MemsieMap:NJ97666205|Sheets:E427L30|Lat:57.64836N|Long:2.04086W

Once there were three large cairns here – all three around 90m (295ft) indiameterand12m(39ft)high–aswellaslotsofsmallones,butby1845onlyone remained. It is a well-preserved example and an impressive 24m (78ft)acrossandabout4.4m(14ft5in)high.Whenexcavated,abeakerandabroken,leaf-shapedswordwerefound.

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Moray

ROTHIEMAYStoneCircle|NearestVillage:MilltownofRothiemayMap:NJ55084872|Sheets:E425L29|Lat:57.52639N|Long:2.75171W

Set in a gently sloping field, this recumbent circle inMoray is 28m (92ft) indiameter,andmayhavehad12to14stonesbeforesomeofthesewereremovedin themid-19th century. Only five remain, including the recumbent, which isabout4.3m(14ft) longandupto1.8m(5ft10in)inheight.It isprofuselycup-marked,withat least19cup-markson the top,and72on theback,somewithrings.Theflankersaremissing.Ageophysicalsurveysuggestedtheremayhavebeentworingsorsettings,asatAuchquhorthies(seepage313),orelseperhapsacirclewithoutliers.

Nearby |AtNJ58225495,7km(4½miles)northeastofRothiemay is thelittle Thorax stone circle, with all its six stones upright. The stone to thenorthwesthas22cup-marks.

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Highland

TOMNANCARRAGHStandingStones|NearestVillage:DulnainBridgeMap: NJ 0111 2464 | Sheets: OL60/61 L36 | Lat: 57.30161N | Long:3.64289W

The threestandingstonesherearevisible from theA95,ona smallhill in thefloodplainoftheRiverSpey.About2.1m(7ft)talland100m(328ft)apart, thestones form a dogleg, the lie of the land meaning the end stones are notintervisible.Thesoutherlystonehasapartnerthatliesatitsbase.

BALNUARANOFCLAVAAltNames:MainsOfClava,TheClavaCairnsClavaCairns|NearestCity:InvernessMap:NH75724444|Sheets:E422L27|Lat:57.47311N|Long:4.07398W

ThesethreelargeBronzeAgecairns,builtaround2000BC,areeachsurroundedby a circle of standing stones andhave given their name to theClava type ofburialcairn.Excavationsduringthe1990sbyRichardBradleyshowedthethreecairnsandsurroundingcirclesatBalnuaranofClavawereallconstructedatthesametime.Significantamountsofquartzwerefound,suggestingthatthecairnscould have glowedwhite when newly constructed andwould have been verystriking,atover3m(10ft)highoriginallyandwitharubbleplatformextendingto theouterstandingstones.Thekerbofall threecairns isgraduated,with thebiggest stones to the south or southwest, and causeways link some standingstoneswitheachcairn.Itseemslikelythateachcairncontainedasingleburial,asatCorrimony(seepage326).

BALNUARANOFCLAVANEThis chambered ringcairnwithapassageanda16.7m (55ft)diameterkerb issurrounded by a circle of 11 standing stones. Several stones have cup-marks,

including two kerb stones, the standing stone northwest of the passage and ahorizontalslabinthechamberwall.OriginallyboththisandBalnuaranofClavaSW would have had corbelled roofs with a capstone, covered with cairnmaterial. Themonument is alignedwith themidwinter solstice; this has beenobservedbycoveringthechamberandpassagewithtarpaulinsotheraysofthesettingsuncanbeseentotraveldownthepassage,dividingthechamberinhalfandcreatinganintensebeamoflightonthebackwall.

BALNUARANOFCLAVACENTRALThecentralcairnhasacentralchamberbutnopassage,andwasnever roofed.The kerb displays contrasting colours and textures, as well cup-marks, and is18.3×15.9m(60×52ft)indiameter.Ninestandingstonessurroundthecairn.

BALNUARANOFCLAVASWBalnuaranofClavaSWhasa16×15m(52×49ft)kerband10survivingstonesinthesurroundingcircle,throughwhicharoadhasbeenbuilt.Thismonumentis

almostidenticalindesignandconstructiontoBalnuaranofClavaNEandsharesits orientationon themidwinter sun.Viewed from thenortheast cairn, the sunwouldhaveseemedtosetontopofit.Cup-markscanbeseenonafoundationstoneinthechamber,westoftheentrance,andastoneonthesouthsideofthepassage.

Nearby |AtNH6878 4508 (sheets: E416, L26), 7km (4½miles)west ofBalnuaran of Clava,Raigmore, also known as Stoneyfield, is a reconstructedClavacairn,movedwhen itsoriginal sitewasdestroyedby roaddevelopment.It’s amultiphase site, oncebelieved tobe a stone circle.More recently itwasseenasadenudedkerbcairn,buttheexcavationsin1971–2showedsomethingmore complex, developing from pit-digging and deposition in the earlyNeolithic, followedbyapossiblyroofed timberstructurewithacentralhearth,andfinallyacairncoveringanumberofcistburials.Itwasmovedtoitspresentpositionbyvolunteersin1974–5,andhasrecentlybeenadoptedbylocalpeopleaspartoftheAdoptaMonumentscheme.

CARNDALEYClavaCairn|NearestVillage:DrumnadrochitMap:NH49453146|Sheets:E431L26|Lat:57.34867N|Long:4.50355W

A Clava-type burial cairn, 12m (39ft) across, pretty badly damaged. It wasexcavated inaround1900but there seem tobeno recordsof this.Thekerb isevidenton thesouthernsideand theringofstandingstones ismostlymissing.Aerial or pole photography is useful here, as the site is much easier tounderstandfromabove.SeetheMegalithicPortalpageforalinktoa3Dmodelofthiscairn.

MAP

CORRIMONYClavaCairn|NearestVillage:CannichMap:NH38303029|Sheets:E431L26|Lat:57.33437N|Long:4.68793W

AlovelyexampleofaClavacairn.Excavationin1952ledtothediscoveryofa

crouched burial beneath the floor of the chamber; the monument wassubsequently restored. It stands on the floodplain of theRiver Enrick and thekerbedcairnismadeofwater-wornstones.Thechamberisopenandthepassageisstillroofed,soyou’llhavetocrawlin(there’susuallyalargepuddletoaddtothefun!).Elevenstandingstonessurroundthecairn,fourofwhich(thosenearestthe entrance to the passage) have been re-erected – the two to the west areVictorian replacements,made from lintels from the passage.One stone to thenorthwesthascup-marksontheouterface.Thelargeslabonthetopofthecairn,alsocup-marked,wasprobablyacapstone.

SWORDALEHILLRockArt|NearestVillage:EvantonMap:NH57726616|Sheets:E432L21|Lat:57.66273N|Long:4.38657W

There are at least 28 separate cup-marked rocks here, many discovered since2011byDouglasScott,whoalsofoundahengeonthehill’sDruimMorridge(where there’s also a chambered cairn at NH 5788 6614). This is the largestconcentrationofrockartintheHighlands,afinedisplayofcup-marksandcup-and-rings. Scott, who suggests a midwinter sunrise alignment for the henge

entrance, believes the rock artwas ritually created “as ameans to contact thespiritancestorsintheunderworldasthesunormoonroseoutof,orsetinto,thelandofthedead”.

CLACHMHICMHIOSStandingStone|NearestVillage:LothbegMap:NC94041508|Sheets:E444L17|Lat:58.11199N|Long:3.79991W

Standing among the heather on a hillock inwhat is surely one of this book’sremotest locations(it’snot far fromtheroad,but there’snota lotgoingonuphereinGlenLoth),thissplendidstandingstoneisaveryimpressive3.3m(11ft)redsandstonemonolith,upto1.4m(4ft11in)broad.Thepath–ifyoucancallitapath–fromtheroadcanbeextremelyboggy.In1911therewereapparentlytwostonesofsmallersizenearby,butthere’snosignofthemnow.

LEARABLEHILLMultipleStoneRows|NearestVillage:HelmsdaleMap:NC89252355|Sheets:E444L17|Lat:58.18683N|Long:3.88523W

UponLearableHill,thereisaclusteroffourgroupsofstonerowstogetherwithastandingstone,stonecircleandseveralcairns.Thiswasclearlyaspecialplaceintheprehistoricperiod.Thestonerows,incommonwithothersintheregion,arecomposedofsmallstones,mostlybetween0.1mand0.4m,(3inand1ft3in),and many are hidden in the heather. All the rows are of the characteristicCaithnessandSutherlandfan-shapedtype.Thenortherngroupincludesatleastthree lines of stones, while the adjacent one has up to nine individual rowsextending for about 54m (177ft). The remaining rows are separated from thenorthern ones by a large standing stone (at NC 8925 2349) that has beenChristianizedbyasmall,incisedcross.Southofthisstoneisanothergroupthatincludes seven lines of edge-set stones.The final group is situated east of thelargestandingstoneandcanbeparticularlydifficult to find.Only threestonesnowsurvivebutitisknowntohavebeenmoreextensive.

Thestonecircle(atNC89162351)isashortdistancetothewestoftherowsandhasatleastsevenupright,smallslabsaroundanareameasuring20×17.5m(65ft 6in × 57½ft). Some of the cairns in the vicinity may be the result ofclearancebutmostareprobablyassociatedwiththerowsandcircle.

Nearby |AtNC87572830,5km(justover3miles)northwestofLearableHill, is Kinbrace Burn chambered cairn, an Orkney-Cromarty short-hornedcairnwith aCamster-type chamber.Measuring 17.2 × 16.6m (56ft 5in × 54ft5in), it’s badly robbed and clearly defined only to the north. The near-centralchamber is very disturbed and filled with rubble. A heart-shaped serpentineamuletwas apparently foundhere during excavations before 1911, but is nowlost.Therearemorecairnsofvarioustypesnearhere,butthisoneistheclosesttotheroad.

Caithness(NEHighlands)

BADANLOCHAltName:CnocMolachMultipleStoneRows|NearestVillage:KinbraceMap:NC78263516|Sheets:E448L17|Lat:58.28814N|Long:4.07812W

There are hut circles, a field system and a burntmound up here on theCnocMolachmoorland,aswellassevenrowsofstones,alignedNNE–SSW.Around28stoneshavebeen identified.The largest stone in thealignment is just0.7m(2ft4in)high–mostofthemaretinyandonlyvisiblewhenthevegetationhasdiedback.

MAP

BULDOOAltName:LatheronTwoStonesStandingStones|NearestVillage:LatheronMap:ND20003369|Sheets:E450L11|Lat:58.28452N|Long:3.36597W

Buldoo is a very large standing stone, measuring 3.9m (12ft 8in) tall, with arathersmaller,squattercompanionlocatedtothesouthwest.

HILLO’MANYSTANESAltName:MidClythMultipleStoneRows|NearestVillage:MidClythMap: ND 2952 3840 | Sheets: E450 L11/12 | Lat: 58.32849N | Long:3.20504W

Themostfamous,best-preservedandmostaccessibleofthemultiple-stone-rowsites in Scotland, this is an impressive place even though the stones are quitesmall.Theymayallbelessthan1m(3ft3in)tall,manyhiddenamongthegorseandheather,but thereare lotsand lotsof them–around200of250 thatwerevisible in the19thcentury,arranged in22 rows, forminga fan-shapedpattern.Alexander Thom proposed that the stones formed a lunar observatory, and –havingmade similar observations at other sites – that major andminor lunarstandstills can be sighted from here. This is disputed by most currentarchaeoastronomers and archaeologists – indeed itwould seemdifficult to usesuchsmallstonesforsighting.

CAIRNO’GETAltName:GarrywhinChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:UlbsterMap: ND 3133 4112 | Sheets: E450 L11/12 | Lat: 58.35316N | Long:3.17502W

TheCairn o’Get is aNeolithic chambered cairn of the short-hornedOrkney-Cromarty type, damaged but still impressive. It seems to have originated as aroundchamberedcairn and is about2.2m (7ft 4in) inheight,with twohornedforecourts,onetothenorthandonetothesouth.Thepassageis3.3m(10ft9in)long,opentothesky–asisthechamberitself.Excavationsin1866foundthebonesofsevenorsopeopleintheantechamber,andafurthercremationdepositinthemainchamber.

Nearby | At ND 3138 4129, 178m (584ft) NNE of Cairn o’ Get, are theGarrywhinmultiple stone rows.Here, six to eight rowsof three to 13 stonesradiatefromacairnaround10m(33ft)indiameter,withacistburial.Thestonesare small, many hardly showing above the peat. There are further groups ofstone rows nearby: atBroughwin (ND 3124 4127,ND 3124 4095,ND 31204098),LochchWatenan(ND31744108),Groat’sLoch(ND31024065)andClash-an-Dam(ND31224041).

SOUTHYARROWSChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:ThrumsterMap: ND 3048 4320 | Sheets: E450 L11/12 | Lat: 58.37164N | Long:

3.19011W

TheSouthYarrowslongcairnisquiteclosetothecarparkandroad,butthebestway to it is to follow the South Yarrows Archaeological Trail (the link todownloadaguideisontheMegalithicPortalwebpagesforthesesites).Ittakesabouttwohours,hassomesteepclimbsandtherearepleasingduckboardsacrosstheboggybitsmakingyoufeellikeyou’rehavingaproperadventure.Thetrailtakesinvarioussites,including,atthestartofthetrail,abrochonanisletintheloch(amultiphaseconstruction,withthewallsremainingto2.7m/8ft10inhighinplaces),aswellashutcircles,ahillfortandtwohornedlongcairns.

SOUTHLONGCAIRNAt ND 3048 4320, 467m (¼mile)WSW of the broch, is the southerly longcairn,anOrkney-Cromartytype,builtwithhugeslabsofCaithnessflagstone.Itretainsmuchof its covering cairn andhas aCamster-type chamberwith threestallsat theeasternend.Asimilar, smallerchamber in themiddleof thecairnhasbeendestroyedalongwithhalf itspassage.Thecairn isabout78m(255ft)long,varyinginheightfrom1.5mto3.7m(5ftto12ft).Theprofileandtheshortpassagesuggestitbeganlifeasachamberedroundcairn.

NORTHLONGCAIRNAtND30494346,269m(883ft)northoftheabovelongcairn,isanotherhornedlongcairn.Thisislesscompletethanthesouthcairn,butsomedetailoftheeast-facingchambercanstillbeseen.Bothofthesecairnsseemtohavebeenreusedforcenturies;alatercistburialwasinsertedhere,whichcontainedanurnand70tiny lignitediscbeads froma jetnecklace.Acarvedstoneball (seepage312)with eight knobs was found nearby in the 1930s and is now in the RoyalMuseumofScotland.

Nearby|AtND31294403,1.2km(¾mile)northeastofSouthYarrows,ontheeasternshoreof theLochofYarrows, theBattleMoss stone rows includeeightmoreor lessparallel rowsof18–21stoneslabs,alignednorth–southandstretching about 40m (131ft). None is more than 0.3m (1ft) high –many aremuchsmaller–andabout100ofthemremain.Upto80ofthemremainvisibleabovegroundorjustbeneaththesurface.Herein2003KennethBrophyledthefirst excavation of a Scottish multiple stone row in modern times. No datingevidencewasrecoveredbutnothingwasfoundtosuggestthisisanythingother

thanaBronzeAgemonument.AlexanderThomhadproposedthatthisandothersites had lunar alignments, and that the rowsherewerenow irregular becausesome stones had beenmoved since erection. However the excavation showedthatsomestoneshadbeendeliberatelyalignedoff-axis,soBattleMosshadnotbeenbuiltasaseriesofcompletelyparallellines,thusdisprovingthealignmenttheory. In all likelihood, themonument hadbeen constructedover a periodoftime rather than in one burst of activity. Further research byAlexCarnes hassuggested that the stone rows of Caithness andDartmoor are linked, and thatboth are gradual developments of the long mound and older long-housetraditionsofhonouringtheancestors.

MAP

ACHAVANICHAltNames:LochStemster,AchkinlochStoneSetting|NearestVillage:LatheronMap: ND 1879 4177 | Sheet E450 L11/12 | Lat: 58.35687N | Long:3.38948W

Achavanich is an unusual horseshoe-shaped setting. The stones have theirnarrowratherthanbroadprofilesturnedtowardthecentre.Thereare34stonesstill inposition, fromanoriginal 54,mostlyon thewestern side.They are setamong the heather with a good view of the mountainous Highlands to thesouthwest;thenamemeans“fieldofthemonks”.Acistburialfoundabout700m(under½mile)awaywasfoundtocontainaBeakerburialthat,thankstorecentworkledbyMayaHoole, isnowrecognizedasoneoftheearliestBronzeAgeburials in Scotland (2455– 2147BC). The young woman, nicknamed Ava, hasbeenfaciallyreconstructed.Analysisofpollenfoundonpotteryburiedwithheridentifiedmanyplantsandflowers,includingmeadowsweetandStJohn’swort,knowntohavemedicinaluses.

GREYCAIRNSOFCAMSTEChamberedCairns|NearestTown:WickMap: ND 2601 4420 | Sheets E450 L11/12 | Lat: 58.37995N | Long:3.26689W

CHAMBEREDLONGCAIRNSurely one of the most impressive, dramatic and well-preserved chamberedcairnsinBritain,theOrkney-Cromarty-typehornedlongcairnatND26014420is69.5m(228ft) long,witha forecourtateachendand twoseparatechamberswith their own passages and entrances, eachwith a sheep-proof gate. They’reeasilyaccessible,closetotheroadandyoudon’treallyneedatorchastheyhaveroof lights. You will have to crawl, though, so be prepared to get muddy.Excavations in the1970sdemonstrated that themonumentbeganas tworound

cairns, later joined together with more cairn material. The passages wereextendedatthistime.

CHAMBEREDROUNDCAIRNThe round cairn atND2608 4403 is awell-preservedOrkney-Cromarty type,some 3.7m (12ft) high and 18m (59ft) across. A passage leads to a centralcorbelled chamberwith dry-stonewalling, divided into three by large verticalslabs.Excavation in the 19th century uncovered burnt bones, pottery and flinttoolsfromthechamber,aswellasfurtherskeletal remains in thechamberandpassage.

Nearby |AtND26024379,about250m(820ft) southof theGreyCairns,theCamsterstonerowsareapparentlyintact,withsixrows,upto26.8m(88ft)inlength,runningmoreorlessnorth–south.Many(ifnotmost)ofthestonesareunderpeat;inSeptember2016onlytwowereclearlyvisible.

CNOCFREICEADAINChamberedCairns|NearestVillage:ReayMap: ND 0132 6541 | Sheets: E450 L11/12 | Lat: 58.56553N | Long:3.69805W

TwoNeolithiclong-hornedchamberedcairnsoccupythetopofthehill,withaviewoverthedecommissionedDounreaynuclearpowerstation.ThecairnatND0132 6541 is 67m (219ft) long and aligned northeast–southwest.AtND01246532,just100m(328ft)fromitssiblingandsetatrightanglestoit,istheNaTriSitheancairn(thename,meaning“thethreefairymounds”,originallyreferredtoboth tombs). Na Tri Sithean is another long and impressive cairn – at 71m(233ft), it isoneof the longestof its type. Ithasa roundmoundateitherend,probablybothcontainingachamber.It’slikelythatitbeganlifeastwoseparateroundcairns,laterjoinedtogether.

Nearby|Within1km(0.6miles)NNWandWNWofthetwocairnsaretheUpperDounreaystonerows,chamberedcairnandstandingstone.AtND01176596, 564m (1,850ft)NNW and visible from here, is the stone row atCreagBhreacMhor.

WesternIsles

IsleofSyke

NACLACHANBHREIGEStoneCircle|NearestVillage:ElgolMap:NG54341769|Sheets:E411L32|Lat:57.18392N|Long:6.06695W

SetamidsometrulyspectacularsceneryonSkye,thisisadifficultsitetoaccess,surroundedonthreesidesbywater.TheroutefromtheElgolroadcanbeveryboggy, with a stream to ford. The name means “false stones”. Three stonesremain standing, while one has fallen, in a circle originally measuring about5.4m (18ft) in diameter. The stones are 1.5m (5ft), 2m (6½ft), and 1.8m (6ft)respectively;theirpronecompanionis3.5m(11½ft)inlength.Asatmanysites,they’resaidtobementurnedtostone,butthistimefordesertingtheirwives–asalutarylessontowould-bephilanderers.

SUARDALAltName:AnSitheanChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:BroadfordMap:NG62722203|Sheets:E411L32|Lat:57.2273N|Long:5.93277W

Inastunningsetting,thischamberedcairn(probablyHebrideantype)iseasytospot,setonaknollclosetotheroad.Itisabout12m(39ft)acrossandupto2m(6½ft)high;thelargerstonesstickingoutcouldbewhatisleftofthechamber.Thealternativenamemeans“hillofthefairies”,sowatchout!

Nearby |AtNG64172378,2.3km(justunder1½miles)fromSuardal,bythe roadside in Broadford, a mound covered with flowers and trees hassomethingofanatmosphereofmystery.KnownasCorry,orLiveras,thisbadlyrobbedHebrideantypechamberedcairnisabout23×16.7m(77×55ft),and4m(13ft) tall.Findshereincludedan(archer’s?)wristguardofgrey-greenstone(asimilar onewas foundon the beach, perhapsdumped there) and a potteryurncontainingasecondaryburial.Partoftheeasternsideofthecairnwasdestroyedwhentheroadwasmade,revealingatleastonestonecist.The2.4×1.8m(8×5ft)capstoneisapparentlystilltothenorthsideofthemound.

RUBH’ANDUNAINChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:CarbostMap:NG39341636|Sheets:E411L32|Lat:57.16381N|Long:6.31299W

Close to the shore of Loch na h-Airde, this would have been an imposingexampleofaHebridean-typeroundcairnbuiltofrectangularslabsofdry-stonewall,surroundedbyroundbouldersfromthebeach,about20m(66ft)acrossand3m (10ft) tall. The roof is missing, so you can easily see into the polygonalchamber, and there’s a 3m (10ft) passage. During excavation in 1931–2 theremainsofsixadultswerefound,alongwithflintandquartzchipsandpotterythat offered evidence of the use of the forecourt as a focus for communalgathering. The chamber appears to have been deliberately filled in with earthfollowingthefinalburial.

SouthUist

MAP

“Thereisanother‘ratherdoubtful’prehistoriccairnjusttothewest(atNG39291639),worthhavingalookforitwhileyou’rethere.Ifyoufindit,sendusaphoto!”AndyBurnham

VATTENProbableChamberedCairns|NearestVillage:DunveganMap: NG 2984 4399 | Sheets: E407/410 L23 | Lat: 57.40572N | Long:6.49976W

Therearetwo(probable)Hebridean-typechamberedcairnshere,sitedmuchlike

CnocFreiceadain(seepage331).Bothareprettyruinousbutstillimpressiveonthehorizonandworthanexplore.Thesoutherncairnisupto3.3m(11ft)highand 33.5–36.5m (110–120ft) across. Robbing has created a massive centralhollow without exposing a central chamber (presumably there is one). Thenortherncairnistaller,about5m(16ft)high,and30m(98ft)across,andinbetterconditionthanitssibling.

EYREAltName:SornaicheanCoirFhinnStoneRow|NearestVillage:KensaleyreMap:NG41435251|Sheets:E408L23|Lat:57.4888N|Long:6.31636W

Two stones on the shore of Loch Eyre. They’re about 4.2m (14ft) apart, thenorthernstoneis1.5m(5ft)andthesouthernis1.7m(5½ft).It’ssaidtherewasonceathirdstone,butthere’snosignofitnow.Infolklore,thesearethestonesthatsupportedFingal’scookingpotoverthefire.

CLADHHALLANPrehistoricSettlement|NearestVillage:DalabrogMap:NF73142198|Sheets:E453L31|Lat:57.17173N|Long:7.41035W

AtCladhHallannonSouthUisttheremainsofseveralBronzeAgeandIronAgehouses,includingtwodouble(“figureofeight”)roundhouses,werefoundinthemachair during sand quarrying. The better preserved of the two doubleroundhouses can be visited. One house showed evidence of continuoushabitationandrepairovermanyhundredsofyears,whichisveryunusual.Thesite isbestknownforoneof the firstdiscoveriesofprehistoricmummiesevermadeintheUK.Twoburialsshowedevidenceofmummification,andonebodyturned out to be a composite – made up of the skeletal remains of threeindividuals.Theheadandneckbelongedtooneman,thejawtoasecondandtherestofthebodytoathird.Theheadandjaw,liketheremainsofawomanandinfantalso found,hadbeencurated forabout300–400yearsbeforeburial,buttherestofthebodybelongedtoamanwhohaddied500yearsearlier.

Benbecula

CROISCHNOCABREACAStandingStone|NearestVillage:StoneybridgeMap: NF 7340 3366 | Sheets: E453 L22 | Lat: 57.276401N | Long:7.421388W

This fine pillar of Lewisian gneiss, 2m (6½ft) high, was named for itsresemblancetoacross.Itisalsosomewhatreminiscentofahumanfigurewithhead and arms, apparently eagerly gazing out to sea. It stands on amound ofpacking stones and it is not clear whether it was deliberately installed in itscurrentleaningposition.

Nearby |AtNF77033211,3.9km(under2½miles)eastofCroisChnocaBreaca,isAnCarrastandingstone,alsoknownasBheinna’Charra.Itisafinestone,taperingtowardthetop,andanimpressive5.2m(17ft)high.

STIARAVALChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:GramsdalMap:NF81215260|Sheets:E453L22|Lat:57.45131N|Long:7.31694W

ThischamberedcairnonBenbeculahadasoutheastentrance,andthepassage,ofwhichonlythenorthernsideremains,ledtoacircularchamber.It’sdifficulttoestimate exactly how big the cairn was because much of the stone has beenrobbedaway.

Nearby |AtNF81705247,505m(1,657ft)eastofStiaraval, is theAiridhnah-aonOidchechamberedcairn,sitedonahilltopandappearingtoformpartof thehorizon alongwith twodistant hills over on the Isle ofSkye42km (26miles)away.AtNF81435313,576m(1,890ft)NNEofStiaraval,istheplaying-card shaped Stiarval standing stone, damaged by frost. At around NF 73604952, about 10km (6miles) southwest of Stiaraval, isLionacleit, where it ispossible to see thepreserved remainsof aprehistoric submergedwoodlandontheshoreline.

SUIDHHEACHADHSEALGAltName:GramisdaleSouthStoneCircle|NearestVillage:GramsdalMap:NF82495521|Sheets:E453L22|Lat:57.47555N|Long:7.29908W

Abadly damaged circle, originally around 27m (89ft) in diameter. The talleststonemayhavehaditstopbrokenoff–itisnowabout1.5m(5ft)high.Thefivestonesofthewesternarcarelessthan1m(3ft3in)high,somealsobroken,andthere are four or five fallen stones.Within the circle are the low remainsof achambered cairn. There’s a standing stone close by to the north, at NF 82505528.

Nearby|AtNF82515613,918m(justover½mile)northofSuidhheachadhSealg,isGramisdale,aruinousstonecircleoriginallyc.26m(85ft)indiameter.

BARPALANGASSChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:ClachanaLuibMap:NF83776573|Sheets:E454L18|Lat:57.57053N|Long:7.29154W

OnNorthUist,thisisaHebrideanroundcairn,whichhave“funnel”entrances,narrow passages and simple chambers. Early examples, like this one, have aperistalith(circleofstones)aroundtheperimeter.It’sabout4m(13ft)highand24m (80ft) across,with 14 stones of the peristalith visible. The funnel-shapedforecourtisontheeasternside,fullofmaterialremovedduringattemptstofindthepassage.Theovalchamberis4×1.8m(13×6ft),roofedwiththreelintels.There is no access to the interior due to the collapse of part of the entrancepassage.

POBULLFHINNAltName:BenLangassStoneCircle|NearestVillage:ClachanaLuibMap:NF84286502|Sheets:E454L18|Lat:57.56454N|Long:7.28207W

In a breathtaking location just over thehill fromBarpaLangass, this circle ofabout 24 stones, c. 18m (59ft) across its longest axis, is built on an artificialplatform.Thelargeststoneisabout1.5m(5ft)high.

Nearby|TherearecairnsatNF83236297,2.3km(1½miles)southwestofPobullFhinnandatNF83346290,2.3km(1½miles)SSW;atNF82896303isLoch a' Phobuill circle, 2.4km (1½ miles) to the SSW of Pobull Fhinn; achamberedcairnisatNF83316271,2.5km(1½miles)SSWofPobullFhinn.

IsleofHarris

BORVEMOREStoneRow|NearestVillage:ScaristaMap:NG02029392|Sheets:E455L18|Lat:57.83518N|Long:7.02245W

ThisfinestoneonHarrisstands2m(6½ft)tall,withwonderfulviewsacrosstheseatoTaransay.Twonearbyprostrateslabsmayhaveoncebeenupright,partofastonesetting. In theearly20thcentury therewerefourfallenstones,and it’ssaidtherewasastonecircleherebutthisisunconfirmed.

COIRENAFEINNEChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:HorgabostMap:NG04729663|Sheets:E455L18|Lat:57.8612N|Long:6.98054W

Plantedupwithflowers,theremainsofthischamberedcairnsitinthecornerofasteeplyslopinggardenbesidetheTarberttoLeverburghroad.Thecairnwasallgonebeforetheendof the18thcentury,but thestonesof thechamberandthefallencapstone,2.2m(7ft)acrosswithtwocup-marksontheuppersurface,arequiteimpressive.Humanboneswerefoundherein1859.

CLACHMHICLEOIDAltNames:MacLeod’sStone,NisabostStandingStone|NearestVillage:HorgabostMap:NG04109718|Sheets:E455L18|Lat:57.86573N|Long:6.9916W

Animpressivestone,possiblyoncepartofarow,inareallyspectacularlocationoverlookingthesea.It’s3.3m(10½ft)inheightand1.4m(4ft6in)wide.Smallboulders at the footof the stone, and two large slabsnearby, areprobably theremainsofacairn.TheSSWfaceofthestonehasveinsoffeldsparandquartz.IthasbeennotedthattheprofileofitstopisidenticaltothemoststrikingpartofTaransaybehind.Coincidence–ornot?

LOCHSEAFORTHAltName:SìdevalStoneCircle|NearestVillage:ArivruaichMap:NB27821664|Sheets:E457L13|Lat:58.055N|Long:6.61548W

Anisolated,ruinous16.6m(54ft)circlewithwonderfulviews.Sevenstonesarevisibleofaprobable10.Onestandsinthefield,onehasfallen,therearethreeinthefieldwall,oneinthenorthwalloftheruinedblackhouseandprobablytwowithintheeasternwallandtwointhesouthernwall.About98m(100ft)southofthecircle,belowthehigh-watermark,isasettingof20orsostonesontheshore.

Nearby |AtNB27241455,2.2km (1¼miles)SSWofLochSeaforth, onLewis, is the 5m (16ft) Cailleach na Mointeach kerbed cairn, recentlydiscovered on top of one of the hills that form the “knees” of the femalelandscape form known as the Cailleach na Mointeach (“old woman of themoors”),alsocalled theSleepingBeauty(seepage341).This isolatedsite isachallenge toget to.Thenearest road is the reasonable trackoff theA859 thatrunsbetweentheendofLochSeaforthandLochSkebacleit,andthenitisahikeupasteephill.

MAP

IsleofLewis

ACHMOREStoneCircle|NearestVillage:AchmoreMap:NB31742926|Sheets:E459L8|Lat:58.1704N|Long:6.56376W

Uncoveredgraduallyaspeatwascutforfuel,thestonesofthiscirclewerefirstnoticedinthe1930s.Investigationinthe1980sbyGeraldandMargaretPonting(nowMargaretCurtis)demonstratedthatthesitewas,infact,acircle,about41m(135ft)indiameterandwith22stones,twoofwhichremainupright.Fromherethe hills of the Cailleach na Mointeach or Sleeping Beauty (see page 341)resembleapregnantwoman– this is theonlyplacefromwhere theyhave thisappearanceand it seemspossible thecirclewassitedhere for this reason.Thewalktothesitefromtheparkingplaceisboggy.

CALLANISHAltName:CalanaisStoneCircle|NearestVillage:CallanishMap:NB21303301|Sheets:E459L8|Lat:58.19753N|Long:6.74513W

AnumberofsitescomeunderthegeneralheadingofCallanish,althoughthesedays themainsite isknownandsignpostedby itsGaelicequivalent,Calanais.The Isle of Lewis is a longway frommost ofBritain, and the journey to getthere,whetherbyairorsea,makesavisitfeellikearealaccomplishment.OnahillockcalledCnocanTursa(“hillofsorrow”),thesettingofaround40stones,which incorporates a later chambered cairn with a second cairn nearby,resemblesfromaboveaCelticorwheelcross,withstonerowsextendingfromthecircleapproximatelytowardthecardinalpoints.Thedoublenorthernrowisclosedbythearcofthecircle.Asinglestonestandingoppositetheinmostofthesouthern alignment suggests that this may also have been a double roworiginally.Outsidethesouthwestarcofthecircleisanoutlier,whichmaybetheremainsofasecondcircle.

ThestonesareofwonderfulLewisgneiss,saidtohavecomefromthewestsideof the ridgeDruimnanEum(NB228338),andallarestrikingnomatter

whattheweather.Thetallest,atrulyimpressive4.7m(15ft7in)high,standsinthe centre of the circle; the others range down to 1m (3ft 3in). The site wascleared of 1.5m (5ft) of peat in the mid-19th century. The chambered cairnwithinthecircleincorporatesthecentralpillarwithinthelineofitskerbonthewest,andtwoofthecirclestonesontheeast.Somecairnmaterialremainsbutthe double chamber no longer has its capstones. The second cairn, reduced togroundlevel,impingesonthenortheastarcofthecircle.

A number of alignments have been proposed for the stone circle; mostfamousisthatitmarksthemajorsouthernlunarstandstillthatoccursevery18.6years,when themoon is seen apparently born frombetween the thighs of theSleeping Beauty, skims the horizon and vanishes, only to reappear to shinedramaticallyintothecircle(seebox,page341).AlegendtellsofaShiningOnewhopassesdowntheavenueonmidsummermorning,heraldedbyacuckoo.

The Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) fund is supporting CalanaisVisitor Centre to work in collaborationwith the University of St Andrews tocreate3Dscansofthestonecirclesandmapburiedfeatures.Thisamazingsitehasacarparkandavisitor’scentre,andthestonesarefreetoenter.

Nearby |AroundNB213338,788m(½mile)northof the stonecircle, isCallanish16,a1m(3ft3in)highstonebetweenthetwomostnortherlyhousesofCallanishvillage,totheeastoftheroad.

WhatistheLunarStandstill?VickyTuckman(Morgan),formerEditoroftheMegalithicPortal

As solstices are for the sun, so lunar standstills are for the moon, butwhile thesolstice takesplace twiceayear, inJuneandDecember, lunarstandstills follow an 18.6-year cycle (not the same thing as the 19-yearMetonic cycle). They occur when the moon reaches its most extremepointinrelationtothehorizon;inotherwordswhenitisatitshighestandlowestpointinthesky,anditsrisingandsettingpointsareattheirmostnortherlyandsoutherly,andthemoonappearstostandstillbeforestartingtoretraceitsstepsonsubsequentnights.At this time,whenthemoonisclosesttothehorizon,anopticalillusionmakesitseemmuchlargerthanusual – and the further north you travel, the more impressive thisbecomes. For a few months either side of the standstill, the effect is

almostasimpressive.ThemoonlastreacheditsfurthestsoutherlypointinSeptember2006.

ThenextmajorstandstillwillbeinApril2025–sonottoolongtowaitifyouareafollowerofdeeptime.

Both the northern and southern major extremes occur in the samelunarmonth,butitisthemajorsouthernmostrisingpointthatthesitesofCallanishseemdesignedtoobserve.

CALLANISH2AltName:CnocCeanna’GharraidhStoneCircle|NearestVillage:CallanishMap:NB22213261|Sheets:E459L8|Lat:58.19454N|Long:6.72913W

Before the peat was cleared from the site in 1858 only the five stones stillstanding could be seen. They range in height from 1.9m to 3.2m (6ft 3in to10½ft).Theremovalofabout0.9m(3ft)ofpeatrevealedfurtherstones,aswellas five holes containing fragments of charcoal, possibly post-holes; these aremore or less invisible to the naked eye these days. There’s a badly damagedcairn near the centre of the circle.One stone, thought erroneously to have anogham inscription, was taken to Stornowaywhere it stood for some 60 yearsoppositetheentrancetoLewsCastleuntilbeingpartiallybrokenupforbuildingmaterial in 1919. This circle is intervisible with several other sites in thelandscape;thePontingshavesuggestedthatitsmajoraxisalignmentrepresentsasymbolic indicationofmoonrise at the southernmajor standstill, an alignmentthatisalsofoundatothersitesinthearea.Inaddition,seenfromhere,Callanish6wouldhaveappearedsilhouettedagainsttherisingmoonatthesouthernminorstandstill.When the stones of Callanish 10were erect, theywould have beenvery conspicuous on the horizon; at the northern major standstill, the moonwouldhavebeenseentoriseoverthemandsetoverCnoca’Phrionnsa,anearbychamberedcairn.

CALLANISH3AltName:CnocFillibhirBheagStoneCircle|NearestVillage:CallanishMap:NB22513271|Sheets:E459L8|Lat:58.19558N|Long:6.72414W

Probablythemostvisitedoftheminorsites,asit’sclosetothemainroad.Thefourstonesthatstandwithintheringareaninterestingfeatureandtherehasbeenmuchdiscussionabouttheshapeofthesite:isitapairofconcentriccircles,orperhapsacirclecontainingaquadrilateralsetting?Eightstonesstandintheouterring,ranginginheightfrom1m(3ft3in)to1.7m(5ft10in),withfivefallen.

Nearby|AtNB22683207,659m(lessthan½mile)SSEofCallanish3,isCnocFillinhirMhorstonerow.AtNB22973362,1km(0.6miles)northeastofCallanish3 isCallanish10stonecircle, excavated in2003byColinRichardsandteamfromtheUniversityofManchester.

TheSongoftheLowMoonGrahame Gardner, geomancer specializing in geopathic/technopathicstressremediation

Solar alignments at prehistoric sites are relatively straightforward todemonstrate. The apparent position of sunrises throughout the year hasnotmovedmuchsinceNeolithictimes,andthesun’scycleisregularandfairlyeasytoplot.Notsothemoon’s,however.Becauseofthewobbleinitsorbit–likeaplatespinningonitsrim–themooncangothroughtheextremesof rising and settingpositions in amonth that the sun followsoverawholeyear.Addtothisthegreaterwobbleofthe19-yearMetoniccycle and other longer-term rhythms, and many archaeologists wouldarguethatlunaralignmentsareunlikely,asthesecyclesarejusttoolong-termtohavebeennoticedbyancientpeople.Butjustbecausethecycleswould have required observation by more than one generation, doesn’tmeanthatpeopleweren’ttryingtorecordthem.Thenightskymusthaveplayed a big part in our ancestors’ lives, especially in the long, darkwinters in the north. The main site at Callanish seems designed forobservation of the major southern standstill, as Gerald and MargaretPonting (now Margaret Curtis) discovered back in the 1980s. Whenviewed from the end of theCallanish avenue, the lowmoon skims justabovethestonesoftheeastrowbeforesettingbehindtherockyoutcropof Cnoc-an-Tursa to the south. Then the magic happens… for a briefmoment themoonreappears in thecentreof thecircle, justbetween thetallest megalith and the cairn, and then vanishes once more. This onlyhappensatthemajorlunarstandstill.

IwasatCallanish2forthelunarstandstillin2006,gazingsouthwardtowardtheSleepingBeautymountain(theCailleachnaMointeach,orOldWoman of the Moor), where the lowest full moon since 1987 wasexpectedtorise.AsmidnightapproachedIwasconsideringgivingup,asit looked like themoonrisewould be obscured by clouds, but gave onelast glance toward the south, where a faint coppery glow was justsuffusing the Sleeping Beauty’s thighs. This was it! An ululation ofwelcomecouldbeheardfromthemainsiteofCallanish,andwestoodinawedreverenceasthebeautifulgoldendiscslidmajesticallyintotheskyover the recumbent goddess. I could feel the stones of the circle come

alivearoundusastheydrankinthelunarenergy.Wewatchedforanhouror two as themoon rolled low over the body and face of the SleepingBeauty,thenassomecloudsstartedtodevelop,wewalkeduptothemainCallanishstonestojointhethrongthere.

The clouds cleared long enough for a good view of the moonskimmingoverthestonesoftheeastrowasitmovedtowardsetting,butsoonitwascompletelyobscuredandwecouldonlyguessatitsposition.Itlookedlikethatwastheendoftheshow,butrightatthecrucialminutetherewasabriefcopperyflash in themiddleof thecircle, likeacandleflame guttering – and then itwas gone. It felt like the clocks had beenreset; theoldcyclehadendedandanewpatternhademerged toset thetoneforthenext19years.Alongerversionisavailableat:www.westerngeomancy.org/articles/the-song-of-thelow-moon-

2006/

CALLANISH4AltName:CeannHulavigStoneCircle|NearestVillage:GarynahineMap:NB22993041|Sheets:E459L8|Lat:58.17531N|Long:6.71339W

Fivetall,narrowstonesremainhere,withtheirwiderfacesturnedtotheinterior.Thecircle isabout10m(33ft)across,andcontains theremainsofacairn.Thestonesareirregularlyspaced,suggestingonemaybemissing.Thetallestis2.7m(9ft)high.Parkbythesideoftheroad–it’sashortwalkthroughagatetotheboggysite.

Nearby|AtNB23432990,about674m(under½mile)ESEofCallanish4,isCallanish5,orAirighnamBidearan,stonerow.An“airigh”orshielingwasasummerpasture,wherefamilieswouldliveinshielinghutstendingtheircattle.Therearefivestonesformingtherowandanotheroutliertothenorth–perhapsonedaymorestoneswillemergefromthepeat.Noneoftheremainingstonesismorethan1m(3ft3in)high.AtNB24653034,1.7km(justover1mile)eastofCallanish4,aretheremainsofCallanish6stonecircle.

CALLANISH8AltNames:BerneraBridge,CleitirStandingStones|NearestVillage:EarshaderMap: NB 1642 3424 | Sheets: E459 L13 | Lat: 58.205409N | Long:6.829318W

“ThepositionofthestonesatthenarrowestpointbetweentheislandsofBerneraandLewisisofinterestandpossiblysignificant.”SandyGerrard

Some5km(3miles)westofthemainCallanishsite,overlookingthebridgethatlinks Lewis to the little island ofBernera, is this very unusual site, unique inBritain. A semi-circle of four standing stones (the tallest is 2.7m/9ft) and a

prostrate pillar are sited on a steep slope above a cliff that rises 12.5m (40ft)fromthewater.There’snosuggestionthatthiswasonceawholecircle,halfofwhichhasfallen–thisishowitwasbuilt.

OLCOTEAltName:BreascleteCairnKerbedCairn|NearestVillage:BreascleteMap:NB21793473|Sheets:E459L8|Lat:58.21324N|Long:6.73874W

This kerbed cairn, only half of which remains, was discovered duringimprovementstotheroadthroughBreasclete.Excavationdemonstratedthiswasa three-phase site, with what have been suggested as ritualistic ard markingsfound on the original ground surface.A large number of post-holeswere alsofound,probablypartofphasetwo–theconstructionofthecairn.Thisisunusualin having two kerbs, the outer one of stones laid flat rather than on end. Acremationurnwasfoundinthecentralcist,andapathofslabsledtothisfromthe northeast, flanked by posts. The cairn was then covered with some 400quartz flakes. A poor-quality raw material, quartz is full of symbolism andperhaps linked to funerary rituals. Further excavation found more post-holes,suggesting successive structures. The cairn’s original entrance appeared to bealigned on the avenue at Callanish (see page 338). This entrance was laterblockedandasecondentrancebuilt.

Nearby|AtNB21033549,1km(0.6miles)WNWofOlcote,aretheremainsofthe Cnoc a Phrinossa chambered cairn, with great views over the loch.Permissionisneededfromthelandownertovisit.

MAP

CLACHANTURSA Alt Names: Stone of Sadness, CarlowayRowStoneRow|NearestVillage:CarlowayMap:NB20414295|Sheets:E459L8|Lat:58.28591N|Long:6.77214W

The stone that still stands is 2.4m (8ft) tall and 1m (3ft 3in) across itswidestface.Twootherslieprostrateandbroken–onewouldhavebeen4.4m(14ft8in)and the other 5.2m (17ft) long.On private land – ask permission for a closerview.

CLACHANTRUISHALStandingStone|NearestVillage:BallantrushalMap:NB37565377|Sheets:E460L8|Lat:58.3934N|Long:6.4929W

Said to be Scotland’s tallest standing stone, this impressive beast reaches 6m(20ft)inheight,andisabout1.8m(6ft)wide,withanestimated2m(6½ft)stillunderground.It’ssaid thestonewasoncesurroundedbyacircle, thestonesofwhich were broken up and used as lintels and in field walls, the last one,apparently, havingbeen taken for a lintel in around1914.There are plenty ofsuspiciouslysuitablestonesinthewallsnearby,andin2006threestonesocketswerefound,oneofwhichwasprecededbyatimberpost.Itappearsthatamoreor less horizontal platform for the circlewas createdbymodifying thenaturalgroundsurface.

STEINACLEITPossibleChamberedTomb|NearestVillage:ShaderMap:NB39635408|Sheets:E460L8|Lat:58.39663N|Long:6.45837W

Therearegreatviewsofmoorlandandlochsfromthisenigmaticsite,whichhasin thepastbeenvariously identifiedas a chamberedcairn,or, alternatively, assome kind of building. The sign at the site suggests that it is probably bestinterpretedasaprehistoricsettlementwithasurroundingstockenclosure.

NorthernIsles

RINGOFBRODGARStoneCircle|NearestVillage:FinstownMap:HY29451335|Sheets:E463L6|Lat:59.0014N|Long:3.22976W

AnarrowstripoflandseparatestheLochofStennessfromtheLochofHarray.ThisistheNessofBrodgar,locationofsomeofthemostspectacularprehistoricsitesinBritain,wideopentobothwaterandsky.Therearestonecirclesatbothends; the northerly one is theRing ofBrodgar, aClass II hengewith awell-preservedditchhewnout of the solidbedrockby its prehistoric builders.Thisditch, 10m (33ft) wide and 0.9–1.8m (3–6ft) deep, was 3m (10ft) deeporiginally.Within the henge is a stone circle, 103.5m (340ft) in diameter, thestonessetjustwithinthescarpoftheditch.There’snobank–andnoevidencethereeverwasone.Just14stonesremainedstandingattheRingofBrodgarinthe mid-19th century, but 13 have since been re-erected, and the sockets ofanother13havebeenfound–it’sthoughttherewereprobablyabout60stoneswhen the circle was built. Some of the remaining stones are stumps, but theunbroken ones are impressive, between 2m and 4.5m (6½ft and 14ft 9in) inheight.Inthe12thcenturyADamannamedBjorncarvedhisnameononeofthenorthernstonesusingtwigrunes.

STONESOFSTENNESSStoneCircle|NearestVillage:FinstownMap:HY30671252|Sheets:E463L6|Lat:58.99415N|Long:3.20827W

Fouruprights,risingto6m(20ft)high,remainofa30m(98ft)circleof11or12stones, standingonamoundonce surroundedbyanow-destroyedhengebankandrock-cutditch45m(148ft)indiameter,7m(23ft)wideand2m(6½ft)deep.Excavation revealed a central setting of stones, with cremated bone, charcoalandgroovedwarepottery suggesting, alongwith radiocarbon-dating, adateof3000BC.Apavedpathleadsfromtheentrancetothecentralhearth,whichwasoncemisinterpretedas analtar; adolmenwasconstructedover it in1906,butremovedinthe1970s.Todaythereisacentralstoneslabwithtwosmalluprightstones, referred to by some as a cove, the gap between them lining up withMaeshowe(seepage348).Thereareanumberofstandingstonesnearby;oneofthese, theOdinStone,was destroyed in 1814. Prior to that, oathswere taken,loveplightedandbargainssealedbygraspinghandsthroughaholeinthestone.

Nearby | AtHY 3076 1270, just 200m (656ft) northeast of the Stones ofStenness,Barnhouse is a settlement of a similar age to SkaraBrae (see page349).Structure8 appears tohavebeena ceremonial area,with access throughwhat seems to be a symbolic fireplace. It’s believed the buildings weredeliberatelydemolished–whatyouseenowispartlyreconstructedontopoftheoriginalwalls.

NESSOFBRODGARNeolithicSettlement|NearestVillage:FinstownMap:HY30241294|Sheets:E463L6|Lat:58.99786N|Long:3.21584W

HereonthenarrowstripoflandbetweentheRingofBrodgarandtheStonesofStennessiswherealargenotchedstone,originallythoughttobefromacist,wasploughed up in 2003. This led to the excavations of a large structure, verysimilar to one at Barnhouse (see page 345). And thatwas just the beginning.Mostrecently,archaeologistshavefoundastructureunlikeanyotherattheNessofBrodgar.“Thesheersizeandscaleofthestonesunearthedareunprecedentedonthissite,”saidsitedirectorNickCard.“Thewaythestonesarebuiltintothe

construction is also unique to the Ness. This all suggests that theymay havebeen reused and taken from elsewhere.” The dig here is ongoing every July–Augustbut it’scoveredupoutofseason, so there’snotmuch toseewhen thearchaeologistsaren’tworking.

THEWATCHSTONEStandingStone|NearestVillage:Finstown

Map:HY30551264|Sheets:E463L6|Lat:58.9952N|Long:3.2104W

Standing170m(558ft)NNWoftheStonesofStenness,thisspectacularstandingstoneisconsideredtobeassociatedwiththecircle.It’s5.6m(18ft4in)highand1.5m(5ft)wide.Thestumpofasecondstone,nowremoved,wasfoundnearbywhen the roadwasbuilt.Together,both stonesappear tobe sentinelsmarkingtheapproachtothecausewaythatlinkstheStonesofStennesssiteandtheRingofBrodgaraswellastheNessofBrodgar,whichislocatedbetweenthem.

UNSTANAltName:KnoweofOnstonChamberedCairn|NearestTown:StromnessMap:HY28291172|Sheets:E463L6|Lat:58.98657N|Long:3.24942W

It’swellworththeeffortofcrawlingthroughaverynarrow8m(26ft)entrancepassageto the16×6m(52×20ft)widechamber,whichissurprisinglybright(therearelightsintheconcreteroofdome)andspacious,withfivestallsoneachside.Excavationfoundflinttoolsalongwithcrouchedburials(typicallyoflaterdatethanNeolithic,sopossiblythelasttobeinterred).Somanypotsherdswerefoundthatthetombhasgivenitsnametothisparticulartypeofpottery,Unstanware,whichhasagroovedpatternbelowtherimandaroundbottom.

ExcavationsattheNessofBrodgarAndyBurnham,founderandEditoroftheMegalithicPortal

The2017seasonwasaverysuccessfuloneattheNessofBrodgar.Overthe eight-week excavation, around21,500people visited the site,wherean international team were hard at work. The Ness lived up to itsreputation of throwing up lots of new questions, but also somemagnificent finds, including two items that suggest contact betweenOrkney and the Stonehenge area. The first was a fragment of pot withdecorationreminiscentofpotteryfromDurringtonWalls.Theotherwasatiny“incensecup”–thereareonlyfourotherexamplesofthiskindofpotin theUK, all from the Stonehenge area.Usually highly decorated andmostlyfoundinearlyBronzeAgecontexts–oftenassociatedwithburials– ithasbeensuggestedthat theywereusedtocarryembers toafuneralpyreorforburningincenseduringburialceremonies.

Theexcavationofahugemiddenmoundcontinuedduring2017.Atfirst it was thought this was nothing more than a monumental pile ofrubbish— conspicuous StoneAge consumption. In 2014, however, thestumpofastandingstoneturnedupatthefootofthemound,andin2015,sections ofwalling and uprightswere found, followed the next year bymassive stone slabs in the remains of a puzzling structure. Thesestructuralremnantsseemedtorepresentachamberedcairn,similartotheone excavated atBookan, at theother endof theNess, in 2002.As theweekspassed, thesheerscaleof thebuilding–knownasStructure27–becameclearer.Thebuildingwasenormousandthestoneslabssobigitwas suggested they were re-purposed standing stones. These massivemegalithswereused tosupportuprights thatclad thestructure’s interiorwallface.Givenitsposition,Structure27islikelytopredatemanyoftheotherbuildingsontheNess.Theworkinsummer2018shouldhopefullyhavegivenabetterideaofthelayoutofthisbuilding.

Meanwhile,anotherfragmentofpotteryaddedtotheevidencethattheNeolithic midden was remodelled in the Iron Age, thousands of yearsafterthesitewasabandoned.Notonlywasaditchcutintothemound,butarevetmentwall,ontheupslopeside,wasenhancedbyalargebank,heldattherearbyanotherrevetmentwall.“Ifthesestructuresranrightroundthecrestofthemound…thevisualeffectwouldhavebeenstrikinginthe

extreme,”saidsitedirectorNickCard,oftheUniversityoftheHighlandsandIslandsArchaeologyInstitute.

Over 14 years since the discovery of the Ness complex, the sitecontinuestoproduceextraordinaryartefacts.Nicksays,“2017sawmoreartwork,stunningstonetoolsandabeautifulexampleofanearlyBronzeAge barbed-and-tanged flint arrowhead, recovered from the exterior ofStructure 10.” This is the so-called “cathedral” that overlaid the animalbonethoughttobeadecommissioningfeast.Suchfinds,togetherwiththedating evidence, are key to the idea that the start of the Bronze Ageheralded the demise of the Ness, and also confirm that Bronze Ageinfluencesmadeitthisfarnorth.

Supporttheexcavationsbymakingadonationorbuyingacopyoftheexcellentguidebookat:www.nessofbrodgar.co.uk

MAESHOWEChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:FinstownMap:HY31821277|Sheets:E463L6|Lat:58.99658N|Long:3.18834W

Probably themost famousNeolithic chambered cairn or passage grave in theUK, and the largest tomb in Orkney, Maeshowe dates from around 2800BC.Although the corbelled roof was shattered in 1861 by overenthusiasticarchaeologists, luckily they didn’t do toomuch structural damage.The designand construction of the tomb is stunning, with beautifully underpinned anddressedslabsgivingasmoothappearance,evenwheretheyoversailoneanotheras they soar toward the roof. The tomb was built around the non-structuralstandingstonesinthecornersofthemainchamber.Itisthoughtthatthestonesthatlinetheentrancepassagewerealsooriginallystandingstones.

Theentrancepassage,around10m(33ft)long,leadstothechamber,whichis4.7m(15ft)acrossand4.5m(14½ft)high,withtheoriginalheightpossiblyasmuchas6m(20ft).Therearethreesidecells,andeachcornerhasabuttresstohelpsupporttheweightoftheroof.Justinsidethedoorwayisatriangularnichethatholdsahugeboulder; thiswouldhavebeenpulledwithropes toclose theentrance.Aswell as the size andmagnificent construction,Maeshowe is alsofamous for its orientation toward winter solstice sunset, when the sun shinesdown the length of the passage and illuminates the chamber (webcams are

usually installed around the time of the winter solstice so you can view thisonline). It’s been speculated that, after thousands of years of disuse, aVikingleadermighthavebeenburiedhereinthe9thor10thcenturyAD,butthereisnoevidence for this. The idea came from the radiocarbon-dating of peat used toheighten thebankaround theditch to the9thcentury,but thisonlyprovidesadateforthesourceofthepeatandnottheworkstothebank.WhatwedoknowisthatthetombwasbrokenintobytheNorse,wholeftthelargestcollectionofrunicgraffitioutsideofScandinavia.

Visits are by guided tour only (booking advised). Parking is at the visitorcentreatStenness,withabustakingvisitorstothesite.

Nearby |TheBarnhouseStonestandsatHY31271217,visible from themainKirkwalltoStromnessroad.It’sabout3.2m(10½ft)tallandbroadensoutfromthebottom,reaching1.9m(6ft)wide.Itiscoveredinlichenandappearstobeperfectlyaligned to theentranceofMaeshowe,700m(under½mile) to thenortheast.

MAP

CUWEENHILLAltName:TomboftheBeaglesChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:FinstownMap:HY36421277|Sheets:E463L6|Lat:58.99729N|Long:3.1083W

Setonahillsideoverlooking theBayofFirth, thechamberedcairnatCuweenHill is still coveredby an earthenmound.Attempts togain access in the19thcentury disturbed the corbelled roof, which is now covered by flat stones.However, the corbelling inside is still in good condition. The 5.5m (18ft)entrance passage is very low – it’s a long crawl to reach the main chamber.Excavations in1901 found the remainsof at least eightpeople, alongwith24dog skulls, perhaps representing a totem like the eagles at Isbister (see page350).

WIDEFORDHILLChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:HatstonMap:HY40901211|Sheets:E463L6|Lat:58.992N|Long:3.03017W

AMaeshowe-typechamberedcairn,built into thesideofWidefordHill.Fromthe road to Kirkwall it looks like the whole hill is a huge cairn, perhapsrepresentingadeliberateeffectbythebuilderstodominatethelocalcountryside.Entryisviaatrapdoorintheroof,withaladderintothecentralchamber.Thereare three side chambers and the original 5m (16ft) long entrance passage, nolongerinuse.InsidetherearerareexamplesofNeolithicscratchart–atorchisessential.

SKARABRAENeolithicSettlement|NearestVillage:SandwickMap:HY23121874|Sheets:E463L6|Lat:59.04874N|Long:3.34171W

Orkneycertainlydoeshaveamultitudeofinternationallyfamoussites–andthismightbethemostfamousofall.SkaraBraeisalarge,well-preservedstone-builtNeolithicvillage,occupied fromroughly3100–2500BC,and justas remarkableaseveryonesays it is. Itwashiddenbeneath thesandandsoil forhundredsofyears,untilastormin1850partiallyunearthedit,anditwasfullyexcavatedbyGordon Childe between 1928 and 1930. The 10 houses were sunk into theground and surrounded by their own rubbish, in the form of middens, which

acted as insulation.The houses feature a large, square roomwith a hearth forheating and cooking, ingenious drainage, and the famous stone-built furniture,includingbeds, cupboards, seats, storageboxes, aswell as the“dressers”. It isnotclearwhattheuseoftheseso-calleddressersactuallywas;builttothesamedesignandplacedinthesamepositionincertainstructuresdirectlyoppositetheentrance, it isnowthought that theyweremorethanjustfurnitureandperhapsfunctionedasaltars.

Thesitewasabandonedafterabout600years, although the reason for thischangeisstilluncertain.Theweatherdidgetworsearoundthistime,sothismayhave prompted the abandonment, or it may have been the result of societalchanges,fromtight-knittomoredispersedgroups.

Nearby|ThereareanumberofsitesinSandwickthataretraditionallysaidto have been the sources for the huge stones of Stenness, Maeshowe andBrodgar.Vestrafiold,ahillnorthoftheBayo’Skaill,isthebestknown.Somequarriedstonesthatnevermadeitoffsitecanstillbeseenhereandrecentworkhasconfirmedthatmegalithswereindeedquarriedthere.Therocksplitseasily,making it very appealing to anyone sourcing material for an impressivemonument.It’satHY24102200,about3.4km(justover2miles)NNEofSkaraBrae.

STANEO’QUOYBUNEAltName:WheebinStoneStandingStone|NearestVillage:BirsayMap Ref: HY 2531 2629 | Sheets: E463 L6 | Lat: 59.11687N | Long:3.30622W

A fine and impressive stone, almost 3.8m (12ft) high and1.5m (5ft)wide, onprivatelandbutverynearthegate,soyoucaneasilyseeitfromtheroad.ThisisanotherofOrkney’sstandingstonesaroundwhichalegendregardingapetrifiedgianthasdeveloped.LiketheYetnasteenontheislandofRousay,theStaneo’QuoybuneissaidtotraveltotheBoardhouselocheachNewYear’smorningtodrinkfromthecoldwaters.LocalloredictatesthatanyoneseeingthestoneonitsannualtrekwillnotlivetoseeanotherHogmanay,soitwasnotsurprisingthatitwas considered unsafe to remain outdoors after midnight and watch for itsmovements!

TOMBOFTHEEAGLESAltName:IsbisterChamberedCairn|Island:SouthRonaldsayMap:ND47048449 |Sheets:E461L7|Lat:58.7448N |Long:2.91675W

Discovered in 1958 by the late Ronald Simison, the farmer on whose land itstands,theTomboftheEaglesonSouthRonaldsayisaremarkablesite.Highonthecliffs,withspectacularviewsofthesea,it’sfamousforthebonesandtalonsofseaeaglesthatwerefoundhere,whichgaveititsnickname,andwhichmayrepresent a tribal/family identity or totem. It’s an unusual combination of aMaeshowetypecairnwithsidecells,andanOrkney-Cromartytypestalledcairnwhich, although it’s been quite badly robbed, is still up to 3m (10ft) high inplaces.Theoriginalroofwasremovedinantiquity,whenthechamberwasfilledwithearthandstones–itnowhasaconcreteroofwithskylights.Entryisviatheoriginal3m(10ft)passage–youcaneithercrawl inoruse theratherfun littletrolley.The tombwasdisturbed to thenorthernandnortheasternsides,but therestwasentirelyintact,withlotsofbones–human,birdandfish.Thewesternsidecellsmainlyheldskulls,andrecentworkonthesehasfoundthat16ofthe85 discovered had suffered significant trauma. At least 340 individuals wereidentified, although some are represented by only a few bones, suggesting

excarnationmayhavetakenplaceatanotherlocationbeforetheboneswereputinthetomb.TherewerealsomanysherdsofUnstanwarepottery.Radiocarbondatessuggestthetombwasinuseforabout800yearsfromc.3000BC.There’saninterpretationcentreinthefarmhouse,withvariousfindsfromthetombandanexcellentvirtualtour.

Nearby | At ND 4646 8411, just 400m (1,312ft) from the Tomb of theEagles, is the Isbister burnt mound (also known as Liddel), surrounding aBronze Age structure. Although reduced by quarrying (most Orcadian burntmoundshavebeenlostinthisway),it’sstillalmost2m(6½ft)tallinplaces,andconsists mostly of burnt stones, ash and carbon, added in hundreds of smalldeposits,basically thrownawayafteruse. (Thestoneswereput in the fireandthen added to the water in the trough to heat it.) It seems unlikely that thebuildingeverhadaroof,becauseofthepositionofthehearthandthesizeofthetrough (1.6 × 1m/5ft 2in × 3ft 3in and 0.6m/2ft deep) – the amount of steamgenerated would have made it quite unpleasant to work in if it had been anenclosedspace.

BANKSAltName:TomboftheOttersChamberedCairn|Island:SouthRonaldsayMap:ND45808339|Sheets:E461L7|Lat:58.73477N|Long:2.93791W

HamishMowattwaslandscapinghisgardenin2010whenhebrokethroughintoanundergroundchamber.Itallgotabitexcitingwhenacamerapokedintotheholerevealedahumanskull…Thisnewlydiscoveredchamberedtombispartlysubterranean, with a central chamber and five side cells. Numerous burialdeposits and collections of disarticulated bones were found, from at least 15people,intheonecellthathassofarbeenexcavated.Remarkably,DNAtestinghasrevealedthattwoadultsfromthetombhadtheHepatitisBvirus,whichmayhavecausedtheirdeaths.

MAP

DWARFIESTANERock-cutTomb|Island:HoyMap:HY24300043|Sheets:E462L7|Lat:58.88452N|Long:3.31496W

Auniquemonument,theDwarfieStaneonHoyisnotonlytheonlychamberedtomb on Hoy, but the only rock-cut (presumably, although this has beendisputed) Neolithic tomb in Britain and Ireland. It comprises two cells orchamberscutfromasingleblockofsandstone.Thethoughtthat thiswasdonewithout metal tools is pretty mind-blowing. The squarish stone nearby onceblocked the entrance. The Dwarfie Stane has been a popular attraction forvisitorstothearchipelagoforcenturiesandhadaroleinSirWalterScott’snovelThe Pirate (1822). There’s plenty of 18th-and 19th-century graffiti, includingsome by Major William Mounsey, a former British spy in Afghanistan andPersia(present-dayIran);hisnamewiththedate1850appearsonthesouthface,above a line ofPersian calligraphywhich reads “I have sat twonights and solearnt patience” – this apparently refers to his experience of the localmidgeswhenhecampedhere.

MIDHOWEChamberedCairn|Island:RousayMap:HY37223051|Sheets:E464L5|Lat:59.15669N|Long:3.09947W

Built c. 3500BC the huge Midhowe chambered cairn on Rousay is Orkney’slargestcairn–over22m(75ft)long.Housedinaprotectiveshed,itisdividedbypairs of upright slabs into 12 compartments, several ofwhich contained stonebenches.Theremainsof25peoplewerefoundinthecompartments,andUnstanwarepotterywasalsorecovered.

KNOWEOFSWANDROChamberedCairn|Island:RousayMap:HY37532966|Sheets:E464L6|Lat:59.1491N|Long:3.0938W

At theKnowe of Swandro on Rousay there areViking, Pictish and IronAgeremains, as well as a recently discovered Neolithic chambered cairn that wasthoughtformanyyearstobetheremainsofabroch.Muchofthesiteisunderthestormbeachandeveryyearthere’sariskitwillbewashedawayduringthewinter.Archaeologistsareracingagainsttimetoinvestigatethesite.

TAVERSOETUICKChamberedCairn|Island:RousayMap:HY42572761|Sheets:E464L5|Lat:59.13141N|Long:3.00517W

Onlytwotwo-storeystalledcairnsareknownandthisisoneofthem(theotheris the less well-preserved Huntersquoy on Eday). The subterranean lowerchamber,reachedviaa5.8m(19ft)passage,isabout3.7m(12ft) longby1.5m(5ft) wide and high, and divided into four cells by upright slabs. The upperchamber, coveredwith a domed roof after excavation in 1937, is divided intotwoandreachedbya3.4m(11ft)passage.Asit’sbuiltonahill,bothpassagesareatgroundlevel.Thebonesofatleastthreeindividualswerefoundonstoneshelves in theupperchamber, and therewere threepilesof crematedbones inthepassage.Thelowerchamberheldfurthercrematedbones,aswellasUnstanpottery sherds, amace head and 35 grey shale disc beads. Both passages hadbeenblocked.

Nearby | At HY 4048 2795, just over 2km (1¼miles) west of TaversoeTuick,KnoweofYarsoisanotherNeolithicstalledcairn,wherethebonesofatleast 29 individualswere found – 17 represented only by their skulls – neatlyarrangedingroups.Scorchmarksonthebonesandtheupperstoneworkindicatefireswerelitwithinthechamber.Thetombhasamodernconcreteroofandthechamberisdividedintostallsorcellsbyverticalstoneslabs.

LINKSOFNOLTLANDNeolithicandBronzeAgeSettlement|Island:WestrayMap:HY42804930|Sheet:E464L5|Lat:59.32619N|Long:3.00688W

ThisareaofsanddunesonthenorthwestcoastofWestraywasfirstrecordedinthe19thcenturybutnotexcavateduntil thelate1970s.Furtherinvestigationisongoingdespitethechallengesposedbyerosion.Around30buildingshavebeenfoundso far,ofbothNeolithicandBronzeAgedate, including, in2015,whathas been described as the best example of a Bronze Age ritual buildingdiscoveredinOrkneythusfar.In2009thesitemadeinternationalheadlineswiththediscoveryoftheWestrayWife,ac.5,000-year-oldsandstonefigurinethatis

oneoftheoldestrepresentationsofahumaneverfoundinScotland–withwhatisbelievedtobeBritain’searliestdepictionofahumanface.ThesiteisopenallyearroundbutmostoftheupstandingstructuresarecoveredoverforprotectionoutsideoftheMay–Septemberdigseason.

Nearby |WestrayHeritageCentre inPierowall iswhereyoucansee thespiral-andlozenge-carvedstonefoundinthequarryhere,knownastheWestrayStone. The Westray Wife also lives here, although check she’s not beingexhibitedelsewherebeforemakingaspecialtriptoseeher.

KNAPOFHOWARNeolithicSettlement|Island:PapaWestrayMap:HY48305180|Sheets:E464L5|Lat:59.34934N|Long:2.91085W

This Neolithic farmstead on Papa Westray is at least 1,000 years older thanSkaraBrae.KnapofHowarmeans“moundofmounds”andthesitewascoveredby4m(13ft)ofwind-blownsanduntilitwasfirstexcavatedintheearly1930s.Therearetwostonestructuresherelinkedbyapassage,oneadwelling,theotherabarn/workshop.Furtherexcavationinthe1970sproducedUnstanwaresherdsandradiocarbondatesof3600–3100BC–atthattime,itwasn’tontheshorebutmuch further inland, sheltered by a series of dunes. In places thewalls retaintheir full height, with lintels still in place over the doorways, and the housewould have had two rooms, divided by stone slabs and wooden posts. Stoneshelves and cupboards are built into the walls of one of the rooms of theworkshop.The peoplewho lived here bred sheep and cattle, fished, and grewwheat and barley. The houses here are thought to have been part of a largersettlementthatawaitsfurtherinvestigation.

HOLMOFPAPAWESTRAYSOUTHChamberedCairn|Island:HolmofPapa(viaPapaWestray)Map:HY50915183|Sheets:E464L5|Lat:59.34992N|Long:2.86496W

ProbablyapromontoryintheNeolithic,HolmofPapaisalittleislandoffPapaWestray.This largeand impressive tomb is aMaeshowe type,but thecairn islongratherthanroundasthechamberishuge–20.5m(67ft)long.Thereare12sidecells,includingtwodoubles,allstillintactandwithlow,lintelledentrances.

The roof is modern, and you enter through a roof hatch and down a ladder,insteadofcrawling through theentrancepassage.The tombcontainsanumberofcarvedstones;onthelintelovertheentranceofthesoutheastcellarepeckeddots and arcs, somemaking “eyebrow”motifs similar to those found in someIrishchamberedtombs.Oppositearecircularandzigzagshapes,whilesouthoftheentrance,onthesoutheastwallofthecentralchamber,thereisadoubleringandinvertedV.Accessisbyprivatehireboat,fromtheOldPierPapaWestraywhenseaconditionsallow.

Nearby|AtHY50445228,649m(under½mile)WNW,isHolmofPapaWestrayNorthchamberedcairn.Thetomb’smainfeaturesarestillvisibleeventhoughithasbeenpartlycoveredover.

STONEOFSETTERStandingStone|Island:EdayMap: HY 5645 3718 | Sheet: E464/465 L5 | Lat: 59.21899N | Long:2.7646W

OnEday,thisisOrkney’stallestsolitarystandingstone,4.5m(15ft)highandupto2.2m(7ft)wide,furrywithlichenandrivenbyweathering.It’sveryirregularanddistinctiveinshape.Therearethreeprobablesmallcairnsinthevicinity.

Nearby|OnthesouthcoastofEdayatGreen,thediscoveryofanunfinishedmace head led to a multi-year excavation that identified a Neolithic buildingwith a probable hearth and other internal stonework. More than 100 potterysherdsand80Skaillknives–atypeofstonetoolfirstfoundatSkaraBrae(seepage349)–werealsofound.Thedighasfinishedandthereisnothingtoseeonsite.

VINQUOYChamberedCairn|Island:EdayMap: HY 5601 3812 | Sheets: E464/465 L5 | Lat: 59.22711N | Long:2.77249W

ThereareotherchamberedcairnsonEday,butthisistheonlyoneyoucangetin(there’sagatetostopthesheepjoiningyou).ArestoredMaeshowe-typetomb,built from the local red sandstone, itwasexcavated in1857and is about18m(59ft)indiameterand2.5m(8ft)tall.The5m(16ft)entrancepassageleadstoa

polygonalcentralchamberwithfoursmallcellsleadingofffromit.Absolutelyfantasticviewsacrossmuchofthearchipelago.

CATASANDAltName:TresnessBronzeAgeSettlement|Island:SandayMap:HY70443967|Sheets:E465L5|Lat:59.24256N|Long:2.5199W

Storms in December 2015 revealed a number of potential buildings in theintertidalzoneatTresnessonCataSand.Thesitewasexcavatedin2016–17(seeopposite),revealinganearlyNeolithichouse,thefirstclassichouseofthisdateto be found on Sanday, contemporary with the nearby chambered cairn (HY71093747).Despitetheriskfromerosion(partsofthesiteareunderwatertwiceaday),preservationisexcellent,asthesandysoildoesnotdestroybone.

AnEarlyNeolithicHouseatCataSandVicki Cummings, Reader in Archaeology at the University of CentralLancashire

WalkingtothechamberedtombatTresnessonSandayin2015,wecameacross a series of architectural remains and stone tools on the beach atCataSand.AsthetoolsweremainlylateNeolithicorearlyBronzeAgeindate,weatfirstthoughtweweredealingwithoccupationremainsofthesame period, spread widely across the area. However, a geophysicalsurveyshowedthatoccupationremainswererestrictedtoonesmallarea,known as the Grithies Dune. In 2017 we opened a trench over thegeophysical anomaly and revealed the remains of an early Neolithichouse,definedto thenorthbya thickwall.Within thehousewereflooroccupationdeposits.Wealsofoundtheremainsofatleastthreehearths,whichseemtorepresentmultiplereoccupationsof thehouse,orperhapstheremodellingofthehouseovertime.Thenorthernextentofthehousewascoveredbya thickdepositofmidden thatmaybe lateNeolithicorevenlaterindate.

Perhapsmoresurprisingwasthediscoveryoftwolargelinearpitscutinto the sand. These contained the articulated remains of a number ofwhales.Theeasternpitwasexcavatedandupto12whaleskeletonswerefound,althoughnoskullswererecovered.Itseemslikelythatthewhaleswerecaughtfortheirblubberduringthe19thcentury:anaccountof1875records that there were multiple decomposing whale carcasses close toTresness, the smell of which affected the area for miles around. Theycould,therefore,havebeenburiedtogetridofthebodiesandthesmell.They were a very peculiar addition to the excavation of a Neolithicstructure!

QUOYNESSChamberedCairn|Island:SandayMap:HY67663779|Sheets:E465L5|Lat:59.22547N|Long:2.56834W

The cairn’s low passage leads to a central, corbelled chamber, 4 × 2m (13 ×6½ft) and 4m (13ft) high, with six side cells, all with corbelled roofs.Excavationsin1867revealedskullsandbonesfromabout15individuals,placedinthemainchamber,sidecellsandpassage.Afterre-excavationin1951–2,thecairnwasrebuilttoshowitsstagesofconstruction,ratherthanitsfinalform.

Nearby | At HY 6764 3753, 260m (853ft) south, is the part-erodedAugmundHowe cairn. Surrounding the cairn on its landward side are somehard-to-spotbarrows;afurther26barrows,theElsNessmegalithiccemetery,lie340m(1,115ft)SSWofQuoyness,inthesouthernpartofthepeninsula.

Shetland

STANYDALEPossiblyRitualStructureandStoneCircle|NearestVillage:WallsMap:HU28535024|Sheets:E467L4|Lat:60.23547N|Long:1.48658W

This unusual structure stands among Neolithic houses and field systems. It’sneitheradwellingnora tomb,although itdoes resemble the localheel-shapedcairns.It’shorseshoeinshape,withmassive,3.7m(12ft) thickwallsenclosinganarea12.2×6.1m(40×20ft).Therearetwolargepost-holes,soitpresumablyhadatimberroof.Evidencesuggestsatleastoneofthepostswasspruce–andprobablyarrivedasdriftwoodfromnorthAmerica.Sixalcovesarebuiltintothewall,andtherewereanumberofperipheralhearths,whicharenolongervisible,rather thanacentralone.Thestumpsoffiveorsixstandingstones,apparentlyaligned in two sets, stand 12–35m (39–115ft) from themain structure on thenorth,probablytheremainsofBronzeAgestonecirclesorovals.Anumberofhousesarenearby,allofasimilar size.One,atHU288503,hasa“porch” infrontoftheentrance,withanenclosureattached.

Nearby |AtHU25605165,3.2km (1½miles)WNWofStanydale, is theScord of Brouster. This Neolithic settlement is one of themost complete inShetland,andalsooneofthemoststraightforwardtograspwhenyou’reonsite,asthehouses,clearancecairnsandenclosuresareeasytoidentify.Radiocarbondatesputoccupationinthelatethird/earlysecondmillenniumBC(theringcairnnear the house closest to the road ismuchmore recent – perhaps asmany as1,500 years younger than the settlement). There are at least four houses here,withtheirassociatedfields.

Nearby|AtHU25825082,850m(½mile)SSEoftheScordofBrouster,isGallow Hill, a (possible) chambered cairn, some 25m (82ft) in diameter –unusuallybig forShetland.At thecentre there isaprobablechamberofabout2.5m(8ft)diameter.Thesettingisbeautiful,overlookingthewatersoftheVoeofBrowland.

ISLESBURGHChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:BraeMap:HU33456845|Sheets:E469L4|Lat:60.39857N|Long:1.39481W

SetonMavisGrind, Islesburghwouldhavebeen inaprominent locationonakey route for north– south travel and for the portageof boats to and from theAtlantic and the North Sea. This heel-shaped chambered cairn, with twoassociatedenclosures,hasaconcavefaçadewithacentralentrance,fromwhereanarrowpassageleadstothesmallcentralchamber,nowopentothesky.

Nearby|AtHU34886739,1.8km(justover1mile)ESEofIslesburgh,inasplendidlocationoverlookingBustaVoe,arethestonesofBustaBrae.Theonestill standing is 3.2m (10½ft) and up to 1.8m (6ft) across, a very sturdy andimpressive stone thought to weigh about 18 tonnes (20 tons). Local traditionstates that the larger stone was thrown here by the Devil from a hill inNorthmavine.

PUND’SWATERChamberedCairn|NearestVillage:BraeMap:HU32657117|Sheets:E469L4|Lat:60.4237N|Long:1.4125W

WithviewsacrossPund’sWater,thisisagreatexampleofaheel-shapedcairn,itsfaçademeasuringatleast15m(50ft),withhornsandacentralentrance.Thepassageandchamber are roofless, and thechamberwalls are about1.5m (5ft)high.Someoftherooforcairnmaterialhascollapsedintothepassageandthechamber.Thenearbyhill(HU32657117)offersagoodaerialview.

HJALTADANSAltName:FairyRingStoneCircleorCairnCircle|Island:FetlarMap: HU 6221 9241 | Sheets: E470 L2/3 | Lat: 60.61014N | Long:0.86555W

This11.5m(37ft)stonecircleorcairncirclehasabout22lowstones(aswellassomelooseslabs)setaroundanearthenringabout8m(26ft)acrosswitha1.5m(5ft)wide southwest entrance. In the centre are two earthfast boulders,whichlook like cist remains. In legend these are a fiddler and hiswife,who legendholdswereturnedtostonealongwitharingofdancingtrolls(Hjaltadansmeans“limpingdance”).Thesiteisinabird-nestingsanctuarysocheckwiththeFetlarInterpretative Centre or the RSPB for the latest access information beforevisiting.

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