Sourhope Hillfort

Trip No.55  Entry No.1  Date Added: 12th Oct 2017
Site Type: Hillfort Country: Scotland (Scottish Borders)
Visited: Yes on 8th Oct 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Sourhope Hillfort, Scottish Borders: Well, this morning was a surprise, as rain had been forecast, but we woke up to a blue and cloudy sky, with little wind, so we decided to make the most of the nice weather before the clocks go back at the end of the month.

We used an ‘unusual’ (twisty/windy) route to reach this site. We drove up using the A68 past Carter’s Bar, then taking the first turning right and following the minor roads up through Hownam towards Yetholm, turning right and heading back down south at Primsidemill.

We followed the Bowmont Water Valley along to where the Sourhope Burn joins it, then headed north east up the dead end road to Sourhope Farm. Just past the cattle grid by the barns to the south west end of SouthopeFarm, there is room to park the car on the verge. We then headed up past the farm, turning right and going through two gates by a barn at NT 84596 20177, then following the path uphill towards Park Law Fort, then turning south west at NT 85047 19886 and following a quad bike up a relatively steep part of the hill, to approach the fort from its eastern side, entering at NT 84858 19793 on the south eastern side.

The outlines of the fort can be clearly seen on UK Grid Reference Finder. From below, we could see what looked like telegraph poles on top of the fort; getting closer, there are two television aerials on the western side of the fortifications!

There were great view from the top of this hillfort. We’d printed off the Canmore plan and description before we went, but even so, it was difficult to tie the words up with what we were trying to make out on the ground. The structures and hut circles on the eastern side of the fort were the easiest to interpret.

It was a nice walk, and exploring the hillfort was really thought-provoking, thinking what it would have been like for the occupants of this fort.

Fasset Hill (Sourhope)

Trip No.55  Entry No.2  Date Added: 12th Oct 2017
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: Scotland (Scottish Borders)
Visited: Yes on 8th Oct 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Fasset Hill Scooped Settlement, Sourhope: It was probably a silly time of year to look at this settlement, as the bracken was very tall, and probably also too late in the evening, as dusk was falling. But, hey ho, we were nearby and decided to walk back down to Sourhope Farm, and follow the track up Fasset Hill.

From Sourhope hillfort we walked back down the track to the farmhouse near the junction of the Sourhope and Kaim Burns, turned north east and walked over the wooden bridge at NT 84588 20250. From there we followed the metalled road up past a dump/quarry area, where the metalled road turns left/west and a stony track continues east. The Fasset Hill settlement is around the sheepfold on the hill just to the north of the track just past the ‘dump’.

The photographs don’t really do this site justice, as it was easier to see with the naked eye rather than catch it on photographs – the area was well defined on the ground. The sheepfold now occupies just west of centre, and what look to be the foundations of buildings can be found in its south east corner. The site looks like a building platform scooped out of the hillside. Canmore says it was probably constructed in Romano British times, and later reoccupied in the medieval.

There were a couple of other settlements nearby, but it was getting so dark, it was getting silly. We decided to walk swiftly back to the car and head home.

Meckan's Grave (Loch Riddon)

Trip No.48  Entry No.4  Date Added: 5th Oct 2017
Site Type: Cist Country: Scotland (Cowal)
Visited: Yes on 5th Oct 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Meckan's Grave, Loch Ridon/Loch Ruel: There is only a signpost by natural crag but grid reference puts it on the mudflats at the head of Loch Riddon/Loch Ruel. There was a phone signal of sorts so I called up some images of Meckan’s Grave on the internet, only to find most people had photographed the crag, which had been blasted through to create the road.

It was virtually impossible for me to scramble down to the mudflats, so we ended up peering through the trees and caught what I thought might be a cist burial, which was more obvious on the computer screen at home. We didn’t spot the plaque.

We drove down to Shellfield Farm and looked back up at the head of the Loch from the fence next to the loch – wonderful in the early evening light.

Craigmailing Boundary Marker (Torphichen)

Trip No.54  Entry No.5  Date Added: 12th Oct 2017
Site Type: Marker Stone Country: Scotland (West Lothian)
Visited: Yes on 30th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Craigmailing/Witchcraigs Boundary Stone: To find this stone, we parked near to the Little Criagmailling cross base found earlier this week and followed a little-used footpath through the woodland. This footpath joined another wider one, crossing a stile into a little tree-lined lane which followed a trickling stream to our left hand side.

This, very unexpectedly, opened up into an area of grass/heath with a viewpoint. As soon as you sight the viewpoint with its dry stone wall and information boards, the refuge stone is to your right hand side. This is a really rather special place. And being named Witch Crag made it much more atmospheric!

The refuge stone is no longer in the wall, but has been sited at 90 degrees to it.

Westfield Farm Refuge Stone

Trip No.54  Entry No.1  Date Added: 11th Oct 2017
Site Type: Early Christian Sculptured Stone Country: Scotland (West Lothian)
Visited: Yes on 30th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: Westfield Farm Refuge Stone (possibly prehistoric), West Lothian: Our last day for exploring before heading home, and this was a day we’d set aside during the week to try and find some of the refuge stones associated with Torphichen Preceptory. We didn’t have a detailed map for this area, and didn’t pass a place to buy one, so had to make do with mobile phones and Canmore records.

The Westfield Farm Refuge Stone is situated to the east of Westfield Village, south of the B8047, near a ‘fish food factory’. Driving through Westfield village on the B8028, we turned right onto the B8047 and followed it round a couple of bends and found the factory. Just before the factory, located on a bend, I spotted a sign saying ‘Refuge Stone’, heading off south east through some wasteland.

We managed to park just by the sign, in a small layby which had been used for fly-tipping. Following the very vague footpath through the wooded area, this eventually disappeared and we were left surrounded by birch trees and weeds. Through the shrubbery there was a mound, and peering closer, there was a set of very overgrown steps that had been cut into the bank. Climbing up these, and hunting around some more, we finally spotted this much neglected stone virtually hidden in the weeds. I trod down some of the taller weeds to see the stone more clearly.

A treasure, but one hidden away in a tumble of brambles, nettles and detritus. It looked as if no-one had visited this stone in a long time. I was very pleased to have found it.

North Couston Refuge Stone

Trip No.54  Entry No.2  Date Added: 12th Oct 2017
Site Type: Early Christian Sculptured Stone Country: Scotland (West Lothian)
Visited: Couldn't find on 30th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition -1 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: North Couston Refuge Stone, West Lothian: From the Westfield Farm Refuge Stone, we set off towards North Couston with only a very small scale book of maps and Trigpointing UK on our mobile phone to try and find this stone. From Westfield, we got back onto the A801 southbound, then turned left onto the A800, turning left again onto a minor road to a farm, parking in a largish concreted area next to the field entrance at NS 95279 70925. From the Canmore record, we didn’t have much hope, but given as we were not far away, wanted to check whether or not this Refuge Stone was still there.

We waded around the edges of the very wet entrance to the field (the gates into the neighbouring field were almost shoulder high – too high for me to attempt to climb over, although this route would have been dry). The field edges of this recently harvested field were then drier, so we walked along the eastern side, then headed south at the corner, along the old, grubbed out hedge line. We walked most of the length of the Followed the field edges, prodding the fence line as I went, but could find no evidence of any stone along the field boundary.

Torphichen Churchyard Stone

Trip No.54  Entry No.3  Date Added: 12th Oct 2017
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Scotland (West Lothian)
Visited: Yes on 30th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Torphichen Preceptory (next door to the church): Also known as Hospital Of Torphichen; Preceptory Of St John; War Memorials.

Finally, on our third attempt, just after 2pm on a Saturday afternoon, we managed to find the small visitor portacabin open and a guide present. Guide was Liam from Order of St. John. Charming, very helpful man, in looks reminiscent of the Knights Templar. Because he was giving individual tours to everyone who turned up, he was over-stretched, and didn’t really have time to spent with us, but answered my questions as best he could.

Liam pointed out some of the features in the Preceptory itself, including old architects drawings on the walls, and walked us up to the exhibition on first floor of tower – up 45 spiral stone steps – where he pointed out a grave marker used as a lintel.

When another family arrived, he left us to take them round. I found out, through reading the display, that there was an incised stone with cross in the Parish church; Liam said unfortunately he didn’t have the keys for the church, but to come back if we wanted to look.

Cairnpapple Hill

Trip No.54  Entry No.4  Date Added: 12th Oct 2017
Site Type: Round Cairn Country: Scotland (West Lothian)
Visited: Yes on 30th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Cairnpapple (Chamber), West Lothian: We’d spent quite a lot of time around Cairnpapple and surrounding area, but on this trip had not visited. Andrew had not seen this site before, so we parked and joined the other families visiting in the wind and drizzle, and I managed to buy a guide book and as the other visitors drifted off, went back to talk to the guide. I saw the display showing the cup and cup & ring marked stones in the chamber.

The chamber into the concrete dome was open today, but the ladder was really steep, and even Andrew described it as difficult to get down. After he emerged from taking the first batch of photographs, I took him back into the hut to speak to the guide and he clambered back into the chamber and took some more photos. I confess the photograph in the hut made the cup and ring marks a lot more visible than in reality!

Then onto our last trip of our holiday, and one I was looking forward to – another of the Torphichen Refuge Stones.

Dalginross

Trip No.53  Entry No.3  Date Added: 10th Oct 2017
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Scotland (Perth and Kinross)
Visited: Yes on 28th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Dalginross Four Poster, Near Comrie: From the Roman Stone and its companions, we headed north towards Comrie. Where the B827 takes a sharp left hand turn through Dalginross and Comrie, take the South Crieff Road towards Easter Dalginross and Muirhead Cemetery, where there is ample parking.

From the layby by the cemetery, we walked back to the road junction with South Crieff Road and the trck to Dalginross Muir Farm; the stone circle is nestled under the trees, with moss covered tree stumps around it.

Quite an enigmatic little stone circle, but I confess that it seemed a little like it had been recently put in here, perhaps as a landscaping feature. I had a bit of a hard time convincing myself it was Bronze Age, but Canmore confirms it is indeed.

Coney Hill (Comrie)

Trip No.53  Entry No.1  Date Added: 10th Oct 2017
Site Type: Misc. Earthwork Country: Scotland (Perth and Kinross)
Visited: Yes on 28th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: Coney Hill, Comrie: Again, to escape the dreary weather in Armadale, we found ourselves heading a fair way north today, up to Comrie, where there promised to be quite a few sites – standing stones and stone circles in a relatively small area.

Comrie is a really lovely little village, and we stopped for tea and a sandwich at one of the café’s. The menu didn’t appeal to me, so I got a hot Scotch Pie from the next door bakers – one of the best I’d ever tasted.

We didn’t plan on going to this motte, but having walked up the high street and over the bridges, carried on onto the walks which were signposted. There was a large car park next to the golf course.. It had rained here heavily and the paths up to the motte were muddy and slipperty, with a steep drop down to the River Lednock below. The motte was so heavily surrounded by trees that it was difficult to make out by eye, and even more difficult to photograph.

West Cowden

Trip No.52  Entry No.2  Date Added: 10th Oct 2017
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: Scotland (Perth and Kinross)
Visited: Yes on 28th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: The Roman Stone, Comrie: Approaching Comrie from the south along the B827, we’d passed these stones at the eastern side of the road before we’d realised it, so ended up stopping for lunch and visiting the motte first. We retraced our steps and managed to park in the entrance to another (gated) track opposite.

These stones are also known as the Dalginross; Penfillan and West Cowden Farm stones, although they are called the Roman Stones on the OS map. Not in the greatest location, but the track alongside the stones made it easy to walk round the stones and photograph them, although I got a few stares from passing drivers as I did so!

The cup marks were pretty easy to spot, once the sunlight changed a little, although I thought I saw these on the top of the Roman Stone itself; the 1911 entry talks about an 18 inch high stone with 22 cups. I photographed all three stones and the only cup marks we both thought we saw were five on the southern face of the Roman stone itself (the largest stone).

Tullybannocher

Trip No.53  Entry No.4  Date Added: 11th Oct 2017
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Scotland (Perth and Kinross)
Visited: Yes on 28th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Wester Tullybannocher Stone Circle, Comrie: From the Dalginross/Dunmoid Four Poster Stone Circle, we made our way north through Comrie, heading west on the A85, over Dalginross Bridge then turning left. The road goes through a zig-zag then a bend, passing a caravan park on the right hand side at Twenty Shilling Wood. Just after the road turns a right hand bend there is a farm track to your right hand side, with room for a car to pull in before the gate (on opening the gate there is a small area of hard-standing for a couple of cars). We parked just in front of the gate and walked along the farm track to the stones, which were peeping out of knee high grass in the un cultivated part of the field to our left hand side.

We couldn’t spot any cup marks on the western stone, despite walking round the stones several times. Sited on flat pastureland with low hills rising around, and lying just north of the River Earn, this is a lovely spot, although a little spoiled by the heavy traffic on the A85 just to the south of the stones.

Lawers

Trip No.53  Entry No.6  Date Added: 11th Oct 2017
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Scotland (Perth and Kinross)
Visited: Saw from a distance on 28th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Lawers Standing Stone, East of Comrie: From St Fillan’s Chapel, we headed back towards Comrie, this time continuing east along the A85 until we reached the gatehouse at the northern side of the road, just before Comrie Croft Caravan Park.

The landowner had padlocked all the gates, but being within site of the stone, we ended up scrambling over the low stone wall by the small stream running parallel with the eastern side of the field, and separated from the field by a tree lined footpath/track.

On getting level with the stone, I tried (very hard) to photograph it, but was constantly head-butted by a very friendly ginger horse! He was to friendly to contemplate climbing the wooden fence into the field without a bag of apples or pony nuts, so I had to content myself with having my sleeves chewed whilst I tried to photograph the standing stone.

We walked back along the footpath and along the northern side of the field, but the stone was too far away to get a good image of, even with maximum zoom on the camera lens. Having reached the western side of the field, the gates were padlocked. Andrew could squeeze between the wooden rails of the fence, but I was a bit too plump, so clambered unceremoniously over the somewhat higher stone wall at this end of the field.

St Fillan's Chapel (Comrie)

Trip No.53  Entry No.5  Date Added: 11th Oct 2017
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: Scotland (Perth and Kinross)
Visited: Yes on 28th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: St. Fillan's Chapel, west of Comrie: From Wester Tullybannocher Stone Circle, we carried on west along the A85, turning left into a road leading down to St. Fillan’s Golf Club and Western Dundurn Farm. Just before the farm buildings, the track splits. The eastern most track is gated off, and the road was very narrow, so we squeezed the car in by the gate intending to run back and move it if it got in the way. There was a herd of cattle in the field, although the churchyard has a dry stone wall around it.

Walking along the track, watched curiously by the golfers on the adjacent course, until I was level with the church ruins (very like Logie Old Kirk), then squidged my way through the wet turf to the far side, where the iron gate to the churchyard was locked, but there was a stone stile into the graveyard.

This is a very, very pretty spot. It is a very old site. Typically, there was no phone signal here so I couldn’t call up the Canmore record. I went round photographing lots of different things. I managed to miss the recumbent cross slab (most of them were overgrown with grass), although there were a couple of other interesting stones and features. Lovely site but disappointing not to have found the cross slab, even though I must have looked at it.

Also known as St Fillian's; Dundurn Burial-ground; Stewarts Of Ardvoirlich Burial-place.

Traprain Law

Trip No.52  Entry No.4  Date Added: 10th Oct 2017
Site Type: Hillfort Country: Scotland (East Lothian)
Visited: Saw from a distance on 27th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: Traprain Law Hillfort, East Lothian: We only saw this from afar. It would have taken too long to climb up and get back down and see the rest of the sites we wanted to see this afternoon. Brilliant view. The farmer’s wife from Standingstone Farm told us there were wild Exmoor ponies living on top (we could see them moving around on the top of the slopes), but their water was at the bottom of the hill.

Loth Stone

Trip No.52  Entry No.6  Date Added: 10th Oct 2017
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Scotland (East Lothian)
Visited: Yes on 27th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: The Loth Stone, west of Traprain Law hillfort: Just up the hill from Standingstone Farm, up a lovely grassy lane just to the west of Traprain Law hillfort. The stone has now been moved against a hedge. There is a small gate into the field, where the wheat had just been harvested, letting us walk right up to the stone and photograph it.

We did peer around the field hoping to see some sign of the cairn at NT 5781 7409, some 53 metres to the south of its current location but could see nothing.

With Traprain Law hillfort rising up to the east, this was a quiet, pleasant and atmospheric spot, although the standing stone did seem a little abandoned. Next stop was to be a hill fort in an even more remote location.

Pencraig Brae

Trip No.52  Entry No.2  Date Added: 9th Oct 2017
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Scotland (East Lothian)
Visited: Yes on 27th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Pencraig Hill Standing Stone, East Lothian: Standing just north of the A199, Pencraig Brae Road. There was room to pull the car onto the grass verge next to the tumble-down gate into the field, which we managed to squeeze our way round the edge, as it hadn’t been opened in many a year.

The field was planted with mature cabbages, with the farmer and a small team harvesting a couple of hundred yards to the west. There was sufficient space between the rows of cabbages to pick our way very carefully up to the stone and photograph it. The workers didn’t seem to mind us, as they could see us taking care in picking our route.

A tall, fine standing stone, and one I’m glad to have seen. Despite the cabbages, this was a lovely location and an atmospheric stone.

Boar Stone (Drem)

Trip No.52  Entry No.1  Date Added: 9th Oct 2017
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: Scotland (East Lothian)
Visited: Yes on 27th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: The Boar Stone, East of Drem Village: This stone is located to the north side of the B1377, in the garden of Prora Farm, some 1.4 km east of Drem station. It has been relocated from the edge of a field at NT 5280 7924, some 640 metres south south east of its current location.

The right to roam in Scotland does not cover people’s gardens, so I had to be content with walking up and down the width of the garden alongside the B1377, which was very busy, and has the train line running immediately to the south, so not the best spot.

There is no real information on Canmore, apart from the describe it as a cross. There is a link through to the East Lothian Council records, which describes this as “a broken sandstone cross-shaft with chamfered edges, 5ft 11ins high, 1ft 2ins broad and 11 1/2ins thick at the lower end, but tapering to 7 1/4ins in thickness at the upper end”, which comes from the name book of 1853.

Kirklandhill

Trip No.52  Entry No.3  Date Added: 10th Oct 2017
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Scotland (East Lothian)
Visited: Saw from a distance on 27th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Kirklandhill Standing Stone, East Lothian: From Pencraig Hill Standing Stone, we drove 3.6 kilometres east along the A199 (which runs parallel to the A1) turning left (north) up the A198. The Kirklandhill Standing Stone is in the middle of the field immediately to the right hand side of the A198.

Whilst the Pencraig Hill Stone was in a field of mature cabbages, this field was planted in well established brussel sprout plants, with no room between them, so we could only view it from the road. We tried looking for a gate into the field off the A198 and the A199, but the entrance must be near to the Kirklandhill Farm building.

I had to content myself with photographing this stone from the edge of the field next to the A198, which was very busy with traffic. Next stop on the list were some standing stones near Traprain Law hillfort.

Standingstone (East Lothian)

Trip No.52  Entry No.5  Date Added: 10th Oct 2017
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Scotland (East Lothian)
Visited: Yes on 27th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Standingstone Standing Stone, East Lothian: As we pulled up outside the Standingstone farm house, a lady and her black pug came out of the farmyard. I apologised for turning up out of the blue, but did she know about the standing stone, and she said ‘yes’, asked if I knew where it was, and walked us to it. It was in a little orchard, behind the adjacent cottage. There were glacial striations on the stone, now vertical as the stone had been stood upright.

When talking about the hillfort above us (Tarprain Law) she said “the chieftain was supposed to have thrown his daughter off the top, for falling in love with someone she shouldn’t have. She was supposed to have turned into a robin. The strange thing about here is that we have hundreds and hundreds of robins, and they are here all year. Weird.” She gave a shiver. She told me we were supposed to hug the standing stones.