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Whitelees Moor 2

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

Log Text: Whitelees Cup Marks 2 :

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Whitelees Moor Cairn

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

Log Text: Whitelees Cairn :

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

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

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

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

Goat Craig 1

Trip No.16 Date Added: 17th Jul 2019
Site Type: Rock Art Country: Scotland (Inverclyde)
Visited: Yes on 10th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 2

Log Text: Goat Craig Cup Marks 1 :

I spent 1 hour looking for these Cup Marks. But had no luck.

I went up and down the full shoreline looking at every rock behind the wall, but couldn't find this rock with 5 Cup Marks on it.

There are several possible reasons why I had no luck ;
1. There were a few rocks completely covered in moss, and it may have been one of these rocks.
2. A large portion of the wall along the Loch has fallen down, and some of the stones from this cover some of the natural rocks embedded into the ground.
3. It was discovered in 2007, a year we had high temperatures and low water levels. The guy who found it documented co-ordinates that placed the rock 'IN' Loch Thom. Perhaps during the low water levels of 2007 (When the Lochs edge would have been a few metres further in than usual) he actually found a rock in Loch Thom, at the waters edge - similar to the one he recorded at Daff reservoir.

*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours walk from Drumfrochar train station.

From the train station come out onto Peat Road and turn left, walk uphill taking your 3rd left after the last house. Walk up the Old Largs Road and after 10 minutes you'll pass Whinhill golf course, from here its about an hours walk.
Keep on walking along the Old Largs Road for about 45 minutes and you'll pass the Gryffe reservoir, another 10 minutes and you'll arrive at Goat Craigs, follow the road around until you reach the small sandy beach bit. The Cup Marked Rock is recorded as being here.

Goat Craig 2

Trip No.16 Date Added: 17th Jul 2019
Site Type: Rock Art Country: Scotland (Inverclyde)
Visited: Yes on 10th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: Goat Craig Cup Marks 2 :

After spending an hour looking for Goat Craig '1', I only searched for these for 15 minutes, but due to not being able to locate 'GC1' I also found it difficult to locate Goat Craigs '2'.

Goat Craig is horrible terrain to walk over, it is uneven, rocky, boggy marsh, which makes it time consuming to navigate.
I think I now know roughly where 'GC2' are and will hopefully locate them on my next visit.

*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours walk from Drumfrochar train station.

From the train station come out onto Peat Road and turn left, walk uphill taking your 3rd left after the last house. Walk up the Old Largs Road and after 10 minutes you'll pass Whinhill golf course,from here its about an hours walk.
Keep on walking along the Old Largs Road for about 45 minutes and you'll pass the Gryffe reservoir, another 10 minutes and you'll arrive at Goat Craigs, follow the road around until you reach the small sandy beach bit. The Cup Marked Rocks are recorded as being on the opposite side of the road from Goat Craig '1' Cup Marks.

Goat Craigs Cairn (Loch Thom)

Trip No.16 Date Added: 17th Jul 2019
Site Type: Cairn Country: Scotland (Inverclyde)
Visited: Yes on 10th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: Goat Craigs Cairn :

Goat Craigs Cairn doesn't seem to have changed much in the 63 years since it was first documented.

It is hard to spot at first, as most of the remaining stones are now turf covered. The mound is circular in shape, with an oval shaped hollow in the centre.
The oval hollow is divided into two separate chambers and is now filled with tall Grasses with a few boulders are scattered around.

The shape of the Cairn gets easier to discern when moving around it, being easier to see against the horizon the lower to the ground you are.

*Getting there ; Access Goat Craigs from the Old Largs Road, which runs from Overton at the top of Greenock to Loch Thom (And onto Largs) It's just over an hours walk from Drumfrochar train station.

From the train station come out onto Peat Road and turn left, walk uphill taking your 3rd left after the last house. Walk up the Old Largs Road and after 10 minutes you'll pass Whinhill golf course, from here its about an hours walk.
Keep on walking along the Old Largs Road for about 45 minutes and you'll pass the Gryffe reservoir, another 10 minutes and you'll arrive at Goat Craigs, follow the road around until you reach the small sandy beach bit. Turn and face South, and head up onto the moor, it is about 5 minutes from the road.

Look for a quite a large rocky outcrop and the Cairn is right in front of this.