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Clach na Carraig
I stumbled across this massive standing stone on my morning run. Well, I tell a lie, I was carrying a map and was attracted to the Gothic font which is a giveaway of something interesting. It is truly a monolith, 12½ feet tall, made of granite, and 13 feet in girth. Probably erected by Neolithic…
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The Big Mountain and the Toad of Lorn
A short trot up Beinn Mhòr, the ‘big mountain’. Not the Beinn Mhòr of Mull (better known by its anglicised name of Ben More), at 965m the only Munro requiring a ferry trip. Nor the two other Munros with the same name in Perthshire and Assynt. Nor even the 741m high Beinn Mhòr on Cowal…
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Easdale
The small island of Easdale lies a short ferry ride off the bigger island of Seil. It could fit inside a kilometre grid square and rises to a grand height of 38m., yet it has been transformed by quarrying for slate predominately for roof tiles that were shipped to cities all over Britain. The industry…
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Dunadd
More than 1,300 years ago, this part of Argyll was known as Dàl Riata and was peopled by Gaels, known as the Scotti. The royal centre of Dàl Riata was a fortress built on top of a rocky hill beside the River Add: Dunadd, or Dùn Ad in Gaelic. It is said that the Gaels…
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Keills Chapel
Sited at the very end of the Tayvallich peninsula, according to Historic Scotland the Keills chapel contains 40 carved stones dating from early Christian to late medieval but alas today, because of this virus, it was all shut up. Apparently it’s typical of 13th-century churches in the western Highlands. It seems to have been dedicated…
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Tayvallich
A dreich day so didn’t venture far. Tayvallich is a community overlooking the natural harbour of Loch a’ Bhealaich in Knapdale, Argyll. I find the learning of the pronunciation of Gaelic names is a slow process, Tayvallich is Taigh a’ Bhealaich in Gaelic and gives good hints. I just need to remember them. The name…
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Ben Arthur/The Cobbler
At 884m high, Ben Arthur, familiarly known as The Cobbler, is only a Corbett but is a cracking hill. It is one of a group of hills known as the Arrochar Alps: The Cobbler, and the Munros Beinn Narnaim and Beinn Ime. I believe technically The Cobbler refers to the central peak and Ben Arthur…
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Hillend Iron Age Hill Fort
Caerketton Hill is on the north-eastern end of the Pentland Hills outside of Edinburgh. With its dry ski slope, it dominates the view from the Edinburgh bypass. About halfway up is a distinctive knoll that is the site of an Iron Age hill fort. It takes its name from the small hamlet at the foot…
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Percy Rigg Hut Circles
It’s been at least three years since I posted a photo of the Iron Age hut circles at Percy Rigg. This is a group of five circular huts, one of which can be seen in the photo, although not all would have been in use at the same time. The occupants were farmers, probably living…
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Dry hedging in Newton Wood
A tiring day in Newton Wood on the main route up Roseberry making some dry hedges from cut sycamore saplings. Dry hedges are basically a wall of branches weaved between stakes. They provide good habitat for all small mammals and insects but the primary aim for these hedges is to encourage visitors not to wander…
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