Ancient sites Scotland

Tomnaverie recumbent stone circle. Tarland near Aboyne, Grampian. Two rings of stones, one inside the other. Stones are actually standing rather than recumbent.

Map ref: NJ 488035

Culsh souterrain,Tarland near Aboyne, Grampian. Aberdeen. Roof is intact making the inside very dark. Passage extends several yards. Map ref: NJ 505055

Cullerlie stone circle, Roadside of Garlogie near Aberdeen, Grampian. Tidy stone circle of eight boulders and eight small cairns. Bronze Age. Map ref: NJ 784042

East Aquhorthies recumbent stone circle west of Inverurie, Grampian. Nine upright stones and large recumbent with two flanking. Map ref: NJ 732208

Loanhead recumbent stone circle near Daviot, Inverurie, Grampian. The circle of standing stones encloses a ring cairn of small boulders and other smaller cairns had been built around the five standing stones lying outside the circle. Map ref:  NJ 748289

Clava Cairns near Inverness, south east of Culloden Battlefield, Highlands. Three large cairns of stones each surrounded by a circle of stranding stones. Well worth a visit. Map ref: NH 757445

Craig Phadrig vitrified fort near Inverness. Highlands. Map ref: NH 640453

Corrimony chambered cairn, Cannich near Inverness. Highlands. Central burial chamber of stone surrounded by a heap of pebbles. Map ref: NH 383303

Dun Telve and Dun Troddan brochs, Glenelg near Kyle of Lochalsh. Highlands (steep pass, not recommended for caravans). Good example of what is possibly a defensive structure dating from the Iron Age. Map ref: NG 829172

Knockfarrel vitrified fort near Dingwall. Ross & Cromarty. Map ref: NH 505585

Carn Liath broch near Golspie. Sutherland. Highlands. About 12' of wall standing here and there, entrance and lintel still to be seen. Map ref: NC 871013

Loch Stemster standing stones near Latheron, Wick Caithness. 36 standing stones. Map ref: ND 188418

The Grey Cairns of Camster near Lybster, Wick. Caithness. Good examples of Neolithic chambered cairns. Map ref: ND 260442

The Hill o' Many Stanes near Lybster, Wick, Caithness. About 200 small stones arranged in 22 rows, almost parallel, slightly fan shaped.

Callanish standing stones, Callanish, Stornoway Isle of Lewis. Wonderful example and well worth the long trip. Map ref: NB 214331

Dun Carloway broch, Caroloway, Stornoway. Isle of Lewis. Well preserved broch. Double wall can still be seen. Map ref: NB 190413

Maes Howe passage grave near Kirkwall, Orkney

Entrance to passage leading to a chamber 15' square. Guides will take you in. Map ref: HY 318127

Onston chambered cairn, Stromness, Orkney. Well preserved cairn. Reached by along a narrow passage 14' long with the burial chamber at one end. Map ref: HY 283117

The Stones of Stenness henge & standing stones, near Stromness, Orkney. Only four standing stones left. Map ref: HY 307125

The Ring of Brodgar henge and stone circle near Stromness, Orkney. More impressive than Stenness. Twenty seven stones remain. Surrounded by a deep circular ditch. Map ref: HY 294134

		Skara Brae settlement near Stromness, Orkney. Well preserved Neolithic settlement first discovered in 1850. Well worth a visit. Map ref: HY 231188

Clickhimin settlement and broch near Lerwick, Shetland. Map ref: HU 464408

Jarlshof settlement.Sumburgh, Shetland. Includes an oval shaped Bronze Age houses, broch and wheelhouses, Viking long houses, medieval farmstead. Map ref: HY 399095

Hotels in Scotland

Ancient Sites in Central and Southern Scotland

Cairnholy I & II chambered cairns. Kirkcudbright. Dumfries & Galloway. Pottery found with some cremated human remains in the tomb has been dated to the late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age Nearest town is Newton Stewart. A75 road between Newton Stewart and Gatehouse of Fleet passes close to the site. Map ref: NX517538

Torhouse stone circle. Wigtown (Dumfries & Galloway). Nineteen smooth boulders form a circle 60' in diameter round the edges of a low  mound with a line of three more stones near the centre. Possible Bronze Age. Map ref: NX382565

White Castle hillfort. East Lothian. Iron Age hillfort plainly visible from the road. Map ref: NT613686

Cairnpapple Hill henge and cairn. West Lothian. A long history of Neolithic, Early Bronze Age, early Iron Age. Map ref: NS987717. Nearest town is Bathgate and nearest village Torphichen.

Kilmartin:

Kilmartin linear cairn cemetery. Kilmartin is 8 miles north of Lochgilphead. Argyll. This area is infested with ancient sites, some a lot easier to locate than others. For these particular cairns:

Glebe Cairn: Just a mass of large pebbles. Early Bronze Age. Map ref: NR833989

Nether Largie north cairn: covers a burial chamber which contains a stone burial cist with capstone bearing cup marks and carvings of axe heads. Map ref: NR831985

Nether Largie mid cairn: Two stone cists are visible. Map ref: NR831984

Nether Largie south cairn: Neolithic. Four-compartment burial chamber. At edge of cairn two stone cists (possibly Early Bronze Age) Map ref: NR828979

Ri Cruin cairn: Bronze Age. Three stone cists. Map ref: NR826971

Temple Wood stone circle: Kilmartin. Argyll. Thirteen stones out of original twenty still stand. Inside the circle is a stone burial cist. Map ref: NR827978

Dunchraigaig cairn. Kilmartin. Argyll. Early Bronze Age. Three stone cists, southern covered by a large capstone. Map ref: NR833968

Kilmichael Glassary inscribed stone. Kilmichael Glassary. Argyll. One of the easier ones to find and the cup and ring marks are quite evident. Map ref: NR858935

Tealing souterain. Angus. Near the village of Balgray near Dundee. Iron Age. Not a lot to see but stone-lined trench and cup and ring marked  stone clearly visible. Map ref: NO412381

Ardestie souterrain. Mains of Ardestie, Dundee. Angus. Roofless, passages clearly seen. Stone drain runs down the centre of the passage. Map ref: N0 502344

Carlungie souterrain. Newbigging. Dundee. Angus. Interesting example. Passage 150' long with small passages leading off main. Huts were found near by when this was excavated so perhaps these Iron Age folk did not live in the souterrain. Map ref: N0 511359

The White Caterthun & Brown Caterthun hillforts, Tigerton near Brechin. Angus.Map ref: White Caterthun N0 548660 - Brown Caterthun N0 555669

Links: Historic Scotland look after many of these sites.

         National Trust for Scotland for other interesting places to visit

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