Going Round in Stoned Circles

In this instance some of the stones (on the very right)
were ground down by subsequent inhabitants,
and an attempt made to use them as mill stones.

I have, so I believe, been criticised for only writing about self-development and human behaviour aspects, and not about the beauty of the countryside or scenery, or the history and natural sciences of the island. Now that is not entirely true, because I did plagiarise some information about the history, plus I did mention the natural beauty and the whole aspect of micro climates. As far as history and natural sciences goes it is perhaps a bit early for me to be able to say too much. In order to address this shortcoming though, I took a little trip to a very famous site here on the island on Saturday afternoon after finishing up in the kitchen. It is generally known as the Machrie Moor Stone Circles, and is on the western side of the island, just more than 5km beyond Blackwaterfoot.

Approaching Blackwaterfoot from the south, on
my way to Machrie Moor.

Almost dead centre of this photo is where the majority
of the Mackrie Moor cirles are located.

At the outset I do have to say, though, that this is not a unique feature here. The island is literally full of stone circles and standing stones, as well as cairns, but the Machrie Moor circles are probably the most famous and also most visited. So over time you will possibly also get to read a bit more about the others, as well as some of the standing stones, which also abound. One of the main reasons why the Machrie Moor ones are probably more visited than many others is that they are very easily accessible, whereas many of the others require a fair amount of cross-country walking. From the tar road it is a just over a kilometre walk along a fairly decent cart track, and as I cycled there it was even easier for me, once I had lifted my bicycle over the initial fence. The main access gate is kept locked to ensure visitors get some exercise, and do not just drive right up to the circles. Oh yes, it is plural, as there are quite a number of circles at this location.

The display board at the entrance to the very first cairn
one encounters.

So to start off, after parking your car you have to climb over the fence, which is fairly easy as steps have been provided for this purpose. You then cross through sheep fields and enjoy a leisurely stroll towards the actual site. The first encounter with the past here is a stone cairn, which it is reckoned was used as a burial site for a very important or significant person at the time. At what time, you ask? Well, apparently those particular circles date back around 2000BC, and possibly even earlier. There is definitely evidence of human habitation dating back to the Bronze Age and before, but the circles are for now dated at about 2000BC. The people living there at the time appear to have had a fairly well-structured society and distinct agricultural knowledge, as well as spiritual practise, yet they vacated the area around 700BC. Interestingly enough it appears as if they left due to climate change. 

The same circle from a little further away. Just above my
bicycle one can make out a standing stone, and the
remaining circles start in the middle of the photo,
between the two rocks to the right of the bush dead centre.

A display board showing the possible construction of
the round huts the locals of the time lived in.

It would seem that possible rising water levels caused them to seek higher ground, whereas before they practised extensive cultivation of the land, and lived in round houses made from stone and clay, with wood and thatch roofs. With the location being near the Machrie River, due to the rising water the area over time became a moor, effectively preserving much of what was left behind. There is an excellent chance that a great deal of archaeological and geological, as well as probably historical, artefacts and discoveries still await those who seek. However with it being largely a moor, or mainly clay ground, digging is not that easy, provided you know where to look in the first place. It would seem that in some instances they happened to ‘stumble’ across the cairn, for example, quite literally by accident. In addition there is the whole aspect of previous inhabitants over the years obviously not being too concerned about history, or preserving any prior structures, and thus often such structures where just ignored. In the one instance, for example, a cart track went through one of the circles for many years before somebody realised the significance of the stones.

The one standing stone which was just above my
bicycle, with the three other standing stones of an
actual circle in the distance.

There are various places along the coastline where visual indicators also suggest that the sea level was much higher at one time than it is now. The same can be witnessed on adjoining Holy Isle, but we shall still get to that one with time. For now there are numerous other stone circles, standing stones, and also ruins or remains of stone forts to be explored in various locations across the Isle of Arran. In addition there are a number of significant caves, like Kings Cave fairly close to the Machrie Moor Stone Circles, as well as some Viking graves at Kingscross Point, the point closest to Holy Isle on the eastern side of Arran, somewhat between Lamlash and Whiting Bay.

This photo was taken about two to three weeks ago,
and by now s/he has actually grown quite substantially.
In a way I see her as my own little portable lawn mower.
Though s/he is a bit choosy, and may nibble at an apple,
but totally ignores carrots.

Wherever one goes, even if the weather is not always stunning, the scenery certainly always is. Especially at the moment with most vegetation enjoying summer growth, the island is largely a lush-ish green, with the occasional colour from various blossoms. There is an abundance of animal life, though so far most of what I have witnessed is not necessarily all that pleasant, or welcome. For this comment refer to my previous blog. ;-) Here at Glenscorrodale we have a fair amount of rabbits around, with the occasional hare as well. As you will see from my photos, there is one young rabbit that lives under my cabin, (she) is largely fairly tame towards me, but does not really like others being too close by. On two occasions it has allowed me to pat it, but generally it prefers not to be handled. Maybe the other rabbits complain about the fragrance of my hand lotion or something. I am told that there are also a substantial amount of deer, but as deer hunting is not just permitted but even encouraged in some parts, they generally tend to keep a very low profile.

Birdlife is in abundance, with especially the crows and seagulls being the most vocal. Occasionally one hears a cuckoo ‘shouting’ as well. Initially it was a novelty hearing them, but when they carry on for minute after minute, hour after hour, the novelty very quickly wears off. In addition there are various swallows/swifts, plus many other smaller birds, but largely they are just ‘birds’ to me, at least for now. Not sure what type they are, but perhaps one day I shall also pay more attention to their differences and unique characteristics. Most are possibly just sparrows in various forms, who knows, but they certainly have distinctly different plumage to the ones I am accustomed to from South Africa. The pheasants are very colourful, at times also rather noisy, and then there is a fairly wide variety of grouse. The occasional eagle has been spotted, some buzzards, plus a couple of other species that had been pointed out to me. But I have always had a preference for the non-feathered variety of birds and hence I did not always pay as much attention as I possibly would have otherwise.

An excerpt from my digital maps, of the area around
the Machrie Moor Stone Cirlces.

For additional, and also more detailed, information about the stone circles please follow the links below.

http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/arran/machriemoor/index.html

http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/scotland/arran/featured-sites/machrie-moor-stone-circles.html

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