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 DESTINATIONS UK
kilmartin glen, argyll, scotland.
 The
Valley of Ghosts........
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Drive south from Oban to
Lochgilphead and the Crinan Canal on the A816, and as you
enter Kilmartin Glen, you will realise that you have entered a
very special place.
Over 5000 years of human history
can be traced across the Kilmartin valley. At least 350
ancient monuments, of which 150
are prehistoric, lie within six miles of the quiet village
of Kilmartin.
Of particular interest are the earlier prehistoric
monuments: chambered cairns, round cairns, cists, standing
stones and rock carvings.
 When visiting
Kilmartin Glen, it is best to start at the Kilmartin House
Museum of Ancient Culture. This is located in the old manse in
Kilmartin village and admission includes an atmospheric audio
visual presentation as well as entry to the museum itself
which includes a model of the glen. There is also an excellent cafe
here!
Almost next to
the Museum is Kilmartin Parish Church with its remarkable
collection of early grave slabs, some of which have been
collected together in a small open enclosure for easier
viewing. Some grave slabs are of early Christian design, some
are medieval.
Before the pyramids were built, the inhabitants of this area of
Scotland had built the first of the burial cairns that make up
the Linear Cemetery at Nether Largie South. These Neolithic
and Bronze Age monuments, together with the stone circle at
Temple Wood and the standing stones at Ballymeanoch and other
sites, are all part of the ritual landscape of Kilmartin Glen.
About a mile south of Kilmartin village
along the A816,
there is a car park from where you can visit the group of sites at Nether Largie South.
The Nether Largie stones are to be found in the field across
the road from the car park.
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Detail from the centre of the stone circle at Temple Wood
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It is only a short walk from the Nether Largie
stones to Temple Wood and its stone circle with a cairn at
the centre. The trees were planted in Victorian times when the
site was renamed Temple Wood. From here a short stroll along
the lane takes
you to Nether Largie South cairn,
believed to have been built
around 3000-2500BC. A well signed path takes you back
to the standing stones and the car park.
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Stones at Nether Largie
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Further down the A816 on the right hand side you will notice a
rocky outcrop with whitewashed buildings at its foot. A trip
up the track towards these buildings brings you to the car
park at the base of Dunadd, an
Iron Age fort which overlooks the Moine Mhor (Great
Moss) which covers 1,200 acres and is one of very few estuarine
raised bogs left in Europe.
Dunadd has a very special place in Scottish history as this
was the capital of the Ancient Kingdom of Dalriada. Legend has
it that the Stone of Destiny was used here in the crowning of
the first Kings of Scotland. A climb up to the top not only
gives the visitor a great view over to the sea and up the
Glen, but also at the summit there is a carved flat stone slab with
a cup indentation in it, the purpose of which is unknown. There is also a foot print, still very visible, carved
into the stone. By
Irish tradition, the King of Dalriada was crowned by placing
his foot into this imprint.
Continuing down the A816 as it
leaves the Glen, a right turn onto the B841 takes you along
the Crinan Canal to the sea. The Crinan Canal was built by
Thomas Telford in the late 18th century and is now used mainly
by pleasure craft. A scenic drive alongside the canal takes to
Crinan where the canal enters Loch Crinan and the Sound of
Jura. The canal basin here is a delightful place to while away
a couple of hours - watch the boats pass through, have a cup
of tea or an ice cream at the little cafe or take a stroll
along the shoreline.
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