Archaeology Notes

Event ID 697324

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/697324

NR89NW 6 8263 9782.

(NR 8263 9783) Circle (NR)

OS 6" map, Argyllshire, 2nd ed., (1900)

An earthen bank surrounds a ring of stones 43' x 40'6" in diameter. Thirteen stones, heights as shown on plan still stand, and the sockets of seven others, completing the circle, were traced by Craw's excavation of 1929. There is a low inner stone setting, surrounding a central cist. Prof. Thom's plan shows an outlier to W, which he says was removed in 1953. An axe-head is carved on the head slab of the cist.

J H Craw 1930; M Campbell and M Sandeman 1964; R W B Morris MS notes

Generally as described. The earthen bank surrounding the stones has been mutilated on the SW side. The central cist is exposed and measures 1.5m x 0.9m x 0.5m Lying 30.0m to the N of the circle are two stones set on edge; their purpose is not certain. The suggested axehead is unrecognisable.

Resurveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (IA) 26 April 1973

This site is being re-excavated to try to establish the relationship of the standing stones, forming a circle c.12.2m in diameter, with what appear to be cairn material and ditch features.

A quadrant to the SE was examined with sides which intersected in the central cist. The N section of the quadrant included a small stone set at right angles to the perimeter, discovered by Craw in 1929. Beneath modern turf, the central area had a layer of cobble-like stones ranging from a thin scatter towards the middle to c.0.5m near the standing stones. Two of the stone holes found by Craw were confirmed, showing drastic disturbance which must ante-date Craw's examination.

About 4.0m SE of the central cist was discovered a coverless cist built of slabs apparently laid flat on the original surface. It was 1.1m x 1.0m in size and contained a cremation. Surrounding the central cist, and only fairly recently turfed over, is a ring of an estimated diameter of 3.5m, composed of closely set small upright slabs and split boulders. On the inner side of this ring and to the E of the central cist was a damaged slab-built box-like structure, 0.8m across, in which were found cremated remains. The central cist, which has lain open for many years, also contained cremated remains.

The W section was extended across the ditch visible to the S and outside the ring of standing stones. The ground fell away 5.0m to the S of the ring, to flatten out again c.1.0m lower down. At the break of slope the ditch proved to be c.2.0m wide and less than 0.5m deep. It appears to cut through cairn material on the N side. Present indications are that it is not prehistoric, but may be a drainage ditch dug when peat formerly surrounding the site was being removed (J G Scott 1974). Hawkins notes a large six-armed double spiral carved on the E edge of the N stone of the stone circle.

G S Hawkins 1973

A false-portal cairn.

H A W Burl 1973

Excavation of the new quadrant in 1975 revealed, surrounding the central cist, a narrow trench which had contained upright slabs, one of which, partially shattered, survived. A ring of set boulders remained in situ immediately outside the trench and it is likely that boulders, slab and cist had been covered by a small cairn. There was much disturbance between the central area and the standing stones but it seems unlikely that there was ever more than a scatter of stones here. Four upright slabs, above one of which two courses of drystone walling occurred, were uncovered between the standing stones which appeared to have been dressed to receive them. Scott deduces that this must have been the retaining wall of a ring-cairn, but no outer kerb was traced. To the west, a ditch, which appeared to run N-S past the edge of the cairn, was cut and was shown to be of ancient origin although it had been recut in recent times. Two previously unrecorded carvings, one consisting of two concentric circles and the other a magnificent spiral were noted on the outer faces of the standing stones.

J G Scott 1975

An embanked stone circle known as Temple Wood (DoE nameplate) is situated on low lying ground. There are now 13 upright stones (A to M on 1/500 plan) in the circle and they range from 1.1m to 1.6m in height; some are linked by earth-fast slabs set on edge and up to 0.3m high. The concentric circle and double spiral carvings are on the N face and E edge respectively of Stone E. The external stony bank which is up to 1.1m high survives only on the NE and S, elsewhere it has been damaged or effaced by the excavations.

The central open cist (the only one evident) is well preserved but with no trace of a capstone, and the enclosing crescentic line of stones 0.2m high survives on its W side only. The amorphous mound immediately to the NE of the cist is possibly a spoil heap from an early excavation.

Two earthfast stone slabs, (N and O on 1/500 plan) set on edge and protruding 0.4m through the turf, lie 30.0m to the NE of the circle.

An 0.3m deep meandering ditch running generally N - S lies to the W of the circle, this joins an 0.9m deep ditch which runs E - W to the S of the circle. Their age and purpose are not clear but the latter is possibly modern.

The excavation continues.

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (TRG) 16 February 1977

Excavation in the SW quadrant revealed a satellite cairn c.3.25m in diameter x 0.5m high containing an empty cist c.39m to the N 2 upright slabs project, one of which is set into a socket with a slabless socket set c.1m away.

J G Scott 1976