Archaeology Notes

Event ID 730184

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/730184

NX98SE 2 9582 8411.

(Area: NX 957 841) 'There are two "Druidical temples" on the north side of the King's Road about a mile from Galloberry towards Dalswinton, on a ridge of the farm and close to the village of Quarrelwood. Both are formed of gathered field stones.

The one to the east is about 250 feet in circumference and 10 feet in height. When "the centre was searched into" traces of fire, and fat, loamy earth, and a human tooth were found. Removal of some of the stones revealed a circle of large stones within the cairn.

About 550 feet to the NW is another "Temple" about 226 feet in circumference but only 30 inches high, having been much robbed. A half-circle of large stones was observed 5 feet within the outer edge of the cairn.

One of these cairns may be a circular structure 18 yards in diameter and up to 10 feet high, in the second field south of Smithfield farm. The raised interior is flat and slightly hollowed. It is known locally as "the Roman Hill".

M R Dobie 1959; T Johnston 1825-7

At NX 9582 8411 is the north-westerly of the two features described. It is now only 1.0m high and is sub-circular measuring overall 22.0m NW/SE by 20.0 m transversely. It is flat-topped and of stoney construction. The south-easterly 'cairn' may have been on the summit of a hillock c. 192-0m to the SE of this but it may have been situated on, or have formed part of, a small natural gorse-covered knoll at NX 9603 8402. This knoll, c. 5.0m high, is surrounded by the remains of a modern dyke and has been quarried into on the NW side.

Cairn Surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (RDL) 25 June 1964