Argyll - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 92

Kilmartin village. These are thought to represent the successive burials of a ruling
family or chieftains, but nobody can be sure. The best view of the cemetery's
configuration is from the Bronze Age Mid-Cairn , but the Neolithic South Cairn , dating
from around 3000 BC, is by far the oldest and the most impressive, with its large
chambered tomb roofed by giant slabs.
Close to the Mid-Cairn, the two Temple Wood stone circles appear to have been
the architectural focus of burials in the area from Neolithic times to the Bronze Age.
Visible to the south are the impressively cup-marked Nether Largie standing stones ,
the largest of which looms over 10ft high. Cup- and ring-marked rocks are a recurrent
feature of prehistoric sites in the Kilmartin Glen and elsewhere in Argyll. There are
many theories as to their origin: some see them as Pictish symbols, others as primitive
solar calendars. The most extensive markings in the entire country are at Achnabreck,
off the A816 towards Lochgilphead.

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Kilmartin House Museum
In the old manse adjacent to the village church, Kilmartin • Daily: March-Oct 10am-5.30pm; Nov to Christmas 11am-4pm • £5 •
T 01546 510278, W kilmartin.org
Situated on high ground to the north of the cairns is the tiny village of Kilmartin ,
an unremarkable place but home to the superb Kilmartin House Museum . Not only
can you learn about the various theories concerning prehistoric crannogs, henges
and cairns, but you can practise polishing an axe, examine different types of wood,
and listen to a variety of weird and wonderful sounds (check out the Gaelic bird

Carnasserie Castle (1 mile)

KILMARTIN GLEN

Standing stones
Stone circle
Cup- and
ring-marked rocks
Cairns

Glebe Cairn

Kilmartin

North Cairn

Mid-Cairn

N

Temple Wood

Slockavullin

South Cairn

Nether Largie

Ri-Cruin

Dunchraigaig House

Ballymeanoch

Duntrune
Castle

Tileworks
Walk

Loch Crinan

e

Crinan

Kilmichael
Glassary

Dunadd
(ruined fort)

Bridgend

Bellanoch

0 1

mile

Cairnbaan (1 mile)

Achnabreck (1 mile)