Cairns, carvings and standing stones dot the beautiful panorama of Kilmartin Glen.
This peaceable place in Argyll on the West Coast of Scotland is steeped in historical past. In reality, it has one of the necessary concentrations of Neolithic and Bronze Age stays on the mainland!
It’s a fantastic place to discover by bike. Kilmartin Glen has off-road cycle paths and a few quiet roads, good for a simple biking journey in Scotland or a household day trip with a picnic cease.
The Caledonia Approach, Nationwide Route 78 of the Nationwide Cycle Community, cuts via the glen. These on the lookout for an enormous biking journey can discover the complete 235 miles of spectacular surroundings all the best way from Campbeltown to Inverness.
So what are you ready for? Hop in your bike, really feel the wind in your hair, and see what number of historic monuments you may cycle between, from towering standing stones to underground cairns.
It’s a brief, straightforward, and largely flat cycle between the routes we’ve listed beneath and that function in our map.
Ri-Cruin Cairn
Ri-Cruin Cairn is the southernmost level of the prehistoric ‘linear cemetery’ on Kilmartin Glen’s valley flooring.
From right here, heading North, you may discover the monuments we’ve talked about beneath on a traffic-free path.
Sadly, the cairn was extensively broken throughout agricultural works within the 1700s and 1800s, however it was as soon as possible the resting place of a high-status prehistoric particular person.
Take in it’s peaceable presence on this little wooden.
Temple Wooden Stone Circle and Nether Largie Standing Stones
The Nether Largie standing stones
Simply up the highway is Temple Wooden Stone Circle on one aspect, and Nether Largie Standing Stones on the opposite.
Temple Wooden Stone Circle was in use for some 2,000 years, from the Neolithic interval via to the Bronze Age.
Grave items had been discovered throughout excavations there, together with barbed-and-tanged arrowheads, a finely adorned beaker, and yellow and crimson ochre, in addition to a baby’s tooth.
The Nether Largie standing stones are marked with cup and ring marks. You may entry the sector they stand in, to really feel their towering presence that should’ve impressed communities many hundreds of years in the past.
If you’re bringing your automotive, Woman Glassary Wooden Automobile Park is reverse the stones.
The Nether Largie Cairns
Nether Largie South Cairn
Slightly additional alongside the trail, there are three cairns in succession.
The Nether Largie South Cairn is the oldest monument in Kilmartin Glen’s prehistoric linear cemetery. It was possible constructed over 5,000 years in the past! That’s greater than 1,000 years earlier than the opposite burial cairns which now kind the linear cemetery.
Subsequent up is Nether Largie Mid Cairn. Uncommon axe-head carvings present in one in all this cairn’s two cists counsel that this was the burial place of a high-status particular person. Axes had been an indicator of wealth.
Axe-head carvings are very uncommon in Scotland, although they’re additionally discovered at Nether Largie North Cairn and Ri Cruin Cairn.
At Nether Largie North Cairn, a examine revealed an enchanting discovery on its capstone – about 40 cup and ring marks, and pecked carvings of two axe-heads!
Carnasserie Fortress
Carnasserie Fortress is on the high of this path community. There’s a automotive park, however to succeed in it off-road from the opposite monuments by bike, you’ll cross via a subject.
Considered one of Argyll’s most interesting Renaissance residences, Carnasserie Fortress was as soon as the trendy house of the primary Protestant Bishop of the Isles, Grasp John Carswell.
When you attain the fort, climb the towering steps for wonderful views over the glen on a transparent day.
There’s an ideal grassy spot beneath the fort for that post-cycle cake.
Discover much more
Dunadd Fort
Discover different monuments in Kilmartin Glen together with Dunadd Fort and select your individual journey.
In addition to a fort and extra cairns and rock artwork, you may even make a visit to the breath-taking Loch Awe for a cycle round Scotland’s longest freshwater loch. Look out for Kilchurn Fortress, which was as soon as the powerbase of the Campbells of Glenorchy.
Attending to Kilmartin Glen
The Crinan Canal is only a quick cycle from Kilmartin Glen and is a ravishing, traffic-free cycle route
You will get the prepare to Oban from Glasgow, the ferry to Campbelltown from Ardrossan or the ferry to Claonaig from Lochranza on Arran and incorporate the glen into a much bigger biking journey.
There are additionally buses going to locations close by, however it could be as much as the bus driver discretion when you can take your bike on board. Test prematurely with bus suppliers.
If you want to take the automotive, you may park close by the monuments, or park a bit additional away in cities like Lochgilphead to incorporate extra biking (together with on-road stretches and a journey alongside the Crinan Canal) in your journey.
Tour extra of Scotland’s Historical past in your bike…
We’re collaborating in Bike Week from 6 to 12 June 2022, which is able to entitle cyclists to a ten% low cost once you cycle to any of the beneath websites throughout that week.
Please word it is a onsite provide solely so tickets can’t be booked on-line prematurely.
The websites included within the provide are: Dunstaffnage Fortress, Iona Abbey and Nunnery, Torphichen Preceptory, Blackness Fortress, Craigmillar Fortress, Newark Fortress , Duff Home, Elgin cathedral , Fort George, Huntly Fortress, Huntingtower Fortress, Stanley Mills and Smailholm Tower.
