Taking the Big Red Beast (TM) out for her final field trip before trading her in for a newer model, I wound up back here in an attempt to track down the alleged circle. A beautiful cold but very bright day, not a cloud in the sky. And this place is most definitely worth a good look. I didn't find a circle, but I found damn near everything else...
There's the remains of a large cairn at the top of the site. Immediately below it are two perfect hut circles, which could easily be mistaken for stone circles by someone who didn't know what they were. They're certainly two of the best I've seen. And the field leading to these is absolutely covered with the remains of small cairns, one of which (though fairly disrupted) had the familiar look and feel of a kerbed cairn. What a place! I spent nearly two happy hours here pottering about, and I suspect I'll be back. This place is just begging for another look!
There's a rough track up to Stylemouth farm, where you can park easily enough off the track. Then it's about a ten minute walk up through a few gates, muddy in places. Unfortunately there wasn't anyone home when I called as I'd like to have had a word with the farmer about this place. Maybe next time.
Account of excavations in groups of cairns etc on Balnabroch.
Interesting account (pdf) from 1866 which also contains an account from the Old Statistical Account 1790 of the many cairns, stone circle and hut circles on Balnabroich
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