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Nether Largie Cairn Cemetery

Cairn(s)

<b>Nether Largie Cairn Cemetery</b>Posted by IronManImage © IronMan
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The Glebe Cairn Cairn(s)
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Nether Largie Central Cairn(s)
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Nether Largie North Cairn(s)
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Nether Largie South Cairn(s)

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Photographs:<b>Nether Largie Cairn Cemetery</b>Posted by IronMan Maps / Plans / Diagrams:<b>Nether Largie Cairn Cemetery</b>Posted by broen

Fieldnotes

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Feb. 2000.
We walked up the valley and visited all the cairns.
When I was posting the photos, I couldn't remember which cairn was what.
I do remember lying in a cist on the valley floor and thinking that this was the most comfy, warm place in the world, and that I could have stayed there all day.
I sense that it bothers some folk that the alignment is not precise. This non precise alignment suggests that it is not a lunar or solar monument.
It would have been too easy to set these places in a precise straight line in the neolithic and the valley is in pretty much a straightish line anyway.
Maybe the decisions were made to have the line slightly out of kilter, as a compromise, or a deliberate quirk of the precise - cos that is sometimes what does work.

17/12/01 -I was just thinking about the rough SSW-NNE alignment of the cairns, the river, the valley and the Dunaad footprint (Iwas just reading the Dunaad entry from Gyrus).
The geology and subsequently the rivers and lochs of the whole of the Dalriadic Kingdom and indeed the whole of North Western Scotland follows this alignment. The most important journeys would have been in this direction, by foot and boat along the great sea lochs, glens and freshwater lochs. Look at any map of Scotland and it's there. These journeys in peace and war, would have been physical and spiritual journeys at the time they were made, and would have become the stuff of legend and ritual.
Everything would have been in that alignment, such is the almost inpenetrable and fjord like nature of the sides of these great valleys. Even the Gulf Stream, which today brings much of West Scotlands weather (and I assume has for thousands of years) would have roughly followed this alignment.
Most of the storms, thoughts, dreams, fears, plans and total conciousness, would have all been in this direction, here and in much of the North West highlands.

just a thought?!
Posted by winterjc
9th December 2001ce

South Cairn: The earliest of all the cairns in this linear cemetry, with a northern entrance to the burial chamber. Is this unusual in cairns, to have a northern entrance? At Callanish, when sat on the Cnoc an Tursa, you look down the N-S aligned southern avenue of stones, and this lines up with the burial cairn in the circke, a standing stone, and the recently discovered burial cairn near Margaret & Ron's house. Margaret speculated about funeral procession going from the circle to the cairn in this north-south line.

I've been fascinated with the mythology of the north ever since becoming interested in myths about the Pole Star. Well, there was no Pole Star in the Bronze Age, but there was obviously still a concept of north - and the direction where the sun never shines from is an obvious place to locate the land of the dead, methinks. As is attested in numerous mythological and magickal systems, where the is a strong correlation between North and Death. Kilmartin Glen seems to be a grand testimony to this belief structure.
Posted by gyrus
27th August 2000ce

Latest posts for Nether Largie Cairn Cemetery

Showing 1-10 of 147 posts. Most recent first | Next 10

Nether Largie South (Cairn(s)) — Fieldnotes

The southern of the three Largie cairns, slightly oval shaped at 34m by 27m. At every angle there is something different to see - in the cairn and the surrounding landscape.

A Clyde chamber can be found along with cists, interestingly it appears that cairn was extended to house two further cists. Sadly one has gone, gladly one remains with its huge capstone.

Its hard to describe these places, pictures do the best talking but one thing they all seem to miss is the Kilmartin burn. I think it's hugely influential, a source of food, trout were jumping when we walked past, and a link to the sea as it joins the River Add to find salt water at Crinan. The start of the famous canal, water might have played a part in all of this.

Visited 04/04/2023,
drewbhoy Posted by drewbhoy
27th June 2023ce

Nether Largie Central (Cairn(s)) — Fieldnotes

The north and south cairns are excellent thanks to their reconstruction but like some of the other contributors I really liked this site. It gives a glimpse of the reality of its ruinous state after it has been houked, robbed, recycled etc leaving behind cists and cup marked rocks.

To me it also gives an idea of actual size and a fair idea of how it was constructed (and deconstructed), it remains at 31m wide and at its tallest 1.5m. However in the 1920s it was practically demolished, originally standing at 3m tall its a safe bet much of the road repairs came from this and other sites in the glen.

Same everywhere I guess.

Visited 04/04/2023.
drewbhoy Posted by drewbhoy
21st June 2023ce

The Glebe Cairn (Cairn(s)) — Links

Alamy


David Lyons' photo of the very fancily-decorated Bronze Age pot found inside the Glebe Cairn.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
20th June 2023ce

Nether Largie North (Cairn(s)) — Fieldnotes

Just south of The Glebe, follow the track to the next cairn, Largie North, classified as Bronze Age. It has been rebuilt and capped with a concrete slab plus hatch. Access into the cairn is via this hatch, therefore all three of us (B is a dog) made it inside.

Inside is a treat, the cist is revealed with its fantastically decorated capstone. The cairn stands at 20m by 2.7m and is a brilliant example of restoration.

The whole site is situated inside a fence.

A wonderful opportunity for members of the public to see what is inside these stony mounds.

Visited 04/04/2023.
drewbhoy Posted by drewbhoy
16th June 2023ce

The Glebe Cairn (Cairn(s)) — Fieldnotes

We parked in front of Kilmartin Parish Church and walked past the soon to be opened visitor centre to the track just beyond which leads straight to the Glebe and its sheep bodyguards.

It has been a long time since my last visit and its good to see the local greenkeepers keep the grass short. At 35m in width and 4m tall it is the most northern cairn of the Kilmartin Prehistoric walk.

On we go.

Visited 04/04/2023.
drewbhoy Posted by drewbhoy
16th June 2023ce

Nether Largie South (Cairn(s)) — Images (click to view fullsize)

<b>Nether Largie South</b>Posted by drewbhoy<b>Nether Largie South</b>Posted by drewbhoy<b>Nether Largie South</b>Posted by drewbhoy<b>Nether Largie South</b>Posted by drewbhoy drewbhoy Posted by drewbhoy
20th April 2023ce

Nether Largie Central (Cairn(s)) — Images

<b>Nether Largie Central</b>Posted by drewbhoy drewbhoy Posted by drewbhoy
19th April 2023ce
Showing 1-10 of 147 posts. Most recent first | Next 10