thelonious

26/06/2023 – I have no idea what’s going on with this! Reading Canmore didn’t help at all. Most of the stones have been displaced. The north side ones thrown down the hillside. Cairn is supposed to be at the summit but what’s that hole next to the top? Bit of a head scratcher but nice views from it.

26/06/2023 – Heading back from visiting the cairns on Crussa Field, we detoured to Muckle Heog to have a look at the cairns here (if you like a cairn this hill is for you). Muckle Heog West heel-shaped cairn is big with two cists still showing (4 were recorded in the past). The wall, where I guess most of the stones from the cairn ended up, cuts across the north side. I liked this cairn a lot.

26/06/2023 – The Rounds of Tivla. I just don’t know what to make of this site, just south of the two cairns at the top. Never come across one like it before. High on the hillside (Crussa Field) in Unst. Three cairns, the main one has a small mound of stones in the middle surrounded by three circular low stone banks with two intermediate ditches. Canmore use the term ‘disc-type cairn’ which I hadn’t come across before. Second cairn seems to have just one bank and ditch. There’s a small third cairn to the west. A really interesting site. Access is OK, we started from the petrol station/shop to the east. Walls and fences but there are gates. Plenty of Shetland ponies on the hillside. Really enjoyed my time here, main cairn is great with its banks and ditches. A bit of a mystery.

26/06/2023 – After 3 days on Mainland Shetland we moved on north through Yell to Unst. Rainy in the morning so we hid in a coffee shop. Afternoon was better so we headed up Crussa Field for a walk. Top hill for ancient cairns, it’s got at least 8! All with their own character. Magic place with great views. Two good size cairns at the top, big stones used. Large cist in the main one, cairn just to the south uses outcrop rock.

26/06/2023 – Off the ferry, the first place I wanted to visit in Unst was this stone. It looked big at first sight, up close it seemed massive. It stands all alone, the passing of time surely means little to it. It stands there as if it always has and always will. It’s the most northerly standing stone I’ve been to and now one of my favourites. It’s a 12ft loveable monster.

25/06/2023 – A sunny walk in the lovely named Button Hills above Brae. It’s a peaceful place. Lots of Bonxie, Golden plover and Dunlin on the hill. On the way back we visited these two cairns next to each other, one a heel-shaped cairn. Both in not great condition but nice to see and a good location with easy access. A nice day taken slow. Reading Carl’s notes below, I think I had better luck, the cows were there but maybe too warm a day to bother crossing the field to give us any hassle.

24/06/2023 – A day of tops and stones from Brae to Muckle Roe and back. We passed by The Busta Stone west of Brae (it’s a lump) then a few tops before heading to Skeo Of Gossaford cairn (remains of). North to Bays Water chambered cairn (nice heel-shaped cairn). Next to this cairn are the remains of four Neolithic houses. The setting next to the loch is lovely. We had come really to visit the chambered cairn but these houses proper made my day. They are fantastic. Good banks and stones. We spent a good while here, just looking about in the warm sunshine. Access is easy enough either over Gossaford or the track to Houlis Water and then over. Well worth a visit. The walking is really good round here and the wild flowers are lovely at this time of year.

24/06/2023 – A nice heel-shaped chambered cairn on a rocky knoll just above Bays Water loch. The slightly concave front of the cairn faces SE. A fantastic Neolithic settlement just beyond.