To the Ancient Scotland Introduction...

Cairns in the Loch Earn Area

Of course, there are very many ancient sites which are not under state care and which are not often visited. However, many of these are worth a vist. For example, there is a chambered cairn to the east of Loch Earn, just off the A85 (grid reference NN723230 - map 51 in the Ordnance Survey Landranger series) that is in poor repair but is:

easy to get to (a short walk along a dismantled railway track);
in very pretty surroundings (if you happen to like mountains and forests and lochs and rivers);
clearly structured with at least three obvious cists and chambers.

The cairn is to the left of the image, with the dismantled railway running along the right of the image. Told you it was a pretty setting! Big picture(90k)

View from the east edge of the cairn. Big picture(135k)

The large stone by the tree is at the left end of a small chamber/cist. Big picture(103k)

View from the south-east. The dark area running across the cairn just to this side of the bronze-age telegraph pole(!) is a passage within the cairn. Big picture(40k)

The same passage can be seen running from the bottom-centre of the picture up towards the right. By the tree is a large stone; the dark line running from the stone to the left is the cist/chamber in the third picture. Big picture(76k)

View of the cist/chamber by the tree (which is at the top-right of the picture). Big picture(173k)

A "small" cist in the cairn. Big picture(153k)

The other cist/passage that is to the south-east side of the cairn. Big picture(173k)

The start of the walk, about 1 mile from the cairn. Big picture(139k)

	The cairn is to the left of the image, with the dismantled railway running along the right of the image. Told you it was a pretty setting!	Big picture(90k)
	View from the east edge of the cairn.	Big picture(135k)
	The large stone by the tree is at the left end of a small chamber/cist.	Big picture(103k)
	View from the south-east. The dark area running across the cairn just to this side of the bronze-age telegraph pole(!) is a passage within the cairn.	Big picture(40k)
	The same passage can be seen running from the bottom-centre of the picture up towards the right. By the tree is a large stone; the dark line running from the stone to the left is the cist/chamber in the third picture.	Big picture(76k)
	View of the cist/chamber by the tree (which is at the top-right of the picture).	Big picture(173k)
	A "small" cist in the cairn.	Big picture(153k)
	The other cist/passage that is to the south-east side of the cairn.	Big picture(173k)
	The start of the walk, about 1 mile from the cairn.	Big picture(139k)