Blanefield
Killearn, Stirling
Standing Stones; Cairn Canmore
Also known as Duntreath; Dumgoyach

These stones stand some ten miles north of Glasgow, outside the village of Blanefield, near Duntreath Castle.

On a low hill, between the Blane Water and the track of the West Highland Way--and in a most picturesque setting--are six stones in a close row running approximately south-west to north-east. Only one of the stones is still standing. Two of the stones have no socket and are presumed to have been placed there recently during field clearance.

The stones were generally presumed to be a ruined four-stone row. The area around the stones was excavated in 1972 by Euan MacKie and reported in issue 36 of Current Archaeology. In an editorial note, Andrew Selkirk suggested that they may have been part of the facade of a long cairn. Aubrey Burl in Carnac to Callanish seemed inclined to agree with this suggestion. From a fairly sentimental point-of-view, I can well understand some major local neolithic figure saying: "Nice spot! You can bury me here." Radiocarbon dating of charcoal found during the 1972 excavation suggested a date around 3400BC or 3500BC.

The stone that is still standing is approximately five feet tall.

Images ©1998, 2014, 2017 Martin McCarthy, Theasis Photography

Nearby Sites

2km Craigenkirn Long Cairn? Modern Ruin? A combination?
3km Broadgate Farm Standing Stone
3km Strathblane Parish Church Standing Stone
5km Stockie Muir Chambered Cairn
6km Auld Wives Lifts Carved Stone; Celtic Heads
7km Whitehill Cup and Ring Marks
8km Bearsden Bathhouse Roman Fort
10km Fintry Standing Stone
12km Waterhead Standing Stones
13km Garadh Ban Wood Chambered Cairn
13km St. Maha's Well Standing Stone; Well
16km Cameron Home Farm Chambered Cairn; Cup Mark
17km Carman Muir Burial Chamber Chambered Cairn
18km Crookston Castle Castle
18km Pollock Ring Work Iron Age Fort; Hillfort
19km Shantron Cup and Ring Marks
19km Corkerhill Golf Course Barrow
20km Inchmahome Priory Priory
(NB: All distances are as-the-crow-flies. Lochs, mountains and beautiful winding roads will make it further. Sometimes much further.)