Site Report

WoSASPIN 7982
NS 4360 8046

(NS 4360 8043) Cairn (NR)
OS 6" map, (1959)

(A) An oval cairn of large stones measuring 9.0m by 7.0m, with an average height of 1.0m. A pile of stones, 2.0m in diameter by 1.0m high, has been erected on its centre.
Visited by OS (D S) 4 October 1956.

The summit of the "Hill of Standing Stones" is a grass-covered rocky knoll, crowned by the remains of a modern marker cairn (A). (B) 45.0m to the E, at NS 4364 8042, is a heather-covered pile of stones 4.0m in diameter and 0.3m high. Its centre has been robbed revealing a consistant stone size. (C) Six metres to the N is a grass-covered oval earth and stone mound situated on the edge of the scarp, and of uncertain origin.
The pile of stones is of small diameter and has no distinguishable features, thus precluding certain identification as a cairn.
Visited by OS (D W R) 12 April 1973

Allegedly a modern cairn built on top of the old one.The cairn sits on the north facing slope of a hill in boggy heather moorland 3km from Merkins Farm. The grass covered mound is roughly oval 65m E-W 22m N-S. There are many exposed stones on the cairn and seven raised humps, one at the east end is raised above the others and measures 14m x 6m, the others are smaller and less pronounced. The site is quite remote but has obviously been used as a picnic site, some rubbish and remains of a fire but no sign of damage or digging.
Derived from HS Monument Warden Report 24/07/91

In my opinion this is not a cairn. The summit of the "Hill of Standing Stones" is a grassy knoll with exposed outcrop rock, part of a rocky spine which runs through Merkins Muir from E-W. An old drove road follows the line of the spine and there are similar areas of fissured, rock outcrop, formation to be found along the line of this road. The only cairn on the site is a modern marker cairn (A), a crudely built pile of stones 2m in diameter by 1m high, topped by what may have been a stone fence or gate post with a square hole drilled through it. There is no evidence of any earlier cairn on the summit, the exposed natural outcrop can be clearly seen through the thin turf. There is no sign of a rim and there are no stone dykes in the area to suggest total robbing of any cairn which may once have occupied the site. On the W side of the track, 45m to the E of the scheduled area there is a small, heather covered mound (B) 4m in diameter by 0.3m high, smallish stones of a consistent size can be seen in the robbed centre. On the E side of the track, 6m from this mound, there is a grass covered, oval, earth and stone mound which may have been a shooting butt (C). There is no other possible cairn in the area. At the side of the old drove road 950m ENE of the cairn at NS 4453 8065 there is a distance marker?, a carved pillar of stone 50cm high, square in section with champhered corners and a number three carved into the top. It is not securely set into the ground and has been propped up with boulders by the farm owner, following complaints from local historians, after it fell over recently. In the garden of Merkins Muir Farm there is a similar post with a number two on the top, this stone was brought down to the farm by an ancestor of the present farmer, who does not know its original position. In addition to the number this stone has the words "without sin" carved around the sides. He does not know if there is a pillar number 1 or any subsequent markers.
Derived from HS Monument Warden Report 08/09/96

The NMRS and the SMR records a modern marker cairn (2a), measuring 2m in diameter by 1m high, topped by what may have been a stone fence or gate post with a square hole drilled through it. (This feature was originally thought to be a prehistoric burial cairn, but in 1996 a Historic Scotland Inspector stated there is no
evidence of any earlier cairn and that there are no stone dykes in the area to suggest total robbing of any cairn which may once have occupied the site). Around 45m to the east of the cairn is a small, heather covered mound (2c), 4m in diameter by 0.3m high, which was recorded as composed of smallish stones of a consistent size. An oval, earth and stone mound (2d) which may have been a shooting butt was recorded 6m from this mound.

The cairn is depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1899, 1923 and 1958 edition maps. Field Survey recorded there was no change in the baseline condition of the features described above. Approximately 2m east of the marker cairn (at NS 43598 80458), is a stone with the now weathered words - ‘Bower’ and ‘M. Brown’ carved onto the exposed face. A small area of former peat cutting (2b), 5m by 2m and 0.2m deep, was recorded at NS 43623 80422.
Mudie, G., CFA Archaeology Ltd, 'Merkins Wind Farm, West Dunbartonshire: Cultural Heritage', 2011