As part of my mini road trip (described here) when driving from Oban to Kilmartin I stopped to pause at this fantastic standing stone at Kintraw. I passed it two years ago, but given its situation, its very difficult to stop unless you are already slowing down for it before you see it (if that makes sense?). The Kintraw Standing Stone is flanked by at least two burial mounds (one of them a nice little kerbed cairn). It is a great location with views out to sea and Jura beyond – maybe somewhat polluted with the marina and the boats berthed there.
Despite always traveling with “The Orange” book (Julian Cope’s “Modern Antiquarian”), I didn’t think to reach for it – and I wish I had. The site, it has been deduced, was an astronomical site, with a viewing platform on the hill behind, where there was an alignment with the Kintraw Standing Stone and a clef in the hills over on the island of Jura and the solstice. I wish I knew this, as that would have made for an interesting late morning potter around the hill side.
That said I did get the pinhole camera out and took a couple of exposures that I hope one will make its way in to my “Ties to the Land” project (http://tiestotheland.co.uk).
If this sort of thing floats your boat here are two references below:-
- Julian Cope’s website – http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/150/
- Past Horizons website (quite academic, but interesting) – http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/01/2014/midwinter-sunset-alignment-kintraw-argyll