Auchagallon Stone Circle



Auchagallon stone circle

The stone circle at Auchagallon sits south of Dougarie Lodge near the junction of the Shore Road and Machrie Moor Road.  Although it cannot be seen from the road, due to its elevated position, about 100 foot above sea level, it is well signposted.
 

Kerb stones

 It is believed to have been built in the Bronze Age (3000 – 4000 years ago / 2000BC) as a burial chamber (cist), similar to others around Arran.  Cists were stone lined chambers that housed the bodies and precious objects, sometimes with items for their ‘journey’.  The cists were covered with stones and the area defined by a stone kerb.


View over to Kintyre

The location of the circle on the edge of the ridge, with fabulous views, suggest that this may have been the burial place of some prestigious person.

Sandstone and granite

The kerb stones are mainly of red sandstone but a couple are of granite.  There is nothing to suggest this has any significance, or information as to if these are original stones. The circle is approximately 45 foot across and has about 15 stones.

Clearly shows the centre mound

The centre of the circle is now raised to a much higher level than 100 years ago, when it is documented as being quite flat and the kerb stones standing much taller.  This is because the farmers threw all the loose stones and boulders into the centre of the circle off the cultivated fields over a number of years.  These raised the level and became covered in grass, now giving the appearance of a mound.  This similar appearance can be seen in other stone circles.

Peeping out from behind a standing stone, evidence of loose stones

It is also believed that the raising of the ground level now obscures some of the original standing stones.  It is also documented that this cist was excavated in the 1800’s but there are no records of what was found – if anything. The raising of the ground level would now make any excavation more difficult. Also worthy of note is the change of spelling, from Auchnigallan (c. 1830) to Achangallon (c. 1900) to the current Auchagallon. 

Top of one of the standing stones

The Circle is easy to get to, up the zigzagging farm track, please make sure you shut the gate, so the sheep don’t escape!

   

Sign at the beginning of the track



A hasty correction to the sign!

Very triangular?

Classic red sandstone

 Photographs courtesy of Arran in Focus

On the road to Dougarie

 

When travelling to Dougarie, or anywhere else on the West side of Arran it is likely that you will travel over the String Road.  Speedy travellers may miss the post box that sits where the Machrie Moor Road meets the String road if they are travelling straight through, but those stopped at the Machire Moor junction cannot really miss it.

 

The story goes (and there are some variations around) that sometime around 1850 – 1870, Lord Overton, believed to be staying at Dougarie Lodge, was thrown from his daughter’s horse after being frightened by the original white post box.  After this he gave a sum of money for a stone box to be built and David Wilson was duly commissioned to build it.  David’s first attempt was considered a little plain and he further adorned it with stone masons marks, albeit larger ones than would generally be found on their tools – another story is that he felt he had been paid too much to do the job and therefore spent time decorating it!

 

The red Permian sandstone came from a local quarry and is common in Arran buildings.  The post box has not been without incident since, and it was knocked down by a vehicle in the 1990’s and rebuilt with the original materials.  

Nowadays the post box is not only used for mail but is a geocache site.  A small box lies at the rear of the box under a few stones.  There are quite a few Geocache sites around Arran – an outdoor treasure hunting game -  and this can be a fun activity for all the family. 

Geocache

For those wanting to take a closer look, or even post a letter, there is space to park at the end of the Machrie Moor Road.

 

Tartan and tweeds

Alastair wearing the Dougarie Estate Tweed

Originally tweeds were associated with Scottish or Irish clans and was made of a very rough, and almost felted, woven wool material. These tweeds associated to names are known as tartans. This later developed into a hard wearing cloth, generally for the working man, and was used to identify groups of people linked to a particular land owner or Estate (it could be compared or considered the forerunner to denim!); when the owner couldn’t claim a right to use a tartan they designed their own tweed. Many modern tweeds have developed into a more refined cloth and include luxurious wools such as cashmere and mohair.

Dougarie Estate Tweed

The name ‘tweed’ is thought to have been derived from the word twilled or tweeled (the Scottish version of twilled). Twilled is a method of weaving where the weaves are stronger and create a diagonal pattern in the cloth. The conversion of the name from tweeled to tweed appears to originate from a London Merchant in 1830 who misread some handwriting and advertised the cloth as ‘tweed’.  The name has stuck ever since.


A more colourful tweed

Tweed continues to be favoured by Scottish Estates and provides a tough, wind and water resistant fabric for anyone involved with country sports. Water resistance is provided by the outer part of the fabric absorbing a small amount of water and swelling, hence keeping the inner dry. The designs are created so that they blend with the mountain surroundings, providing camouflage for stalkers and shooters alike. Despite the need for camouflage there is an amazing array of colours used in the weaves. The Dougarie Estate tweed was designed by Haggarts of Aberfeldy for Mr Gibbs in 1974. This tweed blends well with the mountain surroundings encountered during the main sporting season.  Bolts of fabric are made up into traditional sporting clothing of jackets, breeches, waistcoat and hats.  The breeches are known as ‘plus-fours’.  Plus fours extend 4 inches below the knee and give a greater freedom of movement, particularly when climbing upwards, than plus twos (2” below knee) or knickerbockers (knee length).

There are over 200 different Estate tweeds most of which are detailed in a book by Johnstons of Elgin.

 

Dougarie Lodge - Isle of Arran

Dougarie Lodge sits on the western side of the Isle of Arran, just north of Machrie.  The lodge was built in 1864/65 as a shooting lodge for William Hamilton the 11th Duke of Hamilton. The Duke was married to Princess Marie of Baden and they had three children, William, Charles and Mary.  Mary married PrinceAlbert of Monaco and later Count Tassilo Festetics of Hungary. It is thought that her European connections and perhaps the influence from Bavaria and Hungary gave the interior a uniqueness – certainly in Scotland – of deer skin panelled passages, windows over fireplaces and horn door handles.  The lodge can be seen clearly from the road however other aspects of the estate are not so obvious.

To the front of the lodge a lawn stretches to the banks of the River Iorsa, and to the side lays terraced gardens in a castellated folly designed by James Mather in 1905.  The gardens are opened to the public 1 day a year, and no doubt will be subject of a more detailed blog then!

Further away from the road and separate from the lodge is the Towers.  Plans for this ruinous castellated style, were drawn in 1875 by John Currie. Although the 1^st edition OS maps show buildings on this site in 1837 but these are presumed to be older parts of the present complex.  The Towers includes a domestic house, bothy, kennels and various outbuildings.

At the side of the Towers is the Game Larder.  This was built in 1883, but little is actually known about it as no plans have been found. It is a large dodecagonal building very similar to the Bavarian summer house at Brodick Castle (also formerly owned by the Dukes of Hamilton).

All the buildings mentioned are Grade B listed. Oh, and Dougarie is pronounced 'Doo gry'