An Ancient Cairn in Dumfries & Galloway

Pondering prehistory amongst the ruins of a Bargrennan chambered cairn in southwestern Scotland.

My favorite adventures usually begin with an OS Map, and on a chilly April day I once again found myself eyeing out a route through pastures to ancient ruins. The problem is that I can’t see everything and I had to choose between two cairns on the map. I said a silent thank you to Scotland’s Right to Roam laws, hopped a stone wall and headed east.

At the crest of a small hillock, a jumble of stones came into view. I felt a familiar feeling rise within me, from an almost primal place. There’s something about stone that draws me in. Millenia ago, ancient hands piled these rocks. Ancient backs heaved massive stones across the fields, placing them in just the right position on the horizon. Ancient faces wept as ancient tears fell into the grave. The bones are long gone, broken down by the acidic soil. But…does an energy remain? I’m not religious and I’m not superstitious, but I often wonder if human energy remains in stone. It can’t be…..but can it….

This cairn is classed as a Bargrennan chambered cairn, a type found only in southwest Scotland. This class is characterized by one or more passage grave chambers and a round cairn, and found in upland and inland areas of Galloway and Ayrshire. From a distance, you wouldn’t know there was anything but a pile of rocks on the ground. But get closer and you’ll see groupings of stone which were once a burial complex for well to do, high born individuals. Why do historians believe this? Again, it goes back to the effort involved in erecting the site. Less important people were buried in cist style graves - a simple pit or stone lined coffin with rocks on top.

Unfortunately, and predictably, the site is mostly in ruin. Of 6 or 7 graves, only one of the chambers still has its capstone, the others robbed over the centuries by opportunistic builders. You’ll see examples of robbing in other places I’ve visited - Roman ruins used to build abbeys, Pictish stones used for footbridges….alas, its heartbreaking for us. But remember - in centuries past, building (and life in general) was much more challenging. If you could source materials that were just sitting there, all worked and ready to go…well that left more time for harvesting your food, tending your livestock, and all the other things required to simply survive. (And sometimes, reuse was a deliberate attempt to disrespect and erase another culture.)

Before leaving, I sat with the ancient energy for awhile, taking in the view. It was a peaceful spot for an eternal resting place.

Thanks for reading!

Lilly

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