http://www.stravaiging.com/megaraks/blog/index.php the blog of the Scottish Megaraks en http://backend.userland.com/rss092 http://www.stravaiging.com/megaraks/blog/post/index/7/Na-Clachan-Aoraidh-Queens-View-fort--Clach-na-hIobairt the last Scottish Megarak meet and as November is traditionally the time for a meet anyway, we decided one was overdue. As ever, before the day itself it was shaping up to be the Biggest Scottish Megarak Meet Ever (tm), but a little drizzle this morning evidently dissuaded some less hardy folk to stay in bed.

Nick picked me up and we drove up to Pitlochry, parking in the centre of town to wait and see who would come. Although some regulars couldn't make it - George was a no-show, Scotty's car was broken, and Martin's car had broken down in Wick of all places! - our numbers were swelled by 2 southern megaraks coming up from England. To be fair, Moth was already in Montrose for a wedding last night, but Suzanne drove 3 hours north through driving rain - now that's dedication! Irene also turned up, so we were 5, and could all fit into Nick's Big Red Beast for the short journey to Fearnan on Loch Tay to investigate the Clach an Tuirc (The Boar Stone), a cup-marked boulder. Unfortunately it was covered in ivy, so we headed up the road to Cromrar.

In the field here are the possible remains of a couple of stone circles, and also some cup-marked rocks. As the youngest member present, it was only right that I should race off up the hill in order to get a photo of the others struggling up.



Finding specific rocks in a field of rocks is a tricky business - cue puzzled looks from Moth amongst others.



We ..]]> http://www.stravaiging.com/megaraks/blog/post/index/6/southern-megaraks-join-us-for-Fortingall-Upper-Gaskan--Faskally-Cottages Martin managed to get within 40 metres of it before his GPS led him in circles around it. Having at one point looked like being the biggest Megarak meet ever, the final head-count was an altogether less impressive four!

However, this meant that we were able to all pile into Nick's Big Red Beast (tm) for a day of carefree motoring.

First stop was Ferntower golf course on the edge of Crieff, where we had arranged to see the stone circle by the second hole, imaginatively titled "Druids"!



Martin prepares the Megaraks' savoury dips on the cup-marked stone



Next on the ambitious list was a trip up the Sma' Glen towards the Clach na Tiompan complex in Glen Almond. But there were several stops en route, firstly at the Giant's Grave cairn, where Milgi showed her hands-on approach to Megaraking by "rediscovering" the peristalith of the cairn, while in Irene's absence Martin & Nick made the first (and quite frankly pathetic) attempts of the day at hide and seek.



Martin's insistence on walking backwards.





The intrepid Megaraks were soon reminded that they were in a wild part of Perthshire when a large grizzly creature appeared from the depths of the Fonab forest.



Unknown to the folk of Pitlochry far below, the surrounding hills are home to internment camps for escapees from Fife.



In what could have led to a nasty case of trench-foot if unspotted for a number of years, Paul notices just in the nick of time that Scotty has his gaiters on the wrong way round.





After 2 hours of walking in a circle, Martin still has unshakeable trust in his GPS, continuing to insist that Clachan an Diridh is "100 yards further on to the right."



After finally arriving at the circle, Martin can ..]]> http://www.stravaiging.com/megaraks/blog/post/index/4/Clachan-an-Diridh--Danes-Stone


The circle nestles in the corner of the Tynreich nurseries, beside a grassy field.



Stamping at the centre of the circle causes the ground to move. Funeral urns were dug up from here.







Proving that even the best of the best get it wrong sometimes, Irene's first hide-and-seek attempt of the day is a poor effort!



next stop was my "igloo" just down the road at Kilmorich



The "igloo" at Kilmorich had been puzzling me for a while. It looks like a huge igloo-shaped mound in a field, and I had no idea what it was (other than being obviously man-made). Irene's professional opinion was a cairn with long barrow attached.

Here we see the Megaraks in their natural habitat, skulking behind a cairn at Kilmorich.... This photo was taken from the top of the cairn, looking down onto the barrow.



Next stop was Kindallachan, where Scotty leads Ian in the Dance of the Pudding Goddess.

Martin showing off his superior knowledge in these matters:

"It's definitely a fossilised hippo"



"It must have been killed as it drank from this trough"



"This one must have got stuck in the mud and starved to death"



Cup marks on Martin's "hippo"



Scotty doesn't buy Martin's hippo theory



Scotty loses his head while investiagting a disturbed cairn.



Carvings on a turf-covered rock.



With the locals taking up a defensive position, the decision was made to seek safety further uphill.



It soon became apparent that our trusty Megaraks were following a line of stones up the hill, prompting speculation on the discovery of the world's largest circle....



Spotting the next stone in this 60-mile diameter circle on the hori ..]]> http://www.stravaiging.com/megaraks/blog/post/index/2/Connachan--Monzie--unofficial-Megarak-rock-art-tour Fowlis Wester, the first port of call was the church, to see the huge 20-foot plus cross-slab.



The shelter of the church was soon forsaken for the wild misty moor above the village, home to two stone circles.



The Megaraks stand at one circle, while the second is on the right beside the standing stone.



Irene and Nick search in vain for evidence of pudding worship in one of the ruined circles.



Martin makes a very poor attempt to win the hide-and-seek.



But when it comes to hide-and-seek, there can be only one winner! Irene's rock impression seals her victory.



Having moved on to the Easthill stone circle at Auchterarder, Irene begins looking for new hiding places, although Scotty's keeping a close eye on her.



Where did she go?!



She must be round here somewhere!



Doing his best puzzled look, Nick searches in vain for the carved hand-print.

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