7.1
Wildland
Half day, Full day
Time
Check
Cost
Atmospheric
Feel
Why it's Wildland
7.1Across Kilmartin Glen, burial cairns, standing stones and stone circles turn a quiet Argyll valley into an archaeological landscape you can explore on foot. At Nether Largie, carved cup marks remain on ancient stones; at Temple Wood, markers show where timber posts once stood.
Kilmartin Glen makes prehistory tangible in its landscape: follow a short route between standing stones, a pair of circles and a chambered cairn, then look south towards the peatland of Moine Mhòr. Its appeal is not one showpiece monument, but the way archaeological traces are spread through the glen.
Atmospheric · Ancient-feeling · Peaceful
Find your way
Open mapKilmartin, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Opening map…
Know this place a little better?
The experience
Explore a small selection of Kilmartin Glen’s prehistoric monuments on foot, using the museum’s self-guided trail for directions and prompts. Allow more time to visit further sites; distances and conditions vary.
Things to do
Search the Nether Largie Standing Stones for carvings
Examine the stones for cup marks and rings. The museum’s trail asks visitors to see which stones are decorated and count them.
20–30 minutes
Read the traces at Temple Wood
Visit both circles. At the north circle, look for the round and rectangular markers indicating the positions of former timber posts and stones; at the south circle, look for faint pecked designs, including a spiral.
20–30 minutes
Explore Nether Largie South Cairn
Look at the chambered cairn and its internal divisions, and consider how it was used for burial across generations. The museum trail also identifies a cist nearby.
20–30 minutes
Walk the Moine Mhòr Tileworks Trail
Follow the short trail through oak and birch woodland to a boardwalk and viewing platform overlooking the peatland. The museum describes the reserve as habitat for insects, birds and animals, including dragonflies, marsh fritillary butterflies and hen harriers.
Make a day of it
Quick escape · About 1–2 hours
The standing stones and Temple Wood
- 01
Start at the Lady Glassary car park.
- 02
Visit the Nether Largie Standing Stones and look for cup marks and ring carvings.
- 03
Continue on foot towards Temple Wood; inspect the markers showing where earlier posts and stones stood.
- 04
Take care on the site: stones can be slippery when wet.
Half day · Half day
Add the Nether Largie South Cairn
- 01
Follow the short route from the Lady Glassary car park to the standing stones and Temple Wood.
- 02
Continue towards Nether Largie South Cairn, described by the museum as a monument over 5,000 years old.
- 03
Look for the cairn’s chamber and the nearby cist, and take time to understand how the site changed through successive periods.
- 04
Use the museum’s self-guided trail sheet for directions; check conditions because stones may be slippery when wet.
Verified history
Kilmartin Glen contains a concentration of prehistoric monuments. The Kilmartin Museum trail describes the Nether Largie Standing Stones as possibly dating to the Middle Bronze Age, around 1400–1050 BC, while Temple Wood’s northern circle began as a timber circle around 5,000 years ago. Nether Largie South Cairn was built around 3700–3600 BC and used for burial over generations. The chamber contained finds from later periods, including pottery and a Bronze Age cist. These dates and interpretations are those given in the museum’s trail material.
Hidden details
The old circle beneath the markers — Temple Wood North Circle began as a timber circle. The round and rectangular markers now indicate where the wooden posts and later stones once stood.
Faint carvings at Temple Wood — Two stones in the south circle have pecked designs that are still faintly visible; the museum trail specifically prompts visitors to look for a carved spiral.
When to go
April · May · June · July · August · September · Daylight; allow time to walk between sites and inspect the monuments closely.
The archaeological sites can be explored in different seasons, but longer daylight in spring and summer gives more flexibility for visiting multiple locations. The museum trail warns that stone surfaces can be slippery when wet.
Argyll weather is changeable; take suitable footwear and use extra care on wet stones. Check conditions before visiting.
The route
- surface
- Field and roadside access; surfaces may be slippery when wet.
- duration
- Allow 1–2 hours for the standing stones and Temple Wood; longer if including additional monuments.
- difficulty
- Check route conditions before visiting; the described route includes walking between sites and crossing a field.
- route shape
- Out-and-back between the Lady Glassary car park, Nether Largie Standing Stones, Temple Wood and Nether Largie South Cairn.
- start point
- Lady Glassary car park, about a mile south of Kilmartin, for the Nether Largie and Temple Wood sites.
- parking start
- The museum trail gives directions to Lady Glassary car park; check current arrangements.
- shorter alternative
- Visit the Nether Largie Standing Stones from Lady Glassary car park without continuing to the other monuments.
- Nether Largie Standing Stones and carved markings
- Temple Wood North and South Circles
- Nether Largie South Cairn
Worth pairing with
Moine Mhòr NNR Tileworks Trail
Pair the prehistoric sites with a short walk through oak and birch woodland to a boardwalk viewing platform overlooking the peat bog.
What to look for
- 01
Look for cup marks and ring designs on the Nether Largie Standing Stones
- 02
the round and rectangular markers at Temple Wood that indicate former timber posts and stones
- 03
faint carved designs at the south circle
- 04
and the chambered structure of Nether Largie South Cairn.
The story
Archaeology
Best time to go
Spring to autumn for longer daylight and easier planning between sites; monuments can be visited in other seasons, but expect changeable weather and slippery surfaces when wet.
Choose a clear, dry day if possible, when walking between monuments is more comfortable and the glen’s landscape is easier to read. Check conditions before setting out.
How long to spend
Half day, Full day
Perfect for
Walkers · History lovers · Photographers
Before you go
Address
Practical information
Opening & access
A dispersed prehistoric landscape with sites reached on foot and by road. The Kilmartin Museum self-guided trail describes routes between monuments and gives directions to car parks; paths and stone surfaces may be slippery when wet. Check current site access and conditions before visiting.
Check before visiting
Parking
The source describes a car park at Lady Glassary, about a mile south of Kilmartin, with Nether Largie Standing Stones nearby. Check current parking arrangements before travelling.
Check before visiting
Toilets
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Food & drink
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Dogs
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Accessibility
The listed trail includes walking between sites and crossing a field; stone surfaces may be slippery when wet. Check route conditions and access suitability before setting out.
Check before visiting
Cost
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Water
Marsh
Gallery
Place photographs
Keep exploring
Around Kilmartin Glen
Within 50 km · approximate straight-line distances
