Waterproof footwear is recommended as the ground is quite boggy and wet, especially after heavy rainfall.
At the top of the Lamlash Brodick hill there is a small stone circle and Standing Stone. Close by is the former site of the Thompson Memorial seat. When the cache was originally placed there was no obvious access to the stones which were overgrown and concealed by bracken. The site of the Memorial seat was also overgrown and strewn with branches.
There has recently been a new access path constructed adjacent to the Car Park leading to the former site of the Thompson Memorial seat where a Picnic Bench has been installed. The path continues to join the original path the left fork has a line of stones leads downwards towards the Standing Stone. At the bottom of the slope the path is boggy and very wet even in Summer. In front of the Standing Stone a small stone circle has been uncovered with a small fallen stone at the lower side of the slope. The path continues past the Standing Stone to a larger Stone Circle of granite boulders.
STONE CIRCLES AND STANDING STONE
The following text relating to these Stone Circles and Standing Stone has been extracted from
AN ACCOUNT OF EXCAVATIONS WITHIN THE STONE CIRCLES OF ARRAN. BY JAMES BRYCE, M.A., LL.D., F.G.S. (Plate XVII.)
Several stone circles are known to have existed in other parts of Arran, but nowhere else do they occur in groups, as those now noticed. I have been able to find but one still remaining entire. It occupies a platform, a little elevated above the road, precisely at the summit level between Brodick and Lamlash, and consists of a single row of granite blocks. A few yards south of it there is an upright stone of coarse conglomerate, nearly four feet high, and others near it now prostrate, all apparently portions of a former circle; but of this it is impossible to speak with certainty Our whole force was now transferred to the summit level of the road between Brodick and Lamlash, where a circle of granite blocks, boulders from the northern mountains, exists, as already mentioned, with an eccentric upright stone of conglomerate sandstone. Excavating at the centre we found a small cist at less than a foot in depth, and lying about north-east. It was covered by a small lid, and the dimensions were 2 feet 2 inches in length, 10J inches in depth, and 11 inches in width. Inside there were several bone fragments and black earth. A flint implement was found in the stony soil above, and three other flint fragments, but nothing of this kind in the cist itself. This was of a much ruder structure than any we had before seen ; it was cut out of the solid sandstone rock, but with little care or exactness; the sides, however, were nearly perpendicular. The difficulty of excavating without iron tools may account for the smaller size and ruder form of this cist. No other cist was found, nor remains of any kind, though a trial was made at several points round the centre. A deep opening was also made on both sides of the upright stone, but nothing was met with worthy of being recorded. The place altogether was very unpromising, and we penetrated only to a small depth. From our previous experience, Mr Paterson and myself were now able to decide pretty early as to the chances of success.
Lamlash Stone Circle
THE THOMSON MEMORIAL SEAT
The Thomson Seat designed by David Gilbert of Lagg was a very prominent landmark and viewpoint at the top of the Lamlash Brodick hill and featured in abundance on postcards of its day. Due to vandalism it was removed and taken to the Arran Heritage Museum where a replica has been constructed as a result to the deterioration of the original. The only difference being that the original was painted white which made it very distinctive at it’s original site.
The plaque attached reads:-
A CHLANN ‘EILEAN MO GHAOIL’ BITHIBH DILEAS D’A CHEILE
THIS SEAT HAS BEEN PLACED HERE BY
THE ARRAN SOCIETY OF GLASGOW AND FRIENDS
IN MEMORY OF DUNCAN THOMSON
FOR THE MANY SERVICES HE RENDERED NOT
ONLY TO THE SOCIETY
BUT TO THE ISLAND AND ITS PEOPLE
“WRITE ME AS ONE THAT LOVED HIS FELLOW MEN”
