How To Spend The Day In Kilmartin Glen Exploring Ancient Stories

There are few places in Scotland that can provide a glimpse into the past quite like a spending a day in Kilmartin Glen. In one small area you’ll discover standing stones, rock art, burial cairns, castles and even the centre of one of Scotland’s ancient kingdoms. A visit to Kilmartin Glen is like walking through 5000 years, peeling back layer after layer of history.

It feels like a hidden spot, off the beaten track and buried away in the elongated peninsulas of Argyll. In reality, this is a great base to explore everything this part of Scotland has to offer. You’re an hour from Oban with access to the islands or you could head south to Kintyre.

However, there are so many things to do in Kilmartin Glen, you might not find time to go anywhere else!

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Places To Stay In Kilmartin Glen

While this makes an excellent daytrip, there are enough things to do in Kilmartin Glen to make it worth spending a night or two here. These are the top places to stay in the area, all tried and tested by me or my tour guests!

Kilmartin Hotel – Molly and I regularly stay here when we’re in the area. It’s a very traditional countryside hotel, with a busy pub downstairs and good food on offer throughout the day. Very dog friendly too!

Dunchraigaig House – Just to the south, but still walkable, this is a lovely bed and breakfast with a very friendly host!

Trevenek Cottage – If you’re a small group or just want a bit more privacy, try out this very picturesque wee holiday cottage!

Wagtail Cottage – Another excellent holiday apartment for up to 4 guests in a quiet area!

Crinan Hotel – A little further away, but this is an amazing hotel with fantastic sea views and delicious seafood available!

How To Get To Kilmartin Glen

Even though it’s tucked away off the beaten track, it’s really easy to visit Kilmartin Glen! By car, it takes around 3 hours from Edinburgh or 2 hours from Glasgow, heading around Loch Lomond and Loch Fyne. If you’re already on the west coast, then it’s only 45 minutes south of Oban on the main A816 road.

It’s definitely easiest to get to Kilmartin Glen by car and that will allow you to explore the surrounding area too. Here’s the best place to find car hire in Scotland and if you’re nervous about driving here, this article might help you!

You can reach it by public transport, using the 23 bus between Oban and Ardrishaig by Lochgilphead. Be aware that these are infrequent and won’t give you long if you’re planning on visiting Kilmartin on a daytrip.

Climb Carnasserie Castle

Spotting Carnasserie Castle high up on its hill, is the first sign that you’re entering Kilmartin Glen. It’s a beautiful Renaissance tower, that seems fit for a King or at the very least a Bishop. The castle was created in the 16th century as a lavish home by John Carswell, the first Protestant Bishop of the Isles.

While the Bishop built Carnasserie, it was designed in honour of his benefactor, the Campbell Earl of Argyll. The Earl technically owned it, John was just a resident. However, Argyll thought the building elegant but erected on a dung hill! Some people just have no taste.

The worn Gaelic inscription above the door roughly exclaims “God be with the Campbells”. Gaelic just happens to be what John Carswell was best known for. He translated the Book of Common Order into the first book ever printed in Gaelic. This was his attempt to get local people reading Biblical stories instead of sharing old folk stories!

Carnasserie Castle might have been built for a man of God but it was still designed to defend itself. The castle only saw action once during the Earl of Argyll’s rebellion in the 17th century. The garrison gave up before a shot had been fired, accepting a bribe to leave instead. The soldiers set the castle on fire on their way out and Carnasserie was never restored.

Wandering the ruins of Carnasserie Castle is just one of the many free things to do in Kilmartin Glen. The door is left open for responsible tourists. Climb to the top of either tower, enjoy the incredible view and see if you can spot any of Kilmartin Glen’s standing stones or cairns below!

Exploring Kilmartin Museum

Recently re-opened after a huge redevelopment, Kilmartin Museum is now absolutely world class! Step through these doors and work your way backwards through thousands of years of life in Argyll. It’s incredibly well done and makes the perfect start to a day exploring Kilmartin Glen.

Theories are explored for what standing stones were originally used for and how cairns once looked. Ancient weapons stand alongside pots and jewellery that tell us how people lived millenia ago. There aren’t many museums where you can literally see the cairn where the artefact in front of you was found through the window.

There are hands-on exhibits for kids and the young at heart, plenty to keep everybody entertained. This is more than just another museum, it breathes life into ancient stories. Trust me, this is one of the most fascinating things to do in Kilmartin Glen!

Kilmartin Church & Stones

Just outside the museum, Kilmartin Church is hiding something worth looking for. Wander the graveyard and alongside the usual headstones, you’ll discover an old burial aisle. Head through the doorway and you’ll find a range of carved stone slabs have been propped up to greet you.

These slabs would have been placed flat over the grave of a notable clan chief, warrior or churchman. It’s thought they range from the 1200s to 1700s and the number of carved swords on display gives you an idea of the culture here on the west coast.

Amongst the swords and intricate patterns you’ll also find hunting dogs, warrior effigies, combs and shears! Clearly it’s not all about fighting. Some of the Kilmartin Gravestones have seen later generations add their own writing. It seems as if people decided to reuse the early unnamed slabs for themselves.

One has been inscribed with “Iain Campbell of Duntroon” and the large figure has a faint “McTavish” etched in. Judging by the size of the swords, I don’t think I’d like to risk angering any ghosts in here by defacing their memorials. Instead, just be content to stop by the church to pay your respects.

Kilmartin Glen Standing Stones

When it comes to Scotland’s ancient history, standing stones immediately jump to mind. They’re found all over the country arranged in circles, on their own or occasionally in seemingly random patterns. You’re spoiled for choice here since Kilmartin Glen has the highest concentration of prehistoric monuments found anywhere in Scotland.

You can visit a dozen sites on foot during a leisurely afternoon, there are so many in close proximity. In my opinion, the most captivating of Kilmartin Glen’s standing stones are found at Nether Largie. This isn’t a stone circle, but an elongated X-shape instead. We’re still scratching our heads as to why.

All five of the Nether Largie Standing Stones are just shy of 3 metres tall, manoeuvred into place just over 3000 years ago. Look closely at the central stone and you’ll spot some strange hollowed out divets. These examples of Kilmartin Glen rock art, also known as Cup Marks, were formed by human hands around 4500 years ago.

That means these enormous slabs were prised out of the ground by people whose ancestors had used them for their own purpose. Whoever raised these stones may have been just as confused at the meaning of the rock art as we are at their own work.

Traveller communities regarded Nether Largie as a safe, protected place to camp. They also believed that it was bad luck to touch the stones so be warned – This isn’t the place for your Outlander re-enactment!

Wander Temple Wood

With a name like Temple Wood, the field next to Nether Largie was always going to draw crowds. These monuments started life as a single circle of wooden posts around 5000 years ago. That roughly coincides with the move from hunter-gatherers to farmers in Argyll.

A common theory is that these circles were a type of calendar, since all farmers know that keeping track of the seasons is important. Soon, the old wooden posts were replaced with upright stones and another, larger circle built just a few metres away.

Around 4000 years ago small cobbles covered both circles and the large, original standing stones were removed. It’s thought that they might have been reused in other burial cairns around Kilmartin Glen. The larger circle was now being used for burials or at least ceremonies. A couple of graves were found outside the circle and there’s evidence of cremations in the centre.

In the 19th century, archaeology became fashionable and local landowner John Malcolm provided workmen to help dig around Kilmartin Glen. He was also the man responsible for the landscaping, planting the trees and coining the name Temple Wood.

They found more questions than answers here, which is no surprise. Instead of a snapshot in time, Temple Wood is a monument that has grown and adapted over thousands of years.

Explore Ancient Burial Cairns

One thing you can’t avoid on a visit to Kilmartin Glen are the many, many burial cairns and cists. They can be found in all shapes and sizes, and were in use from around 5000 years ago. There are actually five in practically a straight, stretched out line with Nether Largie South being the oldest.

It’s also one of the largest and you can climb right inside the chamber, which is thankfully empty of ancint remains now.

Nether Largie Mid and North follow the same pattern nearby, but I preferred those slightly further away. Ri Cruin Cairn has been landscaped in the same way as Temple Wood, providing a peaceful, shaded spot. This must have been the burial of a very important person, possible an early chief or king.

While the original cairn was damaged over the years, the actually stone cist displays the symbol of a carved axe head. Yet another mystery!

Kilmartin Glen Rock Art

There are plenty of examples of Rock Art around Kilmartin Glen. For those who don’t mind a walk, Achnabreck is one of the most famous, but a less well known spot is in Kilmichael Glassary. These strange markings are some of the oldest human features in the landscape and at first glance, you might not even notice them! Look closely and you’ll notice that the markings aren’t just made by erosion, but have been carefully pecked out.

Here you’ll find small hollows called cups, many surrounded by rings. What’s different about Kilmichael Glassary are the keyhole shapes rarely found elsewhere. One of my favourite features of this rock art is how close it sits to modern housing, people will pass this every day on their way to work. It shows a connection between the oldest and newest residents of Kilmartin Glen.

Theories about their purpose are varied, some seem wild and fanciful, but in truth anything could be true! Are they directions, maps or a representation of the night sky? Was it a coming of age ritual or religious ceremony? I’ll leave you to your own imagination!

Hike Up Dunadd Fort – A Place of Kings

This isn’t just any old hill, this is THE hill. A fitting place to end any visit to Kilmartin Glen is at Dunadd Fort, the heart of the Gaelic Kingdom of Dàl Riata. Between roughly 500 and 800AD, Scotland was home to more than one nation. To the north and the east were the Picts and here in the west were the Dàl Riatans, otherwise known as the Scots.

Dunadd rises proudly out of the Great Moss to watch over Kilmartin Glen and makes a pretty short and straightforward hike. At the top, I guarantee your imagination will be sparked when you catch sight of the carved footprint. This is one of the reasons that Dunadd is known to be such an important place. It’s the inauguration place for the Kings of Dàl Riata, ancestors of the Kings and Queens of Scotland.

Admittedly, most of what’s claimed is speculation, but it’s not hard to imagine the coronation process. A new King striding to the top of Dunadd, before solemnly placing his foot in the carving to connect him with his ancestors. From here, his vast Kingdom stretched out from islands in the north, to parts of Ireland in the south.

In the 8th century, the Pictish King Aengus defeated the Dàl Riatans here. That would eventually lead to the two Kingdoms combining to become Scotland as we know it and the powerbase shifting to the east coast. It gives off a definite sword in the stone vibe – if your foot fits then maybe you’re our rightful ruler….

Stay In Kilmartin Castle

If you’re looking for somewhere a little special to stay, then Kilmartin Castle deserves a mention. It’s one of the incredible castles that you can stay in when visiting Scotland! I payed them a visit out of sheer interest and was blown away by the incredible restoration job there! This isn’t a corporate, hundred room, sterilised castle/country house hotel. If you stay here then you genuinely feel like you’re living in a castle amongst friends.

That’s not an advert, I just really believe in their vision and passion for the place. I’ve no doubt you will too, even just by browsing the pictures there! The castle has moved to exclusive use only, so get some friends together and book it out together!

Where To Head After Kilmartin Glen

After exhausting all of the things to do in Kilmartin Glen, where should you head next? You aren’t short of options and if you time things for around the Spring Tide, then there’s a very special activity. Head to Crinan and take a tour out to see the world’s third largest whirlpool – the Corryvreckan!

Or take things much easier and drive all the way around nearby Loch Awe! From there, it’s a short trip over to pretty wee Inveraray or even a trip around the lengthy Loch Fyne.

If you’re interested in spending a day in Kilmartin Glen, how about visiting on a Scotland’s Stories Tour?

Just click this link to make an enquiry and book your private driving tour today!