7 Reasons Why You Should Explore the Amazing Kilmartin Glen Scotland

Kilmartin Glen is an amazing site in Scotland.

Yet it’s not a well known site with many travelers.

So I’m going to offer up some reasons why you should consider a visit to this special place in Scotland.

Because it is just that — truly special.

Let’s start by placing Kilmartin Glen on the map.

Where is Kilmartin Glen?

Kilmartin Glen is located in the Argyll & Bute council area which is west-northwest of Glasgow.

This council area is a very broken up area of peninsulas and actually includes a few islands such as Islay and Mull.

Kilmartin Glen is specifically about 8 miles north from the town of Lochgilphead.

And it’s roughly 29 miles south of Oban.

So now that we know where it is, let’s dive into what it is and why you should visit this awesome site.

What exactly is Kilmartin Glen?

Kilmartin Glen is an historic site spread out over a few miles.

It’s estimated that there are over 800 historic monuments within a 6 mile radius of the town of Kilmartin.

150 of these monuments are prehistoric.

You’ll find standing stones, stone circles, burial tombs and remains of a fortress that was important to Scottish royalty.

So if this history intrigues you, then Kilmartin Glen is a must.

Let’s dive into some of the aspects to Kilmartin Glen, otherwise known as the reasons why you might want to explore it.

Kilmartin Museum

Let’s start closest to Kilmartin town with the museum.

Admittedly, I did this all a bit backwards as I came from the south (I was coming from Inveraray) and visited some of the other sites first.

But a visit to the museum to put everything in context is a must.

And it may be a good idea to go here first — although it’s up to you as sometimes visiting the museum after you’ve seen the sites makes more sense.

You do you and what works best for you.

Anyway…

The Kilmartin Museum is located right in the little town of Kilmartin.

It had just reopened after a major upgrade when I was there in mid-September 2023.

There are artifacts, interpretive boards and drawings and even some stones in the museum.

Some of the stones are replicas because there are a few stones housed back in the National Museums in Edinburgh.

But the museum / visitor center really is quite good with loads of good information on the people and the land.

Cost is £9.50 to enter. 

Well worth it in my opinion.

Burial tombs / cairns

There are 5 burial mounds or tombs referred to as cairns.

From north to south they are as follows:

• Glebe
• Nether Largie North
• Nether Largie Mid
• Nether Largie South
• Ri Cruin

I didn’t see Glebe up close but you can see it out the window of the museum.

Ri Cruin is the other one I missed.

Unfortunately I had a lot of rain the day I visited so I didn’t see as much as I would have liked.

So I’ll go back to Kilmartin Glen!

I did, however, visit the 3 Nether Largie cairns and I’m a fan of these.

The north and south tombs are especially intriguing as you can go inside them. 

Nether Largie South is near Temple Wood (see below) and you have to clamber down a bit to get inside the chamber. 

But if you are fit and nimble enough you should be able to enter it.

And it’s very cool!

Nether Largie North actually has an iron door you can open and has steps down into it.

It’s a bit creepy in some ways, but also really awesome.

Nether Largie Mid is one of the lesser interesting of the Kilmartin Glen burial chambers. 

However, you’ll still want to take a walk around it.

Glebe Cairn is the closest to the museum and looks uninteresting at first glance but check out this video on You Tube as they did find some interesting artifacts inside.

https://youtu.be/e3ArcRcI8bw?si=mc0aUM1GpRbtjW_A

Ri Cruin is south from Temple Wood and appears to be much like Glebe Cairn and just a pile of rocks.

However there is a large capstone in the center.

This one does sit apart a bit from the other 4.

But I’d recommend seeing all 5.

When I return to Kilmartin I’ll definitely be sure to see the ones I missed.

Dunchraigaig Cairn area

This was actually the first part of Kilmartin Glen I visited since I was coming from the south.

This piece of Glenmartin includes the burial cairn, the rock art at Baluachraig — to the right — and Ballymeanoch standing stones — to the left.

Dunchraigaig Cairn is the burial tomb you’ll see when you first enter this area. 

It looks like a pile of rocks and grass.

But you’ll see a bit of a henge-like entrance way that is not open. 

To the left is where you’ll find the Ballymeanoch standing stones.

There are 2 rows of tall stones.

One row has 4 while the other only has 2.

Although 1 was removed and they may have found an eighth one buried.

I love it!

Anyway…

Some of the stones do have some “art” on them like the Nether Largie stones.

Again, these stones are just out in the middle of the fields with the sheep nearby.

And again, I touched all 6 stones.

To the right of Dunchraigaig Cairn you’ll find Baluachraig. 

I actually came back to this after going to the museum as I missed it on my first stop.

I just did a quick look as it was raining.

The rock is laying in the ground so you won’t see it sticking up like the standing stones.

There are some circles or cup marks on this stone so it’s definitely worthy of a visit.

Dunadd 

Located at the southern end of Kilmartin Glen is Dunadd, the fortress of Scottish royalty.

I drove right by it on my way into the valley as the sign is a bit small.

So when I had finished visiting the above sites, I drove back and saw the sign to it down a small, but easily drivable road.

It’s a bit of a walk up this hill and it’s steep in sections.

However it’s not long. 

You’ll come to little terraces as you make your way to the top.

So you walk a bit, hit a flat spot and can take in the views, then continue on.

Unfortunately it was raining pretty hard when I walked up it.

But I was determined to put my foot in the rock where the kings of Scotland had put their feet before me.

Dunadd was more than likely a fortress as far back as 2000 years ago.

But it was from 500 to 800AD that it is spoken of as a center of the Gaelic kings of Dál Riata.

Just below the top of the hill — the citadel — is a terrace where you’ll find some interesting things.

First is a basin cut into the rock which, more than likely, will have water in it if it’s been raining a lot.

You’ll see an image of a boar cut into the flat rock along with an inscription in the Ogham alphabet which is an early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the early Irish language. 

Side note: I have a pendant with my name spelled in the Ogham alphabet that I bought in Dingle Town, Ireland.

Anyway…

The star attraction for me is the footprint in the rock. 

It says there are 2 footprints but I only saw one.

This is where the king would place his foot to show he was indeed the king of the land.

And yes, I put my foot in it!

The views from the top of Dunadd are amazing, even on a very wet day.

This is a site I want to return to when I have better weather so I can really spend some time there and appreciate it.

My tip is to pack a snack, hike up and enjoy the views and the history with your snack — as long as you have dry weather.

The walk

The wonderful part of Kilmartin Glen is you can walk from the museum along trails to some of these sites.

If you park at the museum you can walk to the 5 burial cairns and the Nether Largie standing stones and Temple Wood in and out and back route.

It’s about 4 miles.

At this point, it doesn’t look like you can get to the southern site of Dunchraigaig Cairn along a trail.

It would be fabulous if they changed this in the near future because it’s not far from Nether Largie standing stones.

But the walk around the burial cairns and the Temple Wood area is quite nice.

I did some of it.

Just be prepared for some wet surfaces, so wear your waterproof shoes!

Final thoughts on Kilmartin Glen — and some tips

I found out about this site through the internet somehow perhaps back in 2017 or 2018. 

A client of mine actually visited the site in 2018, so I knew of it by then.

I remember thinking that it looked really cool with all the burial cairns, stone circles, standing stone — just all that history!

So when I decided to make a quick stop en route from the western Highlands to Dumfries and Galloway, staying somewhere near Kilmartin Glen made sense.

I decided on Inveraray and made the short drive to this incredible area.

It’s a site that I highly recommend to those who have a love of this type of history.

Inveraray will make a good base to explore Kilmartin Glen as will Oban as both are roughly 30 miles away and provide good tourist infrastructure.

There are parking areas near the sites so keep your eyes open for signs.

You’ll be walking on gravel and grassy paths to the actual stones and cairns so be prepared for uneven and even wet surfaces. 

Wear those good waterproof sneakers or hiking shoes to keep your feet happy!

Visiting the outdoor sites is free.

The museum is open 10am to 5pm, seven days a week until the end of October. 

From November 1 to December 23 it will be open from 11am to to 4pm Thursday through Sunday only.

And it will close in January and February.

But from March 1, 2024 it will be open again 10am to 5pm, seven days a week.

You can book your ticket in advance or purchase it when you arrive.

Adult tickets are £9.50

The cafe at the museum is due to open in spring 2024.

For me, I want to return to this amazing site in Scotland in better weather so I can spend more time with the stones, burial tombs, ancient spirits and the Scottish landscape.

Kilmartin Glen is truly one of the coolest and most exceptional sites I’ve ever visited.

Put it on your list!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This means I will earn a commission – at no extra cost to you — if you click on the link and purchase anything from these trusted companies. It helps Wander Your Way, a small business, stay in business. Thanks for your support!

Like it? Pin it!