Ballymeanoch

Ballymeanoch stands in Kilmartin Glen, Argyll and Bute, as a Neolithic complex of standing stones, a stone circle and a henge with a burial cairn. The avenue of four and two standing stones leads to the circle, and the tallest stone reaches four metres. Two of the avenue stones carry heavy cup and ring carvings over 4,000 years old. Historic Environment Scotland recognises the site as a scheduled monument. It sits on private farmland but paths between fences allow access. The older parts of the complex date from the Neolithic period and include the burial cairn inside the henge. The car park for the nearby Dunchraigaig cairn lies along the road beside Ballymeanoch. Sheep graze around the stones, and visitors follow the fenced routes between fields. The setting remains quiet and rural, with no modern buildings nearby. At the site a visitor finds the stone circle and avenue clearly marked by low fences. The cup and ring marks on the two middle stones stand out against the grey rock. The henge’s low bank and central cairn can be seen inside the circle. From the paths between fences there are views across the glen to other prehistoric monuments. The air is still, and the stones cast long shadows in the late afternoon light.