Wildlife and the Ancient Landscape
Arran Wildlife Festival
More Walks

Machrie Moor Stone Circles Walk

STOP PRESS: DUE TO THE CLOSURE OF THE STRING ROAD THE FESTIVAL BUS WILL NO LONGER BE TAKING PARTICIPANTS TO THIS EVENT.  PLEASE NOTE THE GROUP IS MEETING AT MACHRIE STONE CIRCLES CARPARK AND REVISED START TIME. THE PRICE OF THIS EVENT HAS BEEN REDUCED TO REFLECT THIS CHANGE OF PLAN. APOLOGIES FOR INCONVENIENCE THAT THIS MAY CAUSE.

Join former archaeologist and RSPB information officer Lucy Wallace for a walk back to the Bronze Age and discover Machrie Moor's ancient megalithic landscape - an excellent place to see birds of prey! Due to limited parking participants are advised to meet the special bus at Brodick for transport to the stones.

The stone circles of Machrie Moor form part of an ancient ritual landscape in the Shiskine Valley that has its origins in the late Neolithic.  Early farming communities ploughed and grew crops, and built the first henges, circles made of wood.  Later, during the Bronze Age, around 1800 BC, permanent circles of stone were constructed out of granite and sandstone. Not far from the main circle site, there are also the remains of other monuments such as kerbed cairns and solitary standing stones, as well as evidence of hut circles where people would have lived.

Since the Bronze age, the climate of Scotland has become wetter and cooler, and peat has grown over the valley, forming the special wildlife habitat of Machrie Moor. Machrie Moor is a labyrinth of manmade drainage ditches, scrub birch forest, and heather moorland.  It is a haven for wildlife and home to a number of ground nesting birds, such as Curlew, Skylark and Meadow Pippit.  It is also a good place to watch for predators including Kestrel, Buzzard, Hen Harrier, Short Eared Owl and Adders.

The route to the moor is a fairly gentle walk across farm land although the moor is very boggy and wet underfoot if you leave the path. The Machrie Moor is a wonderfully atmospheric place, steeped in history, and a place where patience is often rewarded with extraordinary views of wildlife.  

Landscape Detectives

How has Arran's natural history shaped the lives of its people over thousands of years, and how has its 'unnatural' history affected Arran's landscape and wildlife?

With the hlp of some clues and a short walk we will try to unravel the plot.  There will be an informal chat in the new clubhouse restaurant before starting the walk.

Refreshments available to purchase.