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Kilmartin Stones, Keill's Chapel, Castle Sweene, Kilmory Chapel
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Voilà un monument qui casse le mythe écossais des châteaux hantés. Drôle d'idée ce colisée !
C'est l'histoire d'un banquier, Mc Caig, qui voulait aider sa ville à lutter contre le chômage. Il fit donc entreprendre de grands travaux. Ce "Colisée", inachevée, est situé tout en haut de la ville avec vue imprenable sur le bourg et le port.
McCaig's Tower is a prominent tower on the hillside overlooking Oban in Argyll, Scotland. It is built of Bonawe granite taken from the quarries across Airds Bay, on Loch Etive, from Muckairn, with a circumference of about 200 metres with two-tiers of 94 lancet arches (44 on the bottom and 50 on top).
The structure was commissioned, at a cost of £5,000 sterling (£500,000 at 2006 prices using GDP deflator), by the wealthy, philanthropic banker (North of Scotland Bank), John Stuart McCaig. John Stuart McCaig was his own architect. The tower was erected between 1897 and his death, aged 78 on 29 June 1902.
McCaig's intention was to provide a lasting monument to his family, and provide work for the local stonemasons during the winter months. McCaig was an admirer of Roman and Greek architecture, and had planned for an elaborate structure, based on the Colosseum in Rome. His plans allowed for a museum and art gallery with a central tower to be incorporated. Inside the central tower he planned to commission statues of himself, his siblings and their parents. His death brought an end to construction with only the outer walls completed.
Rien de bien particulier dans ce château, peut-être un peu de lassitude des châteaux écossais au bout du onzième jour !
Une dédicace particulière au guichetier : je n'ai absolument rien compris à ce qu'il m'a dit. Là où ça m'a rassuré c'est que les autrichiens qui me suivaient lui ont dit la même petite phrase chaleureuse du vacancier : "Sorry, I don't understand".
Entrée payante mais la billetterie est fermée. Il est indiqué qu'on peut tout de même faire le tour mais que le musée et la boutique de cadeaux sont fermés. Bon, en fait le musée était ouvert, et les portes de tous les bâtiments ouvertes, accès totalement libre :-).
Du coup, si je résume, le ticket d'entrée à 4£50 ne donne donc accès qu'à la boutique de cadeaux ... Ben, ça ne me manquera pas !!
Bonawe is the most complete charcoal-fired blast furnace in Britain. Powered by the river Awe, this handsome industrial site was founded in 1753 and remained active until 1876.
J'ai résumé sous le terme "Kilmartin Stones", les pierres pictes hébergées dans l'église de Kilmartin, les sarcophages scuptées du cimetière, ainsi qu'un peu plus au sud du village, les différents sites préhistoriques que l'on peut découvrir.
J'ai particulièrement apprécié la grande balade en ce lieu. J'y ai également bien apprécié l'hôtel situé en face de l'église. Très convivial.
The Kilmartin Stones are a collection of 79 ancient graveslabs (one exception being a side-slab of a tomb chest) at Kilmartin parish church in the village of Kilmartin, Argyll, Scotland.
The symbolism of the motifs carved onto the slabs is the subject of much discussion and speculation. Many feature swords or claymores, some alone, others with surrounding designs of twining or interlaced foliage. Several depict armed men. Other motifs include crosses, animals and shears; a comb appears with shears on one stone.
The nearby landscape, Kilmartin Glen is the richest prehistoric landscape in Scotland. Within an area not much over 6 miles (9.7 km) long a huge diversity of standing stones, stone circles, carved rocks and ancient tombs can be found. It also has what is believed to be the only 'linear cemetery' in the country, a series of chambered cairns (burial mounds) laid out in a straight line right down the bottom of the glen. The oldest of these is believed to be 6,000 years old. The reason for such a concentration of these ancient monuments in one small area of the Scottish Highlands is unknown.
Le point de départ : l'église de Kilmartin. A l'intérieur, quelques pierres préservées, dans le cimetière, sous protection d'autres pierres pictes, et en plein jour au milieu du cimetière d'autres pierres sculptées.
This church and churchyard is home to an exceptional range of carved stones. Step inside the church and look for the three beautifully decorated crosses carved over 1000 years ago by early Christians. Take time to wander around the grounds, you will find the oldest grave slabs in western Scotland, carved over 500 years ago by talented local sculptors. Look out their depictons of weapons, crosses, plants and warriors.
 Early Christian Cross, probably 8th century.
Kilmartin Glen, britain's richest archeological landscape. Scan the horizon, your are surrounded by 800 monuments. Here, it was massive stone cairns built over 3500 years ago, for burying important people. This unique collection of ancient monuments makes this landscape a rare and special place. We are lucky to be able to walk in the shadows of the standing stones and circles. Wa have a rare opportunity to peer into burial cairns and search rocks for mysterious carving.
Au bout de la route, à la pointe !
Le temps est exceptionnel ce jour-là, la balade est plus qu'appréciable.
La chapelle en elle-même, rien de particulier (même pas de toit), à l'intérieur un ensemble de pierres sculptées, dont certaines très jolies.
Keills Chapel is a small chapel located in the west Highlands, Scotland, near the village of Tayvallich. The re-roofed structure contains an important collection of early stone sculpture, including six early Christian cross-slabs, around forty late medieval grave slabs recovered from the chapel or churchyard, and a celtic cross which originally stood outside the chapel where a modern blank replacement now stands. The original has been moved inside the chapel to protect it from the elements.
The complete and well-preserved late 8th-early 9th century cross is carved from local grey-green epidiorite. It is only decorated on one face, the sides and back being dressed smooth without further decoration. Its proportions are unusual, with very short side-arms broader than the shaft and upper limb. The latter shows the archangel St. Michael standing over a serpent (a symbol of triumph over the devil). The lower limb shows Christ on the Judgement Seat. He is holding a book, possibly the Bible or New Testament, symbolising mercy, in his left hand, and a flail in his right, symbolising judgement. There is a circular design at the crossing, with three round objects in the centre, which may symbolise the Holy Trinity. Around this are four animals representing the four evangelists.
 Extérieur de la petite chapelle
Un château écossais perdu au milieu des bengalows. Du coup pour les visiteurs du château, faut se garer sur la route en haut (10 mn à pied), car l'accès est strictement réservé aux loueurs/propriétaires de bengalow. Pas très courtois, surtout que le paysage (descente au milieu des bengalows) n'apporte vraiment aucun intérêt.
Heureusement la vue de la baie lorsqu'on atteint le château rattrape l'ensemble.
Rien de bien particulier pour le château, une belle exposition sur la baie, mais sinon, c'est juste une série de murs.
Castle Sween is located on the eastern shore of Loch Sween, on the west coast of Argyll, Scotland. Castle Sween is thought to be one of the earliest stone castles built in Scotland, having been built sometime in the late twelfth century. The castle's towers were later additions to wooden structures which have now since vanished.
Pas bien loin du site du château, quelques phoques se prélassaient au soleil. Ils avaient bien raison :-)
Encore au bout de la route, à "l'autre" pointe ! (la pointe en face de Keills' Chapel un peu plus haut).
La chapelle, toujours rien de particulier.
A l'intérieur, un nouvel ensemble de pierres sculptées, dont une particulièrement jolie et en excellent état. Ealement, pour les autres, plus "originales" à mon, goût même si a priori moins intéressantes archéologiquement.
Kilmory Knap Chapel is on Ellary Estate, next to Loch Sween, on the opposite shore to Keills Chapel. When the roof was lost the building was used as a burial enclosure. The structure was re-roofed in 1934 to hold a large collection of Early Christian cross slabs, late medieval graveslabs and standing crosses of West Highland type, from the 14th to 16th centuries. The chapel is an important historical site of Clan Macmillan (of Knap). In the church is Macmillan's Cross, a well-preserved piece of medieval carving, portraying the Chief of the clan with hunting dogs.
 La clé de la chapelle, pas adaptée à mon porte-clés ...
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