Avinagillan Standing Stone

Avinagillan Standing Stone

Alone in a field just off the B8024 road from Tarbert to Kilberry stands a solitary menhir, near the point where Abhainn na Cuile flows into West Loch Tarbert The stone is 1.8m tall, 0.8m wide and 0.2m thick (about 5'10" by 3'2" and 6" thick). It tapers slightly near the top.

The stone is about 350m from the hamlet of Avinagillin, and is aligned on a north-south axis.

The north face of the stone is straight, but the south face has a step just below the fairly flat top.

It seems curious that the stone appears to stand alone, distant from any other ancient sites. However, there s one intriguing relationship to the Escart standing stones, which are a mile to the south east as the crow flies, on the east shore of the loch. The stones at Escart are not visible today, because of a modern forestry plantation, but if the plantation was not there each site would be visible from the other.

Finding the stone is extremely easy; it is visible just east of the B8046, three miles south of its junction with the A83. I wasn't even aware of the stone's existence as I drove up the B road from Kilberry to Tarbert, but when I saw it standing alone in the field I just had to stop. There is a fence around the stone to protect it from visitors but the fence does not get in the way of seeing the stone at all.

I wouldn't say the Avinagillan stone is exceptional, but it is interesting to speculate why it was built in this spot, and if it has any relationship to the stones on the far shore of the loch.