This short forest walk visits the most extensive prehistoric rock carvings in the UK: the Achnabreck Cup and Ring rocks. The easy circular also gives good views over Lochgilphead towards the Isle of Arran.
Summary
Clear path and forestry track
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1. The car park for Achnabreck can be found by taking a signed turn off the A816 to the north of Cairnbaan. Continue along the track for nearly a kilometre until the car park is found off to the right hand side. There are mountain bike trails leaving from here as well as this short walk for pedestrians only which begins from a wooden Achnabreck sign.
2. The well-surfaced path climbs very gently. The small but steep and rocky hill on the right is Dun na Marag, the site of an ancient fort and together covered with very fine native forest. Continue straight ahead on the path at a cross-roads - the route crossing here is part of the mountain bike trail. The path continues to climb very slightly beside a dry stone wall.
3. Soon the celebrated Achnabreck rocks are reached, enclosed by a fence to prevent damage; the route keeps to the wooden walkway alongside. The cup-and-ring markings - of which there are many, sometimes overlaid in layers, are 5,000 years old. There are no representation carvings and the designs are completely abstract, with the rings sometimes enclosing the cup markings and sometimes running along them. Despite study by experts no-one is really sure of the purpose of meanings of the carvings.
4. The path continues ahead though there are more carvings on the rocks further round by the fence - which can be hard to see from below. When you've finished looking at these remarkable remains, continue on the main path. It soon reaches a second, smaller fenced area with another series of less well-preserved markings. There are fine views from here over Lochgilphead towards the Isle of Arran, with Goat Fell visible on a clear day.
5. The path now swings left and climbs past a bench through the forest until it reaches a wide forest track. Turn left along the track, keeping on the main left-hand track at a junction, to return to the entrance to the car park. Turn left once more to head into the car park and return to the start.
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