Location: Kilmartin
Top Things to do in Kilmartin
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Top 8 Things to do in Kilmartin, United Kingdom (UK)
Kilmartin (Scottish Gaelic: Cille Mhàrtainn) is a small village in Argyll and Bute, western Scotland. It is best known as the centre of Kilmartin Glen, an area with one of the richest concentrations of prehistoric monuments and historical sites in Scotland. It contains over 800 monuments within a 6-mile radius. It is home to Kilmartin Museum and the Kilmartin Hotel
Restaurants in Kilmartin
1. Kilmartin Glen
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 175 reviews
Reviewed By GandC_UK - Moira, United Kingdom
We spent 2 days of our week's stay visiting Kilmartin Glen sites, you could stay even longer if you went to the more remote sites. There is everything from pre-historic rock art, standing stones, stone circles, cairns, hill forts and a castle. The hill fort at Dal Radda was the ancient seat of the first Scots kings and the Stone of Destiny MAY have originated here.Some of the sites are easily accessible with plenty of nearby parking e.g. next to the cafe and museum, some need proper walking boots and require a climb or a trek.
Everything is free to enter part from the museum , but this gives context for the whole area.
It is worth getting the book 'In the Footsteps of Kings' it explains the sites and provides walks to take in most of them. It is available from the museum and they will send it to you in advance.
2. Kilmartin Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 254 reviews
There are more than 350 ancient monuments within a six-mile radius of the village of Kilmartin, Argyll: 150 of them are prehistoric. This extraordinary concentration and diversity of monuments distinguishes the Kilmartin Glen as an area of outstanding archaeological importance. It is one of Scotland’s richest prehistoric landscapes. Kilmartin House Museum is an award winning world-class centre for archaeology and landscape interpretation established to protect, investigage and interpret this internationally important archaeological landscape and the artefacts that have been found here. At this unique and vibrant centre you can also see ‘The Valley of Ghosts’ audio-visual – a time travelling experience with breath taking imagery and haunting music. There is an on site shop and an award winning cafe. To find out more, explore our web site, wander through our interactive map and see what's on our Events Programme.
Reviewed By GandC_UK - Moira, United Kingdom
The museum is the only chargeable site in the glen,in itself it may seem expensive at £6.50 but as an introduction to the amazing sites in the glen which may take 1 or 2 days to explore it is well worth it. It is also worth buying the book 'In the Footsteps of Kings' from the museum shop as it explains the the sites and provides walks to take most of them in.
There is an interesting little shop and a decent cafe attached.
3. Temple Wood Stone Circle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 72 reviews
Reviewed By Crystalline4u - Traralgon, Australia
I truly loved seeing this! By the side of the road ... completely free and utterly fascinating!
Maybe it was my Scottish guide but truly this will capture your imagination. The standing stones remind me of Stonehenge and you can't help wondering what occurred here so long ago.
Well worth stopping for.
4. Carnasserie Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 110 reviews
Reviewed By Wpgdocs
This castle is better preserved than Kilchurn castle (reviewed separately). The castle is not far south of Oban (~ 30 minutes drive), but not readily visible from the road if approaching from the south on the A816. The parking lot is well-signed and then hike up the gravel road. Follow it a ways because it’s several hundred meters before you reach the castle. You then need to hike up a short, slightly steep path, which may be harder for those with difficulty climbing stairs. The rain didn’t help with how slippery things were. Once you reach the castle, it is very neat. Parts have been augmented to allow entry to some areas, but most is original. The roof and all wooden floors are gone except for some modern add-ons, but you can climb both towers and the views from the top are excellent. There are good signs describing the history and the castle was quite large for its time. The weather was not great when we visited, with rain and some wind, but we were the only ones there for our entire 30+ minute visit, and somehow the typical Scottish weather added to the charm, making it seem a little more imposing. We enjoyed this castle visit a lot and would recommend it to others.
5. Kilmartin Church and Graveyard
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 71 reviews
Reviewed By Crystalline4u - Traralgon, Australia
There is something amazing about stepping into country churches and graveyards... It's a feeling of being able to touch a piece of history. The gravestones tell a story of hardship.... of towns where whole families existed and were buried metres from one another... sometimes in the same plot.
A covered mausoleum holds many mediaeval grave slabs... and crosses. The views behind this solemn place are breathtaking... you can imagine the funerals taking place there in the bracing air... as people stoically buried their dead.
It's free to enter, a donation box is inside the church.
Well worth stopping to look around.
6. Nether Largie South Cairn
Overall Ratings
5 based on 16 reviews
Reviewed By hfulton32 - Paisley, United Kingdom
This is one of my favourite cairns, into which with care you can climb and sit in the chamber. There is also a cist outside. Somehow this one makes it easy to imagine how their cairns were, important burial places for chiefs etc in the Bronze Age, with religious ceremonies taking place especailly at the turning points of the year. It's also very near to standing stones and Temple Wood amd the beautiful Lady Glassary Wood, full of bluebells in spring.
You can visit all the cairns in about an hour, but if you can't see all, this is a must
You can come from Lady Glassary end or the Kilmartin end without usig a stile, so this is more accessible than any cairn except Glebe Cairn in the village
7. Nether Largie North Cairn
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10 reviews
Reviewed By Cameron S - Canberra, Australia
Nether Largie is the second most northerly of a string of cairns running down Kilmartin Glen. There are no facilities other than an information board, but it is a pretty easy hike from Kilmartin House where you can get directions. The cairn as it stands is a reconstruction post excavation but worth a visit nonetheless and the capstone on the cist inside is decorated. None of us, including my elderly mother-in-law, had difficulties climbing down inside and it was bucketing down when my family visited, so a few minutes out of the rain was also good. PS My 12 year old son also points out it was, during our half hour visit, also a world war two bunker and something to do with dalecks that involved a lot of shooting.
8. Glebe Cairn
Overall Ratings
4 based on 8 reviews
Reviewed By Cameron S - Canberra, Australia
Glebe Cairn is the northern most in a linear cemetery of late Neolithic and Bronze Age cairns. All are worth a visit and the best place to start is Kilmartin House (reviewed seperately). Glebe cairn is really only visible as a large cairn of stones, but front it you can see the next few cairns to the south. There are no facilities (but Kilmartin House is only a 5-10 minute walk) other than the normal (and typically good) summary information board from Historic Scotland. Interesting site if you are into the period and it is an easy hike to the rest of the cairns down the valley.
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