A report by Alexander Jarvie
Damage has been caused on the south west flank of the Midmill Long Cairn. Some idiot, probably unwittingly, has run their quad bike up and down the slope repeatedly causing damage to plants and the cairn itself. Sadly this cairn has already been abused in the past and probably faces more upheaval thanks to the building of a rapidly encroaching industrial estate. It’s a shame because all it would need is a simple fence with a gate to allow interested parties to visit and appreciate the history for which this area is renowned. Ironically Tuach Hill, home to the remains of a stone circle, sits less than a 1/4 mile away.
Addendum, by Heritage Action
Of course, there’s no such problem putting up a barrier where there’s private, or commercial, property at stake, as has recently been emphasised at this self-same site. According to the link below, part of the “rapidly encroaching industrial estate”, that Alexander refers to, was obliged, by the terms of its planning permission, to remain outside a 30 metre exclusion zone around the cairn. This was not adhered to. Retrospective planning permission had to be obtained for a two metre-high section of fence “of welded rectangular mesh panels and horizontal posts, coloured green” that was found to be erected inside this buffer zone. No drive-through there, then.
According to the discussion: “By positioning part of the fence as proposed, partially within the 30 metre exclusion zone, there is no doubt that the siting of the Cairn and the visual line between the Cairn and the stone circle on Tuach Hill has been compromised.” (Not that “views” are recognised as of significance or given a molecule of protection by the planning system, not even when they are an integral part of our ancient heritage as often happens at megalithic sites!)
Temporary planning permission, for eighteen months, has been granted for the intrusive structure. It will be interesting to see if it comes down after this time. The full report here:
The Heritage Journal 
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23/01/2010 at 19:33
senua
Unfortunatly damage to monuments by off road vehicles is not uncommon. I beleive the Ridgeway has been closed to all but farm vehicles and horses because of the amount of damage done by quad bikes etc. A number of hillforts, cairns and barrows have also been damaged and no doubt this is the story up and down the country. Our heritage is being damaged not only by detectorists but also off road vehicles and vandals.