Tag: Perthshire

Glen Ogle, Lochearnhead, Perthshire

megalithix

Cup-and-Ring Stone:  OS Grid Reference – NN 58727 24527

Getting Here

Glen Ogle (1) carving

In Lochearnhead village start walking up the Glen Ogle road and, just past the last house on the right, a dirt-track bends down to an old building.  Just before the building, keep your eyes peeled for the small footpath that runs down to the river.  Walk along here and cross the river-bridge, then bear diagonally to your left and walk up the singular footpath.  It snakes through the trees for a few hundred yards then opens out into a field.  About 75 yards along the path in the field the land levels out.  From here, walk through the grasses to your right about 20 yards.  Zigzag about – you’ll find it.

Archaeology & History

Main cluster + v.faint ring

The setting of this carving is, like many of Perthshire’s petroglyphs, quite beautiful.  It was made when the ‘artist’ carving the stone was crouched or sat on the ground, gazing at the southern landscape and heights around Ben Vorlich, whose mythic nature may have been part of the design.

Comprising of a cluster of typical cup-marks, there are two, perhaps three very faint rings in the design, which seems to have been described for the first time in George Currie’s (2012) typically short minimalist way.  He told that in the field,

“50m E of the Ogle Burn is a boulder 2.1 x 0.9 x 0.5m, which bears 21 cup marks, 2 of which have single rings.”

Cup and faint ring
Faint cups on the crown

Much of the original design is difficult to see in full unless the lighting is good.  We spent several hours here and counted 25 cup-marks and found rings around three of them—but these proved difficult to photograph and some more visits are needed to capture them.  “Officially” at least, there are no other carvings close to this one.  But that’s obviously not going to be the case.  Well worth checking out when you’re in the area.

References:

  1. Currie, George, “Stirling: Balquhidder, Glen Ogle – Cup-and ring-marked rock”, in Discovery & Excavation Scotland, volume 13 (New Series), 2012.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

The Tullich, Aberfeldy, Perthshire

megalithix

Stone Circle (destroyed):  OS Grid Reference – NN 857 489

Archaeology & History

In an early essay on the rock art around Aberfeldy, Hugh MacMillan (1884) remarked on what he thought was a tumulus on the southern slope above the town and where a large old petroglyph once lived.  Subsequently (MacMillan 1901), in his beautiful artistic foray through upper Tayside, he revised his earlier remarks telling that:

“On the side of a high, tree-covered hillock, rising up abruptly behind the central part of Aberfeldy, called the Tullich, there was once a Druidical circle, one of the huge stones of which, called the Clachmore, forms part of a garden wall on the old military road passing along its base.”

The circle was mentioned in Mackay’s (1954) excellent work, albeit in the past tense, and he could add no more to it other than his memory of the whereabouts of the Clach Mhor (as it was more accurately known), on which were numerous cup-markings. (Note: the grid-reference to this site is an approximation)

Folklore

In bygone times the people of Aberfeldy observed the celebration of Samhain, the old pre-christian New Year’s Day—a.k.a. Hallowe’en—on November 11th.  Interestingly for us, “bonfires were numerous and there was always a great blaze on the Tullich,” said Dr John Kennedy. (1901)  Considering the small area of The Tullich, it would be unusual if such festivities did not have some relationship with the stone circle.  Samhain relates primarily to the passing over of the dead in the cycle of the year: the spirits of the ancestors moving through the worlds.  If this circle had such a relationship with the bonfires, it may have been a ring cairn and not a free-standing stone circle.

References:

  1. Kennedy, John, Old Highland Days, Religious Tract Society 1901.
  2. Mackay, N.D., Aberfeldy Past and Present, Town Council: Aberfeldy 1954.
  3. MacMillan, Hugh, “Notice of Cup-Marked Stones near Aberfeldy”, in Proceedings Society of Antiquaries Scotland, volume 18, 1884.
  4. MacMillan, Hugh, The Highland Tay, Virtue: London 1901.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Urlar Burn (8), Aberfeldy, Perthshire

megalithix

Cup-and-Ring Stone:  OS Grid Reference – NN 83297 45845

Getting Here

Urlar Burn (4) stone

Take the A826 Crieff Road uphill for 275 yards then turn right up the Urlar Road.  It’s a long uphill walk from here, up the private road, through and past Urlar Farm and along the track; making sure you keep to the west-side of the burn – don’t cross over it!  Beyond the farm, the fields open up ahead of you into the distant hills.  Keep along the track until, after a few hundred yards, on the left by the waters, the first small copse of trees appears. (if you reach the bothy, you’ve gone way to far)  Here, walk towards the waters and you’ll see good-sized boulder sticking out of the ground and overlooking the burn below.  That’s it.

Archaeology & History

This faded but decent cup-and-ring design, cut into an overhanging rock where you’d sit and dangle your legs, was first described by George Currie (2009) who, in his typically minimalist style told that it “bears 17 cups, 4 of which have single rings.”  There may be more to it, but some of the stone is heavily covered in vegetation and on my visit here, the summer heat overwhelmed my ability to gain a complete picture of the surface.

The Urlar Burn (4) carving
Faded design in bright sun

Most of the design is near the western earthfast end of the stone.  A long natural scratch in the rock, seemingly enhanced by the hand of man, separates at least three shallow cup-marks on one side (north) from the greater mass of the design on the other —which is where all the cup-and-rings can be seen.  One of the rings is incomplete, whilst another has a natural crack running up to its outer edge, which may have been played around with slightly when the carving was first made.

I liked it here – and spent an hour or so under the bright sun before the heat pushed me away, to bathe in the pool below for a while….  Check it out when you’re looking at the other carvings in the neighbourhood

Folklore

Some cup&rings close-up

Although there’s nothing specific about this stone, the burn to the side of the carving was haunted by an old urisk in times gone by: an elemental creature from Scottish fairy lore who inhabited lonely streams and waterfalls.  The urisk of Urlar Burn was known as Brunaidh an Easain (his brother, Peallaidh, of greater renown, lived in the gorge of Moness close to Aberfeldy) and this spot may have been one of his abodes.  Urisks are associated in some places with cup-marked stones, in which offerings of milk were given to placate them — and this is a good site for any urisk to look over his winding waters….

References:

  1. Currie, George, “Perth and Kinross: Dull: Urlar Burn 1-4,” in Discovery & Excavation Scotland (new series), volume 10, 2009.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Urlar Burn (6), Aberfeldy, Perthshire

megalithix

Cup-Marked Stone:  OS Grid Reference – NN 82540 45022

Getting Here

Urlar Burn (6) stone

Take the A826 Crieff Road uphill for 275 yards then turn right up the Urlar Road.  It’s a long uphill walk from here, up the private road, through and past Urlar Farm and along the track (keeping to the west-side of the burn), past the impressive Urlar Burn (8) carving, until you eventually reach the bothy, 3¼ miles (5.2km) up from where you first turned off the A826.  Walk 70 yards past the bothy then into the heather on your left where a large couch-shaped boulder stands.  The carved rock is a couple of yards on the floor in front of you.

Archaeology & History

An unimpressive faint cup-marked stone consisting of between two and five shallow cups that are difficult to make out unless lighting conditions are good – and even then they’re troublesome!  It was first noted by George Currie (2009) how described it simply as: “a rock 2.0 x 1. x 0.2m between Urlar Burn and Hill Park track bears five cup marks.”  There are much more impressive carvings in this neck o’ the woods that you’ll want to see ahead of this one!

Folklore

Shallow cups: top-middle; centre-middle

Although there’s nothing specific about this stone, the burn to the side of the carving was haunted by an old urisk in times gone by: an elemental creature from Scottish fairy lore who inhabited lonely streams and waterfalls. The urisk of Urlar Burn was known as Brunaidh an Easain (his brother, Peallaidh, of greater renown, lived in the gorge of Moness close to Aberfeldy) and was likely to have lived further downstream from here.  They are associated in some places with cup-marked stones, where offerings of milk were given to placate them.

References:

  1. Currie, George, “Perth and Kinross: Dull: Urlar Burn (3),” in Discovery & Excavation Scotland (new series), volume 10, 2009.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Balrobbie, Killicrankie, Perthshire

megalithix

Cup-Marked Stone:  OS Grid Reference – NN 90884 62571

Getting Here

The Balrobbie Stone

Roughly halfway between Blair Atholl and Pitlochry on the B8079 road is the village of Killiecrankie where, at the junction, you should take the road which leads you over the River Garry.  Crossing the river, follow the minor road swerving to the right and after nearly 200 yards bear left up the very minor road.  200 yards up there’s a hairpin bend; keep going up for about another 150 yards then walk into the overgrown grassland on your right where, just above an old hawthorn, a single notable rock protrudes.  Y’ can’t really miss it!

Archaeology & History

Some of the cups visible in poor light

On my visit here recently, the day was grey and overcast which, in tandem with there being a reasonably decent cover of mosses living on the stone, prevented me from seeing the complete design of this petroglyph.  I was thankful that it’s not an overly impressive one, so couldn’t be too disappointed.  It was was rediscovered in recent years by George Currie (2005) on one of his many forays, which, in his typically evocative language, he described as: “Rock, 1.5 x 0.9 x 0.7m, a few metres W of the Tenandry road; 24 cups, largest 50 x 18mm.”  Most of the cup-marks are a good depth and easy to see when you’re stood next to it.  Sadly my photos didn’t manage to capture them too well.

A notable hut circle can be seen a short distance away up the slope, barely visible in the summertime.  The carving may have been executed by the people living there.  This is the only recorded cup-marked stone anywhere near here which, as rock art junkies will tell you, is unusual.  Where there’s one, others tend to be living close by.  Happy hunting!

References:

  1. Currie, George, “Perth and Kinross: Balrobbie,” in Discovery & Excavation Scotland, volume 6 (New Series) 2005.

Acknowledgements:  Huge thanks for use of the Ordnance Survey map in this site profile, reproduced with the kind permission of the National Library of Scotland. 

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Ledard Burn (2), Kinlochard, Aberfoyle, Perthshire

megalithix

Cup-Marked Stone:  OS Grid Reference – NN 459 035 (?) 

Archaeology & History

In Miss Maitland’s (1935) article on the Ledard Stone carving, she also made a brief mention of “another cup-marked stone (that) lies on the edge of the burn, beyond the one described, above Loch Ard.”  She gave no further information about this second stone.  It remains lost and sounds to be only a short distance further uphill and on the west-side of the burn.  If any local explorers are able to find this carving please let us know and, if possible, add some info and photos of it on our Facebook page. (the grid-reference for this site profile is an approximation)

References:

  1. Maitland, Mrs, “Cup Marked Stones”, in The Scottish Country Woman, 1935.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Ledard Burn (1), Kinlochard, Aberfoyle, Perthshire

megalithix

Cup-Marked Stone:  OS Grid Reference – NN 458 033

Also Known as:

  1. Ledard Stone

Archaeology & History

Ledard Stone, 1935

This carving hasn’t seen the light of day, seemingly, since it was first reported by a local lady, a Miss Maitland in the 1930s—and who, it transpires, uncovered a number of petroglyphs in this neck of the woods.  She found it on one of her many forays in the mountains hereby and took some old photos of it—although they’ve not reproduced too well for the sake of the site profile. (apologies)

Since Miss Maitland’s days, the hillside has been covered in forestry plantation, making it extremely difficult to locate the carving.  However, due to the reasonably large size of the stone, it should still be there (smaller cup-and-ring stones have been damaged and destroyed by forestry over the years); and as we can see in the middle photo, a long thick vein of quartz runs roughly along the middle of the stone—an ingredient which may have been significant for the people who carved the stone.  In her article in the Scottish Country Woman magazine, Miss Maitland told:

cup-marks, bottom left
Ledard Stone

“On the hill directly behind Ledard, on the north side of Loch Ard, a little to the west of the burn and a little to the east of the first grouse-butt, exactly 700 feet above sea level, lies a large boulder.  Ice has smoothed and fashioned it and on the worn surface may be seen twenty-one, or so, small round hollows, varying in size and depth.  The pattern made is roughly diamond-shaped, pointing directly east and west.  I saw them for the first time as the sun was setting on New Year’s Eve, 1932.  It was a solemn moment, for as far as I know no one else had looked upon them with such joy, and even awe, for perhaps a thousand years!”

She may have been right.  And by the sound of her words, she’d certainly caught the petroglyph bug!

Anyhow, the carving doesn’t appear to have been seen since then.  A “cup-marked boulder” was noted in the Royal Commission’s (1979) listings, but with no further details. We assume it must be the same carving, although they never visited it.  It’s also possible that they were referring to another lost cup-marked stone a short distance further up the hill from here.  If any local explorers are able to re-locate the carving, please let us know, and maybe add some info and photos of it on our Facebook page.

References:

  1. Maitland, Mrs, “Cup Marked Stones”, in The Scottish Country Woman, 1935.
  2. Royal Commission Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland, Archaeological Sites and Monuments of Stirling District, Central Region, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 1979.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

West Bracklinn, Callander, Perthshire

megalithix

Chambered Cairn:  OS Grid Reference – NN 65017 09796

Also Known as:

  1. Tom Dubh

Getting Here

Ruins of Bracklinn cairn

Along the A84 road as you’re heading into Callander, just 300 yards before you reach the the Keltie Bridge caravan park, take the tiny road on your left (north) and barely 100 yards along where a small crossroads can be said to exist, go straight forward up the tiny single-track road ahead of you.  Keep all the way up for a mile until you reach Bracklinn Farm (when you meet a split in the road, keep left – and make sure you have parked way further down track of here).  Walk up the track past Bracklinn Farm for just over a mile (1.85km), until where the track and the large burn runs roughly alongside each other (past the small Eas Uilleam cairn up to your right) and go through the gate.  From here, go immediately left (SW) and walk alongside the dead straight fence for just over 300 yards, then slowly zigzag up the sloping hill.  If you reach the derelict walling, you’ve gone too far.

Archaeology & History

West Bracklinn from below

For a site marked as ‘Chambered Cairn’ on the OS-maps, you might be expecting a little bit more when you get here.  Sadly, it’s not what it once was.  Much of the covering stones from the cairn have been severely robbed and obviously used in the old and curiously-named ruin of Bothan na Plaighe below, and the large sheep-fold structures barely 50 yards to the north.  All that’s really left to see here is the internal chamber, aligned roughly east-west, which seems to have originally been split into two sections.  The remaining overgrown edges of the monument, barely two feet high at the most, measures roughly 8 yards by 9 yards, but is much denuded and can really only be noticed when you’re almost stood on top of it!

The landscape reaching out from here takes the eyes way way into the distance along the fading horizon, from north-east to south-east.  This expansive view, this reaching landscape, may have been an important element in the placement of the tomb – and it’s certainly something to behold on a good day.  It might be a bit of a walk to get here, but if you want some good countryside, scenery and a bit of ancient history, this is one helluva good place to go!

References:

  1. Royal Commission Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland, Braes of Doune: An Archaeological Survey, RCAHMS: Edinburgh 1994.

Acknowledgements:  Huge thanks for use of the Ordnance Survey map in this site profile, reproduced with the kind permission of the National Library of Scotland. 

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Balimeanach (4), Loch Earn, Comrie, Perthshire

megalithix

Cup-and-Ring Stone:  OS Grid Reference – NN 63874 23005

Getting Here

Balimeanach (4) site

Go along the minor single-track road on the south-side of Loch Earn (between Edinample and the ugly Lochearn Leisure Park) and roughly halfway along the loch, there’s rough parking near Ardvorlich House (the starting spot for walking up Ben Vorlich).  Walk east past the track to Ardvorlich, staying on the lochside road, for about 400 yards and then go up the dirt-track on your right.  Walk up here for about 200 yards and, before you reach the trees, notice a small gate in the walling above you on your right, about 70 yards up the slope. Go through here and bear immediately left, up to the large oak on the large dome of rock.  From the oak, with your back to the wall, take about 10 steps forward.  You’re here!

Archaeology & History

Deep cups & faint rings

The singular short reference to this impressive design was by George Currie (2011) who told us that it “bears at least 17 cup marks, three of which have single rings.”  But there are in fact six of them with rings, possibly seven—with a few additional cup-marks scattered across the wider rock surface.  It’s quite impressive, although on our visit here the daylight was gray and so the photos I have of the site do not do it justice.  The sun popped out a couple of times, but only for a few minutes and we weren’t able to take advantage of it quickly enough.

The distinctive section of this petroglyph are the deep cup-marks on its northern side: fourteen of them, three of which have faded shallow rings around them—or rather, uneven oval-shaped surroundings. The cup-marks have obviously been worked and re-worked over the centuries, whereas the rings were given less repetitive attention, for whatever reason.  This is a pattern found at a great number of cup-and-ring stones across the country.

Shallow cups, faint rings
Another angle of deep cups

From this cluster of deep cups, walk two or three yards south onto the slightly lower smooth rock surface, where we find a much less pronounced scatter of several shallow cup-marks—may be five, may be six—but three of them have faint rings around them. They were difficult to see on our visit here due to the poor light.  There’s what may be another incomplete cup-and-ring another two or three yards further along on the same rock face: a cup, certainly; the faint ring, perhaps.  We need to revisit this in better light.

The rock surface continues for quite some distance all round here in the shape of a large dome, much of it covered in vegetation of varying depths.  There are openings showing the bare rock and, at several other spots there are several other cup-marks, although none are as deep as the ones we’ve just described.  On the edge of one piece, about three yards north of the deep cups, a couple of worn cup-marks are near the edge of one rise; two others are clearly notable a yard or so WNW of the deep cups; whilst there are several other single cups near and not-so-near of the main design. It all requires a lot more work before we see the entire picture.

It’s a gorgeous site: silent with the feel of winds and waters and the scree of buzzards touching the senses: elements that, at some petroglyphs, had mythic relevance…

References:

  1. Currie, George, “Comrie: Balimeanach (BC 2), Cup-marked Rock”, in Discovery & Excavation Scotland, New series – volume 12, 2011.

Acknowledgements:  Huge thanks for use of the Ordnance Survey map in this site profile, reproduced with the kind permission of the National Library of Scotland. 

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Connachan (8), Crieff, Perthshire

megalithix

Cup-Marked Stone:  OS Grid Reference – NN 88110 27552

Getting Here

Connachan (8) stone

Along the A822 road from the Gilmerton junction on the outskirts of Crieff, heading up towards the Sma’ Glen, after literally 1¾ miles (2.8km) on the right-side of the road you need to follow the route to reach the Connachan rock art cluster by walking up the dirt-track leading up past Connachan Farm. Walk past the carving of Connachan (2) and up the track past Connachan (4), then onto the level ground and walk right to the low-lying ruined Connachan cairn.  From here, look up the gentle slope to the fence.  A small-ish stone protrudes out 40 yards away.  Head straight for it!

Archaeology & History

Close-up of line of cups

You’ll check this out when you’re doing your tour of this petroglyph cluster and sit here to admire the view.  It’s the last of the small bunch of carvings, on level ground, close to the denuded cairns.  It consists of just eight cup-marks, all of which are carved close to the edge of the stone on its upper sloping surface; although this doesn’t tally with Margaret Stewart’s (1967) description of any of the carvings hereby. There’s nowt much more to be said about it to be honest; apart from saying how it’s highly likely that other carvings remain hidden, undiscovered, not far from this stone along the edge of these hills.

References:

  1. Stewart, Margaret E.C., “Connachan, Crieff – Cup Marks and Hut Circle,” in Discovery & Excavation, Scotland, 1967.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian