Martin

It has been reported that the present position of this stone is not the original, but it may possibly have been removed from the adjacent field which is locally known as the “Stannin’ Stane Field”.
(RCAHMS 1956)

Now in the National Museum of Scotland.

From the RCAHMS 1967;
A ring-marked slab of red sandstone, 2ft 6ins by 1ft 10ins by c.4ins thick, discovered in a bank of gravel (J Y Simpson 1868) (gravel pit (Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1870)) at Lamancha, was presented to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS Accession no: IA6) in 1867.
Some other large stones found nearby suggested to Simpson that the site may have been sepulchral but there is no evidence that it formed part of a Bronze Age cist (E McWhite 1946). The stone bears an unusual group of markings, all pecked, including single and double rings and an area of punch-marks.

Description of original cairn from which the cup and ring marked slab formed the capstone;
RCAHMS 1978
A small cairn which formerly stood a short distance N of the steading of Wester Yardhouses was destroyed about 1870. It is said (D R Rankin 1875) to have measured about 6.4m in circumference, and would thus appear to have been close to the average size of cairns in the concentrations noted in the vicinity.
The cairn contained a short cist, aligned N-S, which was constructed of four slabs and had a capstone decorated on its underside. No traces of any skeletal remains were observed, the only recorded find being a beaker, of ? N 2 (L) type (D L Clarke 1970), which was broken soon
after removal. The capstone measures about 1.2m by 1.0m, and bears a remarkable series of curvilinear and triangular designs. These motifs belong to what has become known as the ‘Passage-grave’ style, which was in use in Ireland by the middle of the third millenium BC. The carvings were not executed by those who erected the cairn, for portions of some of the designs were destroyed when the stone was trimmed for re-use in the cist. The capstone and a fragment of the beaker are preserved in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS Accession nos EQ 165, 166).
Some time before the destruction of the above cairn, a number of cairns were removed, apparently from the same general area, without any artifacts being found although it was noted that the earth beneath the cairns was red in colour. This discoloration was said not to occur anywhere else in the vicinity and was probably the result of burning, evidence for which has frequently been found during the excavation of broadly similar small cairns elsewhere.

OS 1971;
No traces of any cairns were seen in the area N of Wester Yardhouses.

The Ordnance Survey Name Book records that human bones “of unusual size” were found in it about 1830, but nothing more is known about this discovery.

RCAHMS 1967:
A quarter of a mile NE of Menzion farmhouse, the road to Tweedsmuir passes between two standing stones. The more northerly stone, situated 10 yds W of the roadway measures about 2 ft. 3 in square at ground level and stands to a height of 2 ft 6 in. The other stone is 25 yds SE of the first and 12 yds E of the roadway. It, too, is almost square on plan, measuring about 2 ft 2 in along each side at ground level, and stands to a height of 2 ft.

And the OS report from 1972;
There are no standing stones in the area which is now under forestry but at NT 0938 2388 are two weathered recumbent stones measuring 1.9m x 1.0m x 0.4m and 1.4m x 0.9m x 0.3m which may have formerly been erect.

RCAHMS description from 1978;
Some slight remains of a broch are situated 650m S of Calla farmhouse on a low rocky knoll (274m OD) at the SE end of Calla Bank. In 1972, only the tops of a few stones could be seen protruding through the long grass that covers the site. The plan, however, shows the features that were visible in 1952, when the site was discovered and planned by the RCAHMS. At that time the site, which has long been known locally as the ‘old quarry’, was already in a dilapidated condition, both the broch wall and its enclosing wall being reduced to low grass-grown stony banks. Nevertheless, by clearing back the turf and rubble from a number of facing-stones, it was possible to establish that the broch measured about 11.6m in diameter within a wall varying from 4.9m to 5.8m in thickness. Excavation would be required to establish the position of the entrance and of any intra- mural structures.
The broch stands within an oval enclosure formed by a wall, of which two long stretches of the outer face survive on the NW and SE respectively, but there are no visible indications of the thickness of the wall or of the location of the entrance. The outer facing-stones are set at a distance from the broch wall of as little as 4.0m on the SSE and as much as 12.2m on the N.
Three relics found at the time of the original survey are now in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS). They are: (i) a roughly circular piece of sandstone, 56mm by 50mm and 14mm thick; (ii) a piece of cannel coal, 106mm by 80mm and 10mm thick, with an incomplete hour-glass perforation near the centre; and (iii) a rough disc of cannel-coal, 25mm by 23mm and 6mm thick, with an hour-glass perforation near the centre.

Description from RCAHMS 1978;
This souterrain lies on the crest of a low ridge 168m NNW of Wester Yardhouses farmhouse and under the foundations of a modern field wall. The passage has recently been deliberately blocked 4.6m from the entrance and the outer section reconstructed.
Excavations in 1923 (A Fairbairn 1924) revealed that from the entrance, which faced E, the passage ran westwards for 2.0m, then NNW for a distance of 2.7m, and finally W again for a further 7.2m. The width of the passage varied from 0.9m to 1.7m. The walls were corbelled and rose to a height of 1.5m at the point where they were spanned by the only surviving lintel-stone. In the two outer sections of the passage the basal course was formed by particularly massive stones, the largest measuring 1.9m in length and 0.4m in depth, but in the innermost section the lowest course consisted of large flagstones set on edge. The entrance was flanked by two portal stones, and another pair stood at the junction of the central and innermost sections of the passage. At the W end, where the souterrain was at its widest, traces of burning were found on the clay floor. The finds, which are in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS), comprised chert and flint flakes, several scraps of hand-made pottery of indeterminate date, a block of ‘red pigment’ and fragments of medieval pottery.
Flint arrowheads have been picked up locally, and one perfect barbed and tanged specimen was found close to the entrance some years ago.

The dimensions of the three large sandstone slabs are;
(1) 1.12mX75cmX40cm
(2) 72cmX52cmX20cm
(3) 85cmX80cmX15cm

Plus five substantial boulders

From the RCAHMS CANMORE detailing the Latin carving;
The top portion of its E face, above two weathered vertical grooves, has been chiselled off to a depth of 3 1/2”, and here, on a panel with a horizontal beading above and below is a fragmentary inscription in well-cut Roman capitals, which may not be ancient, and of which only a few letters are now legible. They are in three lines, ......RK....; TI....DUM...; and ..X...BOUNTI

The old metal sign next to the stone reads;
‘The White Stone. So called because it is a quartz rock believed to have been carried to this location during the ice age. The White Stone is frequently referred to in the records of the burgh of Peebles. It became the spot where visitors were welcomed by the Magistrates on their entry to the town and where parting guests drank from the stirrup cup.’

From the RCAHMS CANMORE database;
This fort lies within a small clearing in the Glentress Forest and a forestry road passes immediately to the W of it.
The defences have consisted of two stone walls which enclose an area measuring 155’ by 135’. They have been heavily damaged by stone-robbing and tree-felling, and much of what remains is now obscured by a thick covering of rough grass. Little survives of the outer wall round the W half of the fort, but on the E its debris appears as a stony bank accompanied by an outer ditch. Where best preserved, the bank stands 3’ above the bottom of the ditch and 3’6” above the interior. Five outer facing-stones are still visible, the largest of them measuring 4’ in length and one foot in height above ground. The inner wall, however, can still be traced for almost its entire circuit as a stony bank standing up to 2’ in height. A number of its outer facing-stones remain, including an unbroken stretch of the wall face, 31’ in length, on the ENE. These stones, like those in the outer wall, are large blocks, standing up to 1’6” in height. No inner facing-stones can be seen in either wall, but the dimensions of the core suggest that the walls had an original thickness of 8’-10’. The entrance is on the S and appears to have led obliquely through the defences. A modern track has enlarged the original passage and there is now a wide gap in the inner wall at this point. From the W end of this gap a stony bank runs obliquely across between the two walls, and within the gap itself there are two shallow semicircular depressions; in the absence of excavation it is impossible to determine the true nature of these features, but it seems likely that they are simply a by-product of the subsequent mutilation of the site. Within the interior on the SE a low scarp extends inside the inner wall for a distance of 80’ uniting with it at either end. In this scarp there are a number of large boulders which do not appear to be in situ, and which are probably disloged facing-stones originally belonging to the inner wall. The remainder of the interior which rises 18’ from W to E is featureless.

Description for the RCAHMS CANMORE database;
The fragmentary remains of a fort occupy the summit of Cardie Hill which is thickly covered with trees forming part of the Glentress Forest. Stone-robbing and cultivation, followed by tree-planting and felling, have caused severe damage, and at the time of visit the site was masked by a thick covering of tussocky grass and brushwood. The fort appears to have had at least two, and possibly three, lines of defence, which enclose a circular area measuring about 105’ in diameter. The considerable quantity of stones, both large and small, that marks their course, indicates that they were probably walls. The debris stands to a maximum height 3’ and is spread to a thickness of up to 20’. It is impossible to tell which, if any, of the numerous gaps through the defences are original. The interior contains no recognisable structures.

Good site description from the RCAHMS CANMORE database;
This fort is situated in a plantation on the S end of the ridge of high ground that forms the steep E side of the valley of the Soonhope Burn. The main defences consist of double ramparts and ditches which enclosure an area measuring 250’ x 195’. On the N and E, where they are best preserved, the inner rampart stands to a maximum height of 3’ above the interior and 10’ above the bottom of the inner ditch, while the outer rampart measures up to 4’ in height internally and 1’6” externally. The outer ditch, which can only be seen intermittently, is accompanied for a length of 85’ on the NNW by a slight external upcast-bank. On the SE, S and SW, however, the ramparts have disappeared in some places, and elsewhere they are either greatly diminished or reduced to mere scarps, the ditches being completely filled up. Two boulders, visible on the outside of the inner rampart on the WNW, suggest that this rampart at least may have been kerbed or revetted with stone. The entrance is probably represented by the gap on the W. The interior, which slopes down from the NNE to SSW, is featureless. On the ENE extra protection has been afforded by the addition of an outer work set some 35’ beyond the main defences, and consisting of a bank, now not more than 1’6” high and 7’ thick, accompanied by a slight external quarry-ditch. It runs across the ridge for a distance of 170’, and its slight construction may imply that it was never completed

From the RCAHMS CANMORE database (1967 entry);
This settlement is situated among trees and occupies the summit of a low knoll which stands out from the general slope of the hill-side. It has been defended by triple ramparts which enclose a roughly oval area measuring 220’ x 170’. For a length of 240’ round the N and E sides the inner rampart still stands to a height of about one foot internally and up to 4’6” externally. Elsewhere, however, all three ramparts are now reduced, where still visible, to mere scarps varying in height from 6’ on the NE to 2’ on the SSW. Any ditches which may have existed are now completely filled up. The entrance is in the WNW and appears to have led obliquely through the defences. The interior, the level of which falls 32’ from NE to SW, is broken up into a number of natural irregular-shaped terraces on which some slight crescentic scoops, too indefinite to plan, may mark the sites of timber houses.

From the RCAHMS CANMORE database (1967 entry);
This fort is situated among trees and occupies the summit of a low knoll which stands out from the general slope of the hill-side. It has been defended by triple ramparts which enclose a roughly oval area measuring 220’ x 170’. For a length of 240’ round the N and E sides the inner rampart still stands to a height of about one foot internally and up to 4’6” externally. Elsewhere, however, all three ramparts are now reduced, where still visible, to mere scarps varying in height from 6’ on the NE to 2’ on the SSW. Any ditches which may have existed are now completely filled up. The entrance is in the WNW and appears to have led obliquely through the defences. The interior, the level of which falls 32’ from NE to SW, is broken up into a number of natural irregular-shaped terraces on which some slight crescentic scoops, too indefinite to plan, may mark the sites of timber houses.

From the RCAHMS CANMORE site;
‘A sandstone slab, possibly indicative of the remains of a stone burial cist, or a destroyed stone circle’ was noted by GUARD in 1994 when field-walking the route to be taken by the Pathhead to Gladsmuir gas transmission pipeline. ‘The slab was lying loose within the topsoil and thus did not appear to be in its original position.

Details of the settlement from RCAHMS CANMORE;
On the S slopes of North Berwick Law are many rock-faced terraces, some of which appear walled, others scooped to form huts or enclosures. On the SW shoulder are two adjoining, stone-walled rectangular enclosures measuring 33ft by 25ft and 22ft by 15ft. Further up the hill are three roughly circular stone-walled enclosures varying from 18ft in diameter to 33ft. On the same level, to the W, is a roughly quadrilateral area 18ft to 20ft across, enclosed by a setting of seven stones, with an entrance in the E wall.
Along the S base of the Law are many stone foundations and kitchen middens. A saucer-shaped midden was found in a quarry; finds, donated to the NMAS in 1923 by Dr Richardson, included assorted bone and stone implements.
Spread over the lower southern slopes of North Berwick Law are five groups of hut circles and enclosures, totalling twenty-one individual structures. A few are oval, but most are circular, varying from 8.0m to 13.0m in diameter; all are scooped. There are indications of cultivation in the form of wasted banks forming strip fields towards the E end of the settlement.

Details of the fort from RCAHMS CANMORE (taken from Feacham 1963);
This fort occupies the summit of North Berwick Law (613ft OD). The remains are mostly scanty, much of the material of the dry-built stone walls having toppled down the steep slopes of the hill. An area measuring about 500ft by about 300ft was enclosed by a wall running on a level of some 50ft below the summit. The terrace immediately below this on the SW was likewise enclosed.
The gentler slope which intervenes between the second wall and the foot of the hill is enclosed by a third wall, several other stretches of which can be seen round the other side of the hill . In this lowest enclosure it is still possible to see the striking remains of numerous circular platforms upon which houses once stood, and several examples of the lowest courses of the stone walls of these.

Details of the cup and ring marked stone from RCAHMS CANMORE;
In 1965 a cist containing a Food Vessel (RMS, EE 156) was found (at NT 2994 6740) during the excavation of the Parkburn long cist cemetery (NT26NE 28). Aligned N and S, the cist was built of four large sandstone slabs and measured 0.8m by 0.45m and about 0.45m in depth.
The E side-slab was in re-use, for it bore part of a heavily weathered multiple ring-mark (RMS, IA 49). The Food Vessel is bipartite, with four lugs and all-over decoration.

From RCAHMS CANMORE;
This long cist cemetery is situated on England’s Hill, some 600m ENE of Parkburn. A large part of the cemetery has been destroyed by a sand and gravel quarry (now disused), but it probably extends into the strip of woodland immediately NW of the quarry, where cists were discovered in 1885. Excavation in advance of sand extraction in 1954 and 1956 revealed 111 cists, all of them aligned roughly ENE to WSW. Two principal groups of cists were identified, separated by a wall running from NE to SW along the crest of the hill; the S group comprised forty widely-spaced cists, most of them well-built with substantial slabs; the N group, which comprised fifty cists, the majority built of slighter stones, was more compact and there was evidence of disturbance and successive construction. The only finds from the cists were part of a jet armlet (RMS, FN 189), a small fragment of iron, possibly a knife blade (RMS, IA 49) and fragments of six rotary querns, three of them in re-use as cist slabs (RMS, BB 115-20). Since the excavations a further six long cists and a Bronze Age cist (see No. 26) have been discovered. One of the cists, which was found in 1962, was built of dressed stones of Roman date, including three arch voussoirs, probably removed from the bath-house of the Flavian fort at Elginhaugh (No. 102); the cist was aligned roughly NE-SW and there was a small sherd of Neolithic pottery (RMS, EO 983) in its fill.

The Old Statistical Account from 1791-1799 notes that there were other stones, approximately 1 foot high running east from these at regular distances on a curved line. On 18th July 1921 some ‘careful digging by three men’ brought nothing to light.

This monolith is not in its original position. On a map of 1775 a stone is marked approximately 100 yards further to the NW.

In 1857 a group of eight stone lined graves were found 10 to 12 yards south of this stone- brilliantly described in 1884 as a ‘scene of slaughter and sepulchre.’ The graves were lined E-W. Although this is characteristic of Christian burials, the contents included traces of bone, a food vessel and an Early Bronze Age ring (although these early finds may have bee placed in later graves). There is now no trace of the graves. When the cottage foundations were being dug a small cairn was found which contained fragments of bone, near to which were also a flint arrow-head and a stone hammer. In 1868 a further stone lined and E-W orientated grave was found this time 25 yards to the south of the main group of eight. This contained an adult male skeleton. In 1885 a bronze socketed axe was found in the garden of the cottage.

The stones around the base of this monolith are supposedly the remains of a cairn, of which twenty or so were found in the vicinity. The cairn contained ‘part of an old iron spear’. None of these cairns remain.

This stone was ‘turned up by the plough’ at the beginning of the 19th Century and underneath were found the remains of human bones. The NSA of 1845 states that the moor on which it was found was also home to around twenty ‘large cairns’, but all trace of these has gone. The stone is said to mark the graves of two British Christian Chieftains. The inscription, now badly damaged supposedly said;
Here, an everlasting memorial.
In this place
here lie the most famous princes,
Nudus and Dumnogenus, in the tomb – two sons of Liberalis.

In 1965 two inscribed stones were placed at the well by the resident of Camp Shiel. One bears a thistle motif, whilst the other is inscribed ‘Cheese Well 1965’.

From the Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, 1868;
The spa does not appear to have been remarked for its medicinal properties till about the commencement of the present century. Till then it was noted chiefly or altogether as the resort of pigeons from the circumjacent country, and bore the name of the Doo-well. Had any saint in the Romish calendar been acquainted with it, the priests of the age preceding the Reformation would have pictured him to their gullible flocks as performing a far different exploit in connexion with its waters, than that which Meg Dods ascribes to the patron saint of ‘the Aulton’ in reference to St. Ronan’s Well, and would hardly have failed to send down to posterity the fame of miracles achieved by the naturally salutiferous properties of its waters. Even after it came into late notice, the well was a trivial, repulsive-looking fountain, bubbling up amidst a little marsh; and had no better appliance than a rude bench placed at its side for the accommodation of the infirm invalids who crept or were carried to it in quest of health. A simple pump afterwards rose gauntly from its mouth, amidst the wet miry puddle around it. But about 35 years ago, or not much earlier, the spa, with remarkable suddenness, and in a way nearly unaccountable, became celebritous among valetudinarians of all classes in Edinburgh and throughout the south of Scotland. The well, in the decorations built over and around it, in the character assigned it by popular opinion, and in the influence it exerted on the village in its vicinity, now rose, as if by magic, from the status of a watery hole in a quagmire, to that of an infant competitor with the proud spas of England. In 1824, the publication of Sir Walter Scott’s tale of St. Ronan’s Well, greatly enhanced its celebrity, and poured down upon it some rays of that lustre which popular opinion then assigned to ‘the Great Unknown;’ for nearly all the readers of light literature, in spite of the utter difficulty which a topographist would have felt to discover resemblances, unhesitatingly identified the Marchthorn and the St. Ronan’s of the tale with Peebles and Innerleithen. The well springs up at the base of the Lee-pen, about 200 feet above the village. In its original state, it issued in small quantities, and at only one spring; but, when the ground was dug to its source, in order to clear away admixtures near the surface, it became emitted in two streams of different strength. On analysis, a quart of the less impregnated stream was found to contain 5.3 grains of carbonate of magnesia, 9.5 grains of muriate of lime, 21.2 grains of muriate of soda,--in all, 36 grains; and a quart of the other stream, 10.2 grains of carbonate of magnesia, 19.4 of muriate of lime, and 31 of muriate of soda,--in all. 60.6 grains. The waters, jointly with the salubrious influence of the fine climate, are efficacious chiefly in cases of ophthalmic complaints, old wounds, and dyspeptic and bilious disorders.

From the NSA 1845;
‘This mineral spring was formerly called the ‘Dow-well’, its water is now recognised as curative and it is resorted to by many visitors. Had it been known in ancient times as a medicinal water, without doubt the clergy would have taken advantage of that fact and dedicated it to some saint.‘

As indeed they did- and it now bears the name of St. Ronan.

From the RCAHMS 1967;
Excavations carried out in the 19th c somewhere in the part of the settlement that lies to the W of the boundary dykes revealed “several bronze bracelets”, one of which was of penannular form with expanded terminals (W A Chambers 1864). It is not known where these objects now are.

This healing well was a place of pilgrimage for many Scottish monarchs. James IV visited and left an offering in 1504. In 1617 James VI had it protected by a well-house with steps made for easier access. Cromwell’s troops demolished the well in 1650. Over 200 year later, in 1889, the well-house was once again carefully rebuilt.

The well belonged to the manor house of Grange and was said to be Holy being associated with the nearby convent of Sciennes. It was restored by Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, but around 1870 the water from it stopped flowing. It fell into disrepair until 1887 when the original trough was uncovered at a depth of 5 foot below the site. Around 1892 the well was once again restored this time being supplied by the town water supply. Sometime between then and now it has been bricked up.

A sanative fountain that sprang up on the command of St. Vining and apparently remained in repute until the beginning of the 16th Century.

This well was originally sited at NT28057424- which is now next to the East Coast Mainline! The original site was just a bit to the east in Restalrig and the ancient vault was partly built over by a railway workshop (the shed being called ‘St. Margaret’s Works). The well house was moved in 1860 to its present position in Holyrood Park and the water which now flows from here was originally called St. David’s Well.

Bronze Age Hoard;
‘The Duddingston Hoard’ was found in 1778 by workmen dredging the bottom of the loch. The objects were dredge up along with bones that were said to be human. Unfortunately the hoard was split into four between the owner of the Loch, King George III (who managed to lose his part of the collection), Sir Walter Scott and the Museum of the Society of the Antiquities of Scotland (now part of the National Museum of Scotland). The Hoard includes swords, spearheads, a rapier and a bucket handle. All of the spearheads and swords were broken or bent and some have been burnt or melted. This may indicate either a Bronze Age blacksmith working in the area, however, these items may have been ritually deposited in the Loch.

Crannog;
A pile of wooden stakes was reported on the south side of Duddingston Loch possibly indicating the remains of a crannog. These were visible up to the early 19th Century, but have now disappeared.

Two noteable publications for the Antiquarian;
The RCAHMS do a rather nice ‘Broadsheet’ (Number 6, 1999)- basically pics and info on one side and a v good 1:550 map on the other for £1:50- see their website for details.
Other recommended book- ‘Arthur’s Seat and Holyrood Park- A Visitor’s Guide’ by C.R. Wickham-Jones (1996)

No mention in RCAHMS CANMORE, but mentioned in both the Arthur’s Seat HMSO book and the RCAMHS Broadsheet.

These terraces on the east side of Arthur’s Seat extend for almost 230 metres, varying from about 5 to 10 metres wide and up to almost 4 metres high. No dating evidence has so far been reported, although it’s reckoned that they have been used from the Bronze Age.

Not so much ‘how many times or when have I visited’ this place as opposed to how many years have I lived in its shadow. This is the Mother Hill of Edinburgh- visible from almost every part of the city and beyond. I was born at the edge of Holyrood Park and one of my earliest memories is looking up to Arthur’s Seat from the window of my nursery!
Arthur’s Seat and Holyrood Park are littered with sites from the Neolithic to the present day- forts, cultivation terraces, crannogs and at least six sacred wells. To the south and southeast of Arthur’s Seat are three remaining standing stones intervisible with the Hill. The distinctive shape of the Hill can be seen from sites to the east such at Traprain Law, Gullane Parallel Cairn Cemetery and to the west from such major sites as Cairnpapple Hill. The summit of Arthur’s Seat is still used in a ceremonial manner to this day- every May Day morning folk climb up here to wash their faces in the dew- a strange collection of both Christians who hold a service here to watch the May Day sunrise and those who have been up all night at the Beltane Festival on the nearby Calton Hill! The Park is also a popular place to roll hard boiled eggs at the fertility festival of Easter.
Apparently the name of this hill doesn’t have much to do with King Arthur, but is more likely derived from the Gaelic ‘Arn-na-Said’ meaning Height of the Arrows.

Update! Another four single cups/groups of cups have been found near this main group- check out the Ancient Lothian website for details/pics. Hope to re-visit soon and post pics/co-ords here. My guess is there are many more just waiting to be found...

These caves were excavated in 1908 and were found to contain an iron knife, a socketed spearhead, bone button, parts of glass armlets, a whetstone, a deer horn pick, a bronze pin etc. In other words- remains of several occupations. All the finds relate to the early Iron Age. The wall built across the larger cave is reckoned to date between the 4th and 12th centuries.

An Iron Age date has been suggested for these cairns. Apparently to the west of the cemetery are the remains of other small cairns that were excavated in 1902. These contained cists that had been previously disturbed and only found to contain pottery fragments. One undisturbed cairn contained and oval grave with three human skeletons. At the northern end of the same cairn was found four human skulls and other skeletal remains. Other finds picked up from around the site included pieces of decorated and cinerary urns, flints, arrowheads, knives and scrapers all of which are in the National Museum of Scotland.

This circle is part of the South East Perthshire Stone Circle Trail (along with Colen Wood and Wolfhill). I got a leaflet about the Trail from Perth Museum (01738 632488). I couldn’t see the way in to the woods so asked the very happy farmer at the cottage next to the woods. Just before the end of the trees at the west there’s a stile over the fence from the B953 roadside. Walk north and you’ll see the green ‘Stone Circle’ sign.

Two sites in the Lothians which were *destroyed relatively recently*;

Muirhouses Standing Stone
Was at NT539787 (Sheet 66)
Described as a massive boulder- 4.5 ft high by a whopping 11’4” in girth. It stood on the summit of a low broad ridge. It was destoyed sometime between 1913 and 1975. It was said to have marked the northern limit of a battle which was fought here in the 9th Century.

Muirhouses South Standing Stone
Was at NT540780 (Sheet 66)
Described as being approx 4.5 ft high by 9’ in girth. The stone slanted to the north at an angle of 33 degrees. The base was packed with small boulders. It stood on the crest of a low ridge and was said to have maked the southern limit of the aforementioned battle.
This stone was destroyed in *January 1989*!

These stones stood approx 700 metres from each other and were intervisible.

A three sided stone approx 10 ft high by 3 ft breadth.

Approximately 3.4 m high and almost square in section (like many of the monoliths in this part of the country).

This stones about 9 ft high and about 6 ft in girth at base where it is roughly rectangular in plan. It’s been made from red sandstone. There are three cup marks on its west face. Deep grooves on the base of the stone were caused by a steam-plough!

AKA Clach na Voile or the Stone of Fury. Rectangular block of granite approx 1 m N/S, 0.7 m E/W and 1.1 m high.

A large fuel tank was reported lying on top of this rock by the OS in 1969. By 1974 however, someone had the foresight to shift it! Approx 20 cup marks, 14 of which occur in two non-parallel rows of seven cups each.

A large rock outcrop with 18 cup marks and three cup and ring marks.