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MHG12550 - Cup marked Stone - Allt Thorrisdail (Allt Thorrisdail 1)

Summary

A cup marked stone at Allt Thorrisdail.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

Thumbnail photo by Dr N G Lindsay.
A M Fox, Highland Council, 13.09.01

NC66SE 7 6657 6181.

(Area NC 664 612) Two cup-marked stones lie 3/4 mile SW of Torrisdale (NC 67 61) adjacent to the track across the moorland which joins the road from Borgie Bridge to Tongue. The more westerly is the larger and is a boulder about 8ft high and 14ft long. On its south side are two groups of about twelve cup-marks from 2ins to 3ins in diameter. The smaller stone lies about 10ft to the east and measures about 6ft long and 4ft high. On its NW face there are about twenty-six small cup-marks and definite traces of others. The south face is scored with deep lines crossing each other but no evident design.
RCAHMS 1911, visited 1909.

These rocks are at NC 6657 6181 on a spur in the foot of an east facing hillside. They lie 2m apart and are almost certainly the two separated pieces of a fractured boulder erratic. The larger, westerly block measures an irregular 3.0m broad by 4.5m long by 3.0m high, and bears on the upper surface at least twenty cup-marks; one measures 8cms diameteer by 4cms deep, but mainly the depressions are small and in some instances elongated. Several sets of initials have been cut into this face of the block. The smaller stone measures 1.5 broad by 2m long by 1.5m high and tapers narrowly to the top. It bears on its westerly sloping side up to twenty-five cup-marks except for one, 7cms diameter by 5cms deep, the hollows are small and unimpressive. On the opposing side of the stone is a single , small cup-mark.
Surveyed at 1:10 000. Visited by OS (J M) 15 August 1978.

This panel was recorded as part of the ScRAP (Scotlands Rock Art project) by members of NoSAS in October 2019. This is the smaller of a pair of panels readily visible on slightly raised ground at the west end of the broad eastwest strath of the Allt Torrisdail. It is close to the bend where the Allt Torrisdail changes course from north to east. The open strath is boggy moorland bounded at the north and south by rocky outcrops. (Note that the adjacent larger panel is Allt Torrisdail 2, not to be confused with ALLT TORRISDAIL (Canmore ID: 5778).)

The panel is a smoothly irregular boulder of schist, 2.1m x 2.0m x 1.6m high, pointed at the top. The main carved surface (A) slopes at 60° and is oriented northwest, and has about 26 cup marks, plus several grooves and smaller indentations. There are also 6 possible cup marks low on the northeast side of the panel (carved surface B). The surface of the boulder is weathered and rounded and it is likely that some, at least, of the cups are natural, or have been enhanced by weathering. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 2009 vertical aerial photographs. <2>

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 6657 6181 (10m by 10m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC66SE
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	TONGUE

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