MHG5291 - Cup marked stone - Glenelg (Balvraid 1)

Summary

A cup marked stone at Balvraid.

Type and Period (1)

  • CUP MARKED STONE (Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC? to 551 BC?)

Protected Status

  • None recorded

Full Description

NG81NW 2 8407 1667.

(NG 84071667) Sculptured Stone (NR)
OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1902)

A flat stone slab 3'9" x 2'9" bearing 30 distinct cup-marks was found in 1881 on a heap of stones gathered from the field. Permission for its removal to the NMAS was refused.
J R Allen 1882.

As described.
Surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (R L) 3 October 1966.

This panel was recorded as part of the ScRAP (Scotlands Rock Art project) by members of NoSAS in May 2019. The panel is situated on the top of an extensive clearance cairn in the gently southwest sloping field of rough grazing. It lies about 20m southwest of the road along Gleann Beag, and the wire field fence, and 30m east of a house. The boulder has been quarried along its north and south edges, and has been moved from its original position, which was presumably in this field. There are several other small clearance cairns within 10m of the panel. This is a rough rectangular stone measuring 1.2x0.6m and 0.3 thick, although it has been quarried along at least 2 edges, and possibly part of its upper surface, and this is not its original shape. It lies at an angle, sloping to the southeast. There is a marked diagonal north-south running step on its upper surface which divides the panel into an east and west section.

The east section has at least 18 clear, deep cupmarks, 1 of which has a short groove and 2 of which are truncated by quarrying, as well as 4 possible cups and an elongated oval natural hollow. Several of the cups appear to be arranged in diagonal alignments across the panel. On the west section of the panel there are 5 clear cupmarks and 3 possible shallow cups. Part of the surface of this section may have been removed in the past. <1>

Note; photographs taken of site appear to show the stonelocated approximately 10 metres north of grid reference. (T.Blackie 29/1/24)

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference Centred NG 8408 1667 (10m by 10m) (2 map features)
Map sheet NG81NW
Geographical Area SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish GLENELG

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (2)

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