MHG5351 - Cup marked stone -Balvraid (2)

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 3 8496 1635.

(NG 8496 1635) Cup Marked Stone (NR)
OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1902)

A prostrate stone, over 6' long, is covered with cup-markings. Still in 'mint' condition.
J R Allen 1882; J Y Simpson 1868; Information in letter from J Gaylard to OS 5 January 1956.

Generally as described; cup marks are faint.
Surveyed at 1:2500 scale.
Visited by OS (R L) 3 October 1966.

There is a similar flat stone bearing two cup marks c. 20.0m E of the other, on the S side of the track.
Visited by OS (A A) 27 June 1974.

This panel was recorded as part of the ScRAP (Scotland’s Rock Art project) by members of NoSAS in May 2019.

This boulder lies in rough grazing in flat terrain on the south edge of the farm track leading to Dun Crugaig, about 40m east of the field gate and 100m east of Balvraid Croft. The land south of the panel falls away steeply to the burn, which is situated roughly 40m to the south. There is a wide earth and stone bank running north-south along the field edge to the west, with some large stones on top of it that may have been cleared from the field. This panel is the second cupmarked stone mentioned in the Canmore record (Canmore 11794). The first panel, reported as being covered in cupmarks, could not be located despite an extensive search in the area, and may have been removed or covered since the last record in 1966.

This rectangular stone measures about 2.2x0.9m and is 0.4m thick. Its flat upper surface has a series of parallel longitudinal ridges running noth-south along its long axis. There is some evidence of quarrying or damage along its north edge. There is 1 possible cupmark on the upper surface, although this is asymmetric and may well be a natural feature, and at least 2 shallow natural depressions. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 2015 vertical aerial photographs. <2>

Sources/Archives (4)

Map

Location

Grid reference Centred NG 8498 1633 (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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