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MHG58957 - Cup and ring marked stone - Heights of Fodderty Stone, Relocated to Heights of Brae, Neil Gunn Viewpoint

Summary

A cup and ring marked boulder originally lying close to a stone dyke at the Heights of Fodderty. Subsequently moved to the Heights of Brae Neil Gunn Viewpoint after it was disturbed by development work.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

A cup and ring marked boulder was noted in 2006. The neighbouring land was the subject of a planning application (06/00363/FULRC) and an exclusion buffer was recommended to avoid any damage to the stone. <1>

John Wombell contacted the HER in September 2011 to raise concerns about the condition of this stone, which appears to have been disturbed during construction work. <2>

The stone was drawn to the attention of the Archaeology Scotland Adopt-a-Monument (AaM) team by concerned local residents, as it was located within a proposed house plot. This had received full planning permission, a while a condition had been attached to this to protect the stone in situ, it had been noticed that the stone had been disturbed, raising concerns about its furture. Local residents, with assistance from the AaM team, recorded the original site of the stone, and gained permission for the stone to be moved and relocated the stone to the Neil Gunn Memorial site. The stone measured 0.8 x 0.7 x 0.3m and was weathered to the point that although the cup marks were fairly visible the rings were only faintly visible. Interpretation information was provided and the stone now forms part of a wider heritage trail, which has improved access to the monument. This work was undertaken 1 January 2012 – 25 March 2014, as part of the 2011–16 Adopt-a-Monument Scheme. <3>

This cup-and-ring marked boulder, heavily-decorated on both sides, was found in a field of rough pasture (NH 5106 6071) in 2006 (MHG55106). It has since been moved to a new location - The Heights of Brae Neil Gunn Viewpoint. The boulder was Scheduled at its new location by Historic Environment Scotland in March 2016. <4>

The stone was originally lying on top of a field dyke, probably moved there when the upland was area was resettled with crofts in the early 19th century. Just before moving the stone, it was discovered that there is also cup and ring mark decoration on the other side. As a result, after moving to the Neil Gunn Memorial Viewpoint, it was erected to display both faces. The stone has been recorded as part of Scotland’s Rock Art project. See link below to ARCH Find of the Month page for further information.
Information from Susan Kruse, 2018.

Sources/Archives (4)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 5198 6105 (5m by 5m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH56SW
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	FODDERTY

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (2)

Related Investigations/Events (0)

External Links (4)