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MHG62515 - Cup-marked stone - Allt Nead, Loch Lungard, Upper Glen Cannich

Summary

Cup-marked stone near Allt Nead, Loch Lungard, Upper Glen Cannich

Type and Period (1)

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Full Description

Several circular stone-built structures were identified on land exposed by low water at the top west end of Glen Cannich by Glenn Wilks, a walker, on the 29th June 2021. Following notification to Historic Environment Scotland, four members of the North of Scotland Archaeological Society and Mr Wilks visited this area on 27th July 2021. Their aim was to survey these structures and to obtain material for carbon dating before the waters of the loch rose again.

The structures associated with Allt Nead;

Cup-marked stone. To the west of the Allt Nead, about 150m north of where it had previously flowed into Loch Lungard, this previously unrecorded cup-marked stone was discovered. The waters of Loch Mullardoch would normally cover this stone, which lies at the base of the steep slope of south facing rough pasture that comes down from An Nead, the SW extension of the Munro An Riabhachan. It lies 10m west of the Allt Nead burn, and 100m NW of where the Allt Nead used to flow into the waters of Loch Lungard. There is a probable hut circle 10m to the west, and further hut circles to the SW and SE.

This wedge-shaped stone, 3.0 x 1.5m, has a long axis aligned NW-SE. The rock surface is broken into 3, possibly 4, components by fissures. At the northern end, two lobed flat surfaces are at a lower level than the main rock surface at the southern end, which is in turn is divided into two components by a deep step in the rock running NW-SW. The greatest density of cups is on the SW aspect of this deep step. The rock is generally flat, with a slight 5-degree slope to the south. At its highest point, on the eastern edge, it is 0.4m above the ground surface. There are 29 recognisable cups in all - four cups are on the western of the two N lobes and 18 cups on the main carved surface, some of which are 1cm deep. The remaining seven cups lie on the panels outwith the main carved surface. This stone was recorded into Scotland’s Rock Art Project website. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 2013 aerial photographs. <2>

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 1048 3019 (4m by 4m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH13SW
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	KINTAIL

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Related Investigations/Events (1)

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