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MHG63185 - Cup marked stone - Dalreoich (5)

Summary

A cup marked stone at Dalreoich.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

This panel was recorded as part of the ScRAP (Scotland’s Rock Art project) by members of NoSAS in September 2018. This prominent rock juts out from the steep SW-facing slope of the north side of Strath Rusdale. The strath, running northwest-southeast, has the Black Water river at its base, with flood meadows on either side. Then, on the north side of the flood meadows, there is a strip of higher cultivable land before the open moor starts leading up to higher ground. This panel is in the garden of Dalreoich, a lived-in house, that faces southeast down the strath in the strip of cultivable land. There is a vegetable garden to the east of the house, then a woodland of broad-leaved species, planted about 30 years ago. The panel occupies the borderland between garden and woodland. The homeowner says that before the trees grew up there were extensive views from the rock along the strath in both directions. Now the view down the strath to the southeast, that includes many other pieces of rock art, is obscured by the new woodland. Below the northwest aspect of this jutting-out rock, and densely covered with grass and other vegetation, are the footings of an old structure, possibly a building that used the rock as its back (southeast) wall. The footings are 3m NW-SE, 3.5m SW-NE, 0.6m wide and up to 0.2m high. There are currently 5 other existing panels of rock art (Dalreoich 1-4 and Dalreoich 6) within a 1km radius of this stone, and a seventh stone in the strath that was destroyed in living memory. Higher up the strath, at Braeantra, is a Neolithic chambered cairn and an undated stone circle. There are extensive pre-and post-improvement settlement remains in the strath.

This is an outcrop in three layers jutting out from the slope on the notheast side of Strath Rusdale. The diamond shape rock is 3.5m ENE-WSW x 1.9m WNW-ESE. The WSW end of the panel is prominent above the ground, standing 1.8m above the slope with the opposite end merging into the slope and covered in grass. There are two ledges or platforms in steps underneath the top panel surface, slightly further out from the leading ENE edge. The overall effect is of a large jutting almost-horizontal platform above the slope of the valley. The cups are in two main groups, with one outlier, 15 in all. The main top flat panel of the rock contains 10 cups at the southwest part of the main rock surface as it stands proud of the slope. The central one of the 3 cups at the southwest edge of the main panel is deeper than the other cups. These 10 cups are in two groups, with an outlier on the northwest part of the rock surface. There is a close group of a further 5 relatively shallow cups on a flat rock ledge below the southern edge of the teardrop. The uneven rock surface is hard, compact schist with garnet nodules in it, with two slight fissures running east-west across the surface.<1>

NGR adjusted based on 2020 vertical aerial photographs. <2>

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 5798 7670 (16m by 16m)
Map sheet	NH57NE
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	ROSSKEEN

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (2)