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MHG63272 - Cup marked stone - Strath Sgitheach Cnoc A Mhuilinn (8)

Summary

A cup marked stone at Strath Sgitheach Cnoc A Mhuilinn.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

NH56SW 11 514 626.
Centred at NH 514 626 on a generally SE-facing slope is a settlement of 7 oval stone-walled huts (A - G).
Hut 'A', on a knoll, survives as a platform, c. 11.5m NW-SE by c. 10m bounded by traces of a wall. Several outer facing stones are visible in W arc. The position of the entrance is not evident.
'B' is c. 13m NNW-SSE by c11m between the centres of a wall of indeterminate thickness, with one or two outer and inner facing stones visible in SW arc. The entrance cannot be seen. A field wall joins hut in the SE arc.
'C' is c11.5m NNW-SSE by c9.5m between centres of a wall of indefinite thickness, with outer face visible intermittently around S arc. The mutilated entrance is in SSE.
'D' measures c13m NNW-SSE by c11m between the centres of a wall of uncertain thickness, which has been extensively robbed revealing the inner face of contiguous stones around E arc. Occasional outer facing stones occur around W arc. The entrance in SSE is mutilated.
'E' is c13m NW-SE by c11m between centres of a wall of indeterminate thickness. The ill-defined entrance is in SE.
'F' is c9.5m NW-SE by c7.5m between centres of a wall of indeterminate thickness. The ill-defined entrance is in SE.
'G' measures c13m NW-SE by c10m between centres of a denuded wall. The entrance is in SE.
About 100m S of hut 'B' are traces of a platform c.12m diameter (marked 'X' on 6"sheet). Around W arc is a discontinuous line of stones, possibly outer wall face of a hut. There are several stone clearance heaps and field walls apparent, particularly in vicinity of huts B, C and D, but no measurable cultivation plots can be seen because of a heavy growth of peat.
Visited by OS (N K B) 18 December 1970.

Within the settlement and centred at NH 5150 6255 are six cup marked rocks (marked 1 - 6 on 6"plan)
1: Has 1 good cup mark and 2 possible cup marks.
2: Has 2 good cup marks and 2 possible cup marks.
3: At least 6 cup marks, but there is the slight possibility that they could be due to weathering.
4: Has 14 good cup marks.
5: Has 8 good cup marks.
6: Has 4 good, and 1 probable, cup marks.
Surveyed at 1:10560. Visited by OS (I S S) 13 September 1973.

No change to previous field report. Surveyed at 1:10 000.
Visited by OS (J B) 16 November 1976.

This group of at least 7 hut circles and numerous small cairns was largely obscured by heather at date of visit; there is also a group of six cup-marked boulders within this area.
RCAHMS 1979, visited September 1978.

Hut circles A-G are generally as described. Their individual positions (surveyed at 1:2500) are as follows:
hut 'A': NH 5171 6256; 'B':NH 5140 6263; 'C':NH 5137 6269;
'D':NH 5132 6268; 'E':NH 5146 6281; 'F':NH 5151 6282; 'G':NH 5139 6290. Two additional hut circles were noted.
'H', at NH 5160 6230, occupies level terrace at foot of slope above flood plain. It is c9m idiameter between centres of walls of indeterminate thickness. Much of circuit of outer facing-stones survives. The entrance may have been in SE.
Hut 'J', at NH 5156 6291, is represented only by a curving arc of a stony bank, which may represent the collapsed wall of a hut circle c.9m diameter. This hut circle is surrounded by clearance heaps and short linear banks 3-5m long.
These fill the area between the two burns on either side of hut circles, but do not form any obvious field-system.
The possible hut platform noted by OS S of hut B was not convincing. Cup-marked stones '1'-'4' were not located; stones '5' and '6' were as described, but their grid references should be amended to:
'5':NH 5158 6259; '6':NH 5165 6254.
An additional five cup-marked stones were located.
'7', at NH 5167 6246, has 8 good cup-marks and 2 possible ones.
'8', at NH 5138 6266, has 3 good cup-marks and 2 possible ones.
'9', at NH 5131 6248, is a large boulder with a flat upper surface, 1.6m by 1m, which had 30 good cup-marks and 5 possible ones.
'10', at NH 5145 5256, has 10 cup-marks, 4 of which are exceptionally large, ie 0.12m in diameter and 0.07m deep.
'11', at NH 5134 6266, has 8 good cup-marks and 2 possible.
The various field boundaries (shown on plan) all consist of collapsed turf-covered stone walls which spread between 1m and 2m, and follow wandering lines dictated by topography.
Visited June 1989. Info from S T Driscoll & S M Foster (Mss, 1-3, Nos. 1.1-1.4.) 1989.

This panel was recorded as part of the ScRAP (Scotland’s Rock Art project) by members of NoSAS in June 2018. This panel (8) is located on open moorland on a gently sloping south facing slope with very extensive views over Strath Sgitheach and far beyond. It is about 15m east of a modern north-south fence, and about 20m west of an isolated tree. The panel is one of set of 11 recorded above Cnoc a Mhuilinn, some of which (including this one) are within a scheduled area. A search for another panel (11) shown at NH 51340 52658, ie about 40m to the west, was unsuccessful. There are at least two hut circles within 200m, no search was undertaken and they were not located.

The panel is approximately 1.5m long and 0.7m wide. The long axis is southeast, and the stone tapers to the southeast end. It is hump-backed, rounded and easily visible in the low heather. The carved surface slopes to the southwest. The rock surface is rough, and there are no distinct natural features. There are 4 good cup marks and 3 possibles on the northwest part of the panel. The extreme dry spell meant that the moss and lichen on the panel was dead and lying on the surface as a desicated and dusty covering. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 2021 vertical aerial photographs. <2>

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 5137 6267 (5m by 4m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH56SW
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	FODDERTY

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