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MHG8056 - Cup marked stone - Struie Hill

Summary

A cup marked stone at Struie Hill.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

'Slab of mica-schist, c.2.0 by 1.0m, on hillside above A836, bears 21 clear and 3 indistinct cup-marks, including 2 linked pairs. Slab probably detached. Plan and photographs with investigators.'
R B Gourlay and D Scott 1981.

This cup-marked stone is situated within a former plantation depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Ross-shire 1881, sheet xl). Situated amongst deep heather, this stone was not located during a pre-afforestation survey at The Struie by J Wordsworth.
J Wordsworth (Wordsworth Archaeological Services) 6 August 1997; NMRS MS 961/27, no.2

An accurate location for the stone has been noted by Douglas Scott (2009) as being NH 6521 8497 (or 57˚ 50.41 N, 4˚ 16.299 W). Apparently the stone is visible on Google Earth coverage.<1> The original location of the stone is recorded as NH 653 849.

This panel was recorded as part of the ScRAP (Scotland’s Rock Art project) by members of NoSAS in June 2019. This panel is situated in moorland on a SSW-facing slope of Struie Hill above the B9176 to Bonar Bridge. The slab is in a slight dip, so is not visible from the road or the path. It faces two pylons to the hillside opposite. There is a curve in the road, with a layby to the west. Along from there, at NH 6512 8508, there is a path that you can use to start up the hill. Follow this for approximately 200m and at that point, veer southeast following the contours. The panel is pretty indistinctive but there are a few trees nearby. From the site, you can also see the hut-circle beneath.

This 2.25m long slab of schist has 22 distinct cup-marks on the northeast side of the stone and one possible. Of these, 6 form a line of cups of varying depth along the northwest edge of the slab, aligned on a SWW-NNE axis. At right angles to this alignment, at the SSW end, there are 3 deeper cups, of which there are 2 almost touching. There are 2 fissures running from the north end of the stone, to the area where the cups are arranged. <2>

NGR adjusted based on 2021 vertical aerial photographs. <3>

Sources/Archives (4)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 6521 8497 (6m by 5m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH68SE
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	EDDERTON

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (2)