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The Auld Wifes Lifts (Natural Rock Feature) — Images (click to view fullsize)

<b>The Auld Wifes Lifts</b>Posted by Blackdrop<b>The Auld Wifes Lifts</b>Posted by Blackdrop<b>The Auld Wifes Lifts</b>Posted by Blackdrop<b>The Auld Wifes Lifts</b>Posted by Blackdrop Blackdrop Posted by Blackdrop
24th July 2007ce

The Auld Wifes Lifts (Natural Rock Feature) — Fieldnotes

The Auld Wives Lifts sit in a natural amphitheatre on the Cragmaddie Muir above Milngavie near Glasgow.
They consist of three extremely large pieces of grey schist, one propped on top of the other two. There is a space between them through which it is possible to pass.
The rocks are covered in carved grafitti from as far back as the 18th century at least, as well as around eight or so carved 'heads' or 'faces'. These have a primeval look about them but are probably fairly recent. The surrounding rocks have several cup and ring marks as well as other markings (including an 'eye').
Blackdrop Posted by Blackdrop
24th July 2007ce

The Auld Wifes Lifts (Natural Rock Feature) — Images

<b>The Auld Wifes Lifts</b>Posted by Blackdrop<b>The Auld Wifes Lifts</b>Posted by Blackdrop<b>The Auld Wifes Lifts</b>Posted by Blackdrop Blackdrop Posted by Blackdrop
24th July 2007ce

The Auld Wifes Lifts (Natural Rock Feature) — Folklore

Apparently not just for fertility:
On Craigmaddie Muir stnads the Cromlech, or Sepulchral-Trilith, popularly called "The Auld Wives' Lift," and ivested with some curious traditions and customs. It consists of three huge stones, two of which support the third. The uppermost is an enormous block of basalt, measuring rather more than 18 feet in length, by 11 feet in breadth and 7 in depth. A small triangular space occurs between the stones, and through this, tradition recommends all visitors to pass, desirous not to be childless, and to be safe from the pranks of the Evil One.
In 'Glasgow Past and Present' by James Pagan (1856). Online at Google Books.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
24th February 2007ce

The Auld Wifes Lifts (Natural Rock Feature) — Miscellaneous

This correspondent in Notes and Queries is using the 'Philosophical Survey of the South of Ireland, in a Series of Letters to John Watkinson, M.D., 8vo., Dublin, 1778.' as his source.
About ten miles north of Glasgow, near the village of Strathblane, were to be seen till lately (as I am informed, some sordid Goth having broken them up to build walls) three immense blocks of freestone in a remote field, reputed to be Druidical, which went under the name of the " Auld Wives' Lifts."

Two of the stones lay together, and the third transversal on the top, with an aperture to creep through, by the doing or not doing of which strange rewards and penalties were the consequence. There is no similar kind of rock near the place. The surrounding ground is generally cold and infertile, and could not be said to be favourable for the growth of oaks or other trees ; but there are evidences from the extensive peat mosses and beams of black oak dug up, that in ancient times, in the neighbourhood of these stones, there had existed large forests of oak, supposed by some to bave been destroyed by the Romans who had possession of the spot, or by the Caledonians in their struggles with that power. G. N.
N&Q April 9th 1859. 'Some sordid Goth' - now that's a great turn of phrase.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
3rd September 2006ce
Edited 25th July 2007ce
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