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The Old Statistical Account from 1791-1799 notes that there were other stones, approximately 1 foot high running east from these at regular distances on a curved line. On 18th July 1921 some 'careful digging by three men' brought nothing to light.
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This monolith is not in its original position. On a map of 1775 a stone is marked approximately 100 yards further to the NW.
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In 1857 a group of eight stone lined graves were found 10 to 12 yards south of this stone- brilliantly described in 1884 as a 'scene of slaughter and sepulchre.' The graves were lined E-W. Although this is characteristic of Christian burials, the contents included traces of bone, a food vessel and an Early Bronze Age ring (although these early finds may have bee placed in later graves). There is now no trace of the graves. When the cottage foundations were being dug a small cairn was found which contained fragments of bone, near to which were also a flint arrow-head and a stone hammer. In 1868 a further stone lined and E-W orientated grave was found this time 25 yards to the south of the main group of eight. This contained an adult male skeleton. In 1885 a bronze socketed axe was found in the garden of the cottage.
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The stones around the base of this monolith are supposedly the remains of a cairn, of which twenty or so were found in the vicinity. The cairn contained 'part of an old iron spear'. None of these cairns remain.
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This stone was 'turned up by the plough' at the beginning of the 19th Century and underneath were found the remains of human bones. The NSA of 1845 states that the moor on which it was found was also home to around twenty 'large cairns', but all trace of these has gone. The stone is said to mark the graves of two British Christian Chieftains. The inscription, now badly damaged supposedly said;
Here, an everlasting memorial.
In this place
here lie the most famous princes,
Nudus and Dumnogenus, in the tomb - two sons of Liberalis.
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In 1965 two inscribed stones were placed at the well by the resident of Camp Shiel. One bears a thistle motif, whilst the other is inscribed 'Cheese Well 1965'.
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From the Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, 1868;
The spa does not appear to have been remarked for its medicinal properties till about the commencement of the present century. Till then it was noted chiefly or altogether as the resort of pigeons from the circumjacent country, and bore the name of the Doo-well. Had any saint in the Romish calendar been acquainted with it, the priests of the age preceding the Reformation would have pictured him to their gullible flocks as performing a far different exploit in connexion with its waters, than that which Meg Dods ascribes to the patron saint of 'the Aulton' in reference to St. Ronan's Well, and would hardly have failed to send down to posterity the fame of miracles achieved by the naturally salutiferous properties of its waters. Even after it came into late notice, the well was a trivial, repulsive-looking fountain, bubbling up amidst a little marsh; and had no better appliance than a rude bench placed at its side for the accommodation of the infirm invalids who crept or were carried to it in quest of health. A simple pump afterwards rose gauntly from its mouth, amidst the wet miry puddle around it. But about 35 years ago, or not much earlier, the spa, with remarkable suddenness, and in a way nearly unaccountable, became celebritous among valetudinarians of all classes in Edinburgh and throughout the south of Scotland. The well, in the decorations built over and around it, in the character assigned it by popular opinion, and in the influence it exerted on the village in its vicinity, now rose, as if by magic, from the status of a watery hole in a quagmire, to that of an infant competitor with the proud spas of England. In 1824, the publication of Sir Walter Scott's tale of St. Ronan's Well, greatly enhanced its celebrity, and poured down upon it some rays of that lustre which popular opinion then assigned to 'the Great Unknown;' for nearly all the readers of light literature, in spite of the utter difficulty which a topographist would have felt to discover resemblances, unhesitatingly identified the Marchthorn and the St. Ronan's of the tale with Peebles and Innerleithen. The well springs up at the base of the Lee-pen, about 200 feet above the village. In its original state, it issued in small quantities, and at only one spring; but, when the ground was dug to its source, in order to clear away admixtures near the surface, it became emitted in two streams of different strength. On analysis, a quart of the less impregnated stream was found to contain 5.3 grains of carbonate of magnesia, 9.5 grains of muriate of lime, 21.2 grains of muriate of soda,--in all, 36 grains; and a quart of the other stream, 10.2 grains of carbonate of magnesia, 19.4 of muriate of lime, and 31 of muriate of soda,--in all. 60.6 grains. The waters, jointly with the salubrious influence of the fine climate, are efficacious chiefly in cases of ophthalmic complaints, old wounds, and dyspeptic and bilious disorders.
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From the NSA 1845;
'This mineral spring was formerly called the 'Dow-well', its water is now recognised as curative and it is resorted to by many visitors. Had it been known in ancient times as a medicinal water, without doubt the clergy would have taken advantage of that fact and dedicated it to some saint.'
As indeed they did- and it now bears the name of St. Ronan.
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From the RCAHMS 1967;
Excavations carried out in the 19th c somewhere in the part of the settlement that lies to the W of the boundary dykes revealed "several bronze bracelets", one of which was of penannular form with expanded terminals (W A Chambers 1864). It is not known where these objects now are.
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This healing well was a place of pilgrimage for many Scottish monarchs. James IV visited and left an offering in 1504. In 1617 James VI had it protected by a well-house with steps made for easier access. Cromwell’s troops demolished the well in 1650. Over 200 year later, in 1889, the well-house was once again carefully rebuilt.
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The well belonged to the manor house of Grange and was said to be Holy being associated with the nearby convent of Sciennes. It was restored by Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, but around 1870 the water from it stopped flowing. It fell into disrepair until 1887 when the original trough was uncovered at a depth of 5 foot below the site. Around 1892 the well was once again restored this time being supplied by the town water supply. Sometime between then and now it has been bricked up.
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A sanative fountain that sprang up on the command of St. Vining and apparently remained in repute until the beginning of the 16th Century.
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This well was originally sited at NT28057424- which is now next to the East Coast Mainline! The original site was just a bit to the east in Restalrig and the ancient vault was partly built over by a railway workshop (the shed being called 'St. Margaret's Works). The well house was moved in 1860 to its present position in Holyrood Park and the water which now flows from here was originally called St. David's Well.
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Bronze Age Hoard;
'The Duddingston Hoard' was found in 1778 by workmen dredging the bottom of the loch. The objects were dredge up along with bones that were said to be human. Unfortunately the hoard was split into four between the owner of the Loch, King George III (who managed to lose his part of the collection), Sir Walter Scott and the Museum of the Society of the Antiquities of Scotland (now part of the National Museum of Scotland). The Hoard includes swords, spearheads, a rapier and a bucket handle. All of the spearheads and swords were broken or bent and some have been burnt or melted. This may indicate either a Bronze Age blacksmith working in the area, however, these items may have been ritually deposited in the Loch.
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Crannog;
A pile of wooden stakes was reported on the south side of Duddingston Loch possibly indicating the remains of a crannog. These were visible up to the early 19th Century, but have now disappeared.
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Two noteable publications for the Antiquarian;
The RCAHMS do a rather nice 'Broadsheet' (Number 6, 1999)- basically pics and info on one side and a v good 1:550 map on the other for £1:50- see their website for details.
Other recommended book- 'Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park- A Visitor's Guide' by C.R. Wickham-Jones (1996)
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No mention in RCAHMS CANMORE, but mentioned in both the Arthur's Seat HMSO book and the RCAMHS Broadsheet.
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These terraces on the east side of Arthur's Seat extend for almost 230 metres, varying from about 5 to 10 metres wide and up to almost 4 metres high. No dating evidence has so far been reported, although it's reckoned that they have been used from the Bronze Age.
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Not so much 'how many times or when have I visited' this place as opposed to how many years have I lived in its shadow. This is the Mother Hill of Edinburgh- visible from almost every part of the city and beyond. I was born at the edge of Holyrood Park and one of my earliest memories is looking up to Arthur's Seat from the window of my nursery!
Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park are littered with sites from the Neolithic to the present day- forts, cultivation terraces, crannogs and at least six sacred wells. To the south and southeast of Arthur's Seat are three remaining standing stones intervisible with the Hill. The distinctive shape of the Hill can be seen from sites to the east such at Traprain Law, Gullane Parallel Cairn Cemetery and to the west from such major sites as Cairnpapple Hill. The summit of Arthur's Seat is still used in a ceremonial manner to this day- every May Day morning folk climb up here to wash their faces in the dew- a strange collection of both Christians who hold a service here to watch the May Day sunrise and those who have been up all night at the Beltane Festival on the nearby Calton Hill! The Park is also a popular place to roll hard boiled eggs at the fertility festival of Easter.
Apparently the name of this hill doesn't have much to do with King Arthur, but is more likely derived from the Gaelic 'Arn-na-Said' meaning Height of the Arrows.
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Update! Another four single cups/groups of cups have been found near this main group- check out the Ancient Lothian website for details/pics. Hope to re-visit soon and post pics/co-ords here. My guess is there are many more just waiting to be found...
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