Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh: The Slidey Stone

Arthur’s Seat 1

Image by Branwen

Branwen Oct 1, 2009 03:05:02

Does anyone know if Arthur's Seat Slidey Stane is of any great antiquity?

I was assuming not, because it isn't on the TMA site. Thought it was just a kids game gave it the name, with no history behind it for long enough myself.

However, I saw a picture of it from the 1950's today, and it was less buried back then, so you can see more of it. I immediately thought that it looked a bit like pictures of the (now destroyed) cup marked Slidey Stone from Ratho, outside of Edinburgh, known as the Witchstone. Well, like the topmost part of it anyhow.

There was supposed to be a witch stone in Holyrood Park too, but I've only ever seen it given as a large boulder near Dunsapie Loch, a couple of miles away from the "Slidey Stane".

If it was the same kind of stone, the rangers might dig it out of its obscurity there and have a look to see if there's cup marks on this one too, maybe. So far all the Rangers knew about it was its location and name, and the fact kids slide down it.

Ratho Witchstone:
http://www.cupstones.f9.co.uk/witch1.jpg

Edinburgh Slidey Stone:
http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_a_o/0_around_edinburgh_-_slidey_stane_tam_croal_and_brother.jpg

moss Oct 1, 2009 09:35:25

Replying to Branwen

The slidey stone does'nt look very 'megalithic' Branwen, too many sharp corners by the look of it.
There are two stones I can think of on this site, one is the 'London Stone' that is of disputed antiquity that looks like its got a prehistory, though it slap bang in the middle of London; the other is the Wishing Chair at Whitby which stands near my daughter's shop and I think is a stone used for getting on your horse and not a wishing chair.
Single funny shaped stones are fascinating, thinking of the Glastonbury stone now in the abbey which is a rounded saddle type fertility stone, you have to sit on it to get pregnant which is the latest folklore!....

http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/635/london_stone.html

GaryB Dec 9, 2009 14:26:38

Replying to Branwen

I have an entry on my own wee site about the Slidey Stane but haven't been able to find much more info than is posted here. Would welcome anything that I can add to the entry.

Gary
www.ancient-stones.co.uk

Branwen Dec 12, 2009 01:06:07

Replying to Branwen

I'm not sure what's in modern body paint, Dodge, but you haven't lived till you've seen a 15 person, half naked, body painted, pagan, acrobatic pyramid at Beltane... I'd say the British Mystery Traditions which give clues to the customs and cultures of the past would be on topic myself - Dodge.

Well Moss, Scotland has been sold as an untouched wilderness, when in fact the clearances stripped the land of trees, resulting in soil erosion and sheep farming and hundreds of thousands of people moved off the land. The climatic optimum was a period right at the start of the iron age, about three degrees warmer on average than now, so more land was farmable in the past than now. Trading went on far afield too. Still, the woad thing has been overstated I think. Glastonbury? There have been periods when concerted efforts were made to obsfucate paganism by inventing tales of more christian origin to account for place names, myth and legend. Early on, at the instigation of medieval popes, right through to Queen Victoria, who loved the charm of country ways, and loved observing them, was especially guilty of inventing stories to account for them in a more christian viewpoint so she could do so guilt free. Modern etymologies tend to be more unbiased now.

Olly, the stone in front of the stadium, is that the one in the car park? If so, thats a marker stone that shows where a healing well was before it was buried by the railways, but the stonework was moved to the park. Look at the TMA pages on Arthur's Seat, if you scroll down to the gallery, I've put an artistic/interpretive picture I did in photoshop on there asking if anyone else sees the shape of a sleeping bear. http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/2319/arthurs_seat.html Thought it was just me. I see faces in two places too... but they are hard to see even with my odd brain and perspective.

I see another bear shape, like a cub, from the south side of the loch too, at times Tiompan.