Arthur’s Seat forum 1 room
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I thought the jagged edges might have been from moving the stone, as a lot of them have been broken and moved over a long period of time. Or maybe be some aspect of volcanic rock. I did say I was no expert on the stones themselves... LOL.

The folklore about the witchstone at Ratho says something similar about fertility (the one with the cupmarks that was destroyed) Who was the first person that said "if you slide down that you will get pregnant" I wonder? And was it smooth when they started, or did it just get that way over time and was rough to begin with? Ouch. Wouldn't have wanted to be the first one to try it, anyhow...

The large "witch" stone boulder overlooking Dunsapie hasn't brought up any folklore online so far either, probably a trip to the national archive and the resources on their computers for me. Or else its a modern name.

Someone has emailed me a sketch they had saved from Canmore/RCHAMS of the Edinburgh stone now, it is similar to the Ratho stone but more like a cromlech that has collapsed. I guess the picture is in copyright maybe. The whole thing was blown up in victorian times it seems.

"A similar practice (to the one at the witch stone in Ratho) took place a few miles away in the kings Park, Edinburgh, which was the site of a large recumbent stone along which barren women slid in the hope that it would help them to conceive a child."

Few other interesting witch stones on the TMA site to keep me happy till I can get to the national archives and their resources, anyway.

Branwen wrote:
Few other interesting witch stones on the TMA site to keep me happy till I can get to the national archives and their resources, anyway.
Some Scottish Witches Stones and still standing .
In Forres . Just west of Dunfermline , St Martins ( Macbeth association) Spott E. Lothian and Monzie near Crieff . If you need grid refs , do ask .

Not sure if this topic is buried- or partially submerged- but the slidey stone is mentioned in Janet and Colin Bords "The Secret Country". I think the Glacial eratic on the East side of Dunsapie hill fort would be quite good for sliding off (if you were inclined to do so) as it is very smooth with a view of Criagmillar castle, the Pentlands and North Berwick Law. Dunsapie is well worth a look as it has ramparts and some curious rock formations facing west, towards Arthurs seat. Given Ediburghs ancientness i wonder how many lost monuments there are. The boulder near west port by the grass market is intersting as there is also one in the foundations of a building beside it. Also on the anthropomorphic side of things- viewed from Craigmillar Arthurs seat looks like a very fat man laying on his back. Which is interesting as Craigmillar has an interracitve concrete sculpture of Gulliver in one of its parks