Glenballoch Stone Circle Stone Circle View all content for Glenballoch Stone Circle

Glenballoch Four-Poster AKA Craighall or Courthill Sunday 28/7/02 As luck would have it, I ask permission to visit this four-poster at the fantastic old Saw Mill Cottage at Glenballoch. Through the amazing garden I meet the owner of the cottage who informs me that the farmer who owns the fields opposite lives somewhere in Perth. However, he adds that the farmer who rents the land has no objections to visitors to this site and the nearby standing stone. I leave him to his gardening whilst I head off in search of ancient astronomies. From the road the site is obvious as it’s on a huge mound and covered in nettles and thistles. I head up the small hill and carefully pick my way to the stones- a bad time to be wearing trekking sandals and three-quarter lengths! Whilst having a look around I hear the field gate opening below the mound and almost immediately I’m greeted by the Mill Cottage collie dog. It’s owner follows puffing on his pipe. We have another chat in the stones- this time about the meaning and placement of this site. He tells me he comes up to this stone circle regularly and often ponders its meaning. He goes on to say that his house gives him an excellent view of the sky all year round and he notes the position of the sun setting and rising with regards to the horizon. From here, Glenballoch standing stone is only about 200 m northeast and we agree that this site may have possibly been used as a calendar of agricultural activity. We have a very pleasant chat standing amongst these ancient stones- I tell him of another stone circle and standing stone which once stood on the hill above us until being destroyed in the 1950s. I mention the fact that I’ve visited this site before about 10 year ago and he’s keen to know if it has deteriorated in that time. Looking around us, I think it possibly has. There seems to be more field clearance stones- indeed the north stone is almost hidden under a pile, whilst there are some very large stones next to the western stone. The stone at the south seems to have more broken from it. Bit messy I’m afraid! The man and his dog bid their farewell leaving me with the stones. Despite the nettles, thistles and field clearance stones, this is still and enchanting and atmospheric place. I head northeast to the massive outlier…

Posted by Martin 9th August 2002ce

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