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Birnam Hill

Cup and Ring Marks / Rock Art

Fieldnotes

Birnam Hill Cup and Ring Marked Rocks
AKA Craig Ruenshin
25/7/02
Aed and I head off through the almost knee-deep heather and assorted vegetation leaving Kat and H-dog to head up to the top of Birnam Hill. The flies are almost unbearable up here and accompanied by the soaking humidity and rough terrain makes for a rather unpleasant journey. Along the way we disturb three very small roe deer. This ridge rises out from the gorse and heather. From the ridge we watch as tracks go sprinting through the gorse below us and suddenly a deer head appears barking obscenities at us before disappearing again- fantastic! According to the OS map there are three areas of cup and ring markings up here. I manage to find two- one is almost at the end of this ridge and comprises of about 11 cup markings with possibly two or three rings- it’s very hard to tell as this rock has weathered very badly. I’m trying to tread lightly on it where I have to as further boot erosion won’t help. I retrace my steps back along the ridge peering closely at all the rock surfaces. It is, however, not cup and ring markings I see first, but some dirty great big arrows scratched into the rock. Some complete idiot has seen fit to deface this ancient site to highlight to the fellow hard-of-thinking that there are a couple more cup and ring markings. I mean, for fucks sake, I was scared to walk on the ridge, but some arsehole has decided it’s okay to scratch arrows into the rock. I leave disgusted.
Posted by Martin
9th August 2002ce

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