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The Tow Stone

Standing Stone / Menhir

<b>The Tow Stone</b>Posted by drewbhoyImage © drewbhoy
Nearest Town:Old Meldrum (13km ESE)
OS Ref (GB):   NJ69933334 / Sheet: 29
Latitude:57° 23' 22.35" N
Longitude:   2° 30' 1.03" W

Added by Rhiannon


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<b>The Tow Stone</b>Posted by drewbhoy <b>The Tow Stone</b>Posted by drewbhoy

Fieldnotes

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The stone is still resting behind the farmsteading and quite an impressive stone it is. Leave the A920 at Tocher farm, two miles from Wartle heading west, turning north. The next farm is the Knowley which is severe need of repair. I got lucky when the elderly occupant kindly led the way to the stone. He also showed where it had originally stood. 20 years ago he had several visits from people who wanted to re-erect the stone in it's proper place but nothing has been done.

Visited 28/5/09
drewbhoy Posted by drewbhoy
28th May 2009ce

Folklore

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"On the farm of Knowley, stands an upright pillar known as the Tow Stone. Its significance is doubtful. Dr Stuart thought that it might of been the seat of tax-gathering in far back days (Sculptured Stones Of Scotland, vol. ii p. 44). But Professor Watson suggests to me that the name may be connected with the Gaelic toll, signifying a hollow."

Folklore Of The Aberdeenshire Stone Circles 1926
drewbhoy Posted by drewbhoy
26th May 2009ce
Edited 26th May 2009ce

Miscellaneous

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This stone was originally at NJ 7010 3352 - the 1867 Ordnance Survey Name Book described it as 3 feet high and 2 feet square. Perhaps they had the wrong stone - in 1903 someone else recorded it to be 6 ft high and 6ft round.

The RCAHMS have found it safe and sound in 2002 behind Knowley farmsteading at NJ6993 3334, where it's having a lie-down. They measured the granite stone at 2.5m in length.

(info from the new canmore record).
http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/pls/portal/newcanmore.newcandig_details_gis?inumlink=19129
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
19th December 2007ce