Taxing Stone

Nearest town:
Stranraer (11km SSE)
OS reference:
NX06237096
OS sheet:
76
Latitude:
54° 59' 42.9 N
Longitude:
5° 1' 46.43 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Taxing Stone (Standing Stone / Menhir) by markj99

The Taxing Stone, adjacent to Stranraer Coastal Path, looking S to Cairnryan.

Image credit: Mark Johnstone
markj99
markj99 Feb 24, 2021

Articles

Taxing Stone

new abbey
new abbey Jul 1, 2019

While there is good parking and a loo at the car park mentioned, the single track road up is actually public as far as the cattle grid (about half way) and there is a pull-in there for one car at least and another spot just before that. Not many passing places though. So, if you are lucky you can avoid the worst of a reasonably steep 1.25 mile walk uphill. Whatever, it is certainly worth the effort to view this important stone, the remains of the WWII anti-air craft battery and the great views.

Taxing Stone

markj99
markj99 Mar 28, 2019

Visited 27.10.18

The Taxing Stone is on the Stranraer Coastal Path from Stranraer to Glenapp. There are parking spaces available on the outskirts of Cairnryan before the ferry terminal. Follow the SCP signs uphill to Little Laight farm for approximately 1 mile. On the top of the hill there is a WWII gun battery. The Taxing Stone is sited on the path at the battery entrance. As previously noted there is some graffiti on the face of the stone.

Folklore

Taxing Stone
Standing Stone / Menhir
Rhiannon
Rhiannon Mar 5, 2012

[In the year 737] King Ceolwulf resigned his crown to his cousin Eadbert, to end his days as a monk of Lindisfarne. During Eadbert’s reign, Galloway was invaded by a Celtic pretender, Alpyn, son of Echach. The Galwegians rose against him en masse. He conquered the greater part of the country, till he was confronted by Innrechtach, a native chief, near Kelton on the Dee. Here he was completely routed and forced to fly. his retreat was, hoever, carried out in an orderly manner, till, as he was in the act of leaving the province, fording a stream at the entrance of Glen-App, in the midst of his bodyguard, a single man sprang upon him and struck him lifeless from his charger. The stone which marks his sepulture still preserves his name. From time immemorial it has been named in charters as a landmark-- Laight-Alpyn. The pillar-stone itself is the “Laight,” whilst Alpyn is still recognisable in the name of the beautiful glen, near which he fell.

The name of Laicht Alpyn really belongs to the farms of Meikle and Little Laicht, on the easter shore of Loch Ryan... On the very line of separation between the two counties is a large upright pillar-stone to which the name of Laicht-Alpin, the monument or grave of Alpin, is actually appropriated.

Much of this seems to be taken from Skene’s ‘Chronicle of Picts and Scots’ and is pulled together in ‘The Hereditary Sheriffs of Galloway‘ by Andrew Agnew (1893).

It’s a bit fluffy because the entrance to Glen App is definitely a mile or two further north. But maybe that doesn’t matter.

Sites within 20km of Taxing Stone

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