Bridge of Lyon Cairn

Also known as:
Linne Loiny, Lyon Bridge, Pontius Pilate's Grave, The General's Grave and Uaigh an t-Seanalair
Nearest town:
Aberfeldy (12km ENE)
OS reference:
NN732466
OS sheets:
51, 52
Latitude:
56° 35' 38.79 N
Longitude:
4° 3' 54.95 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Bridge of Lyon Cairn (Cup and Ring Marks / Rock Art) by nickbrand

The remains of the cairn, showing the ditch around it, and the stone lying toppled to the side.

nickbrand
nickbrand Nov 10, 2003

Articles

Bridge of Lyon Cairn

BigSweetie
BigSweetie Aug 4, 2003

This cup-marked stone lies on top of a cairn in a field full of interesting things – nearby is a cup-marked stone, a long cairn, a medieval moated site (once thought to be a Roman camp) and a pair of standing stones.

The cairn was excavated in 1884, and found to consist of a pile of small stones overlaid with earth to a diameter of around 9m. Close to the base of the cairn, and S of the centre, fragments of human bone were found underneath two small flagstones. The cairn has a flat top to it, which is 5.50m in diameter, and rises to a height of 0.75m. Around the central cairn is a ditch which varies in width from 2.75m to 4.20m, and is 0.70m deep. Around this is a low bank 0.90m wide.

The stone lies on the cairn’s flat top, but it is believed that it once stood upright here. On it’s W side are 9 large cup-marks, while there is a further single cup-mark on it’s N end. It has been mistakenly reported that in 1838, this stone was actually close to the two Bridge of Lyon stones. However it appears that this is as a result of some confusion, as the New Statistical Account actually describes the Bridge of Lyon stones as “two obelisks, the one about 6 feet high: the other lying on the ground, having been undermined some fifty or eighty years ago”.

Bridge of Lyon Cairn

nickbrand
nickbrand Jun 1, 2003

This stone is in a field which also contains a long cairn and a circular mound (ringed by a ditch) known locally as Pontius Pilate’s grave. The cup-marks are fairly large, we tried to illustrate them better by applying what remained of our water bottle... without great success.

Miscellaneous

Bridge of Lyon Cairn
Cup and Ring Marks / Rock Art
BigSweetie
BigSweetie Aug 4, 2003

Directions – Head N from Perth on the A9 (sign-posted Inverness). After approximately 30.0km, there is a turn-off to the right (a major junction) onto the A827 for Aberfeldy. Take this turn-off, which curves round and crosses over the A9 to the W. Drive through Logierait, and after about 4.5km turn right at the junction (sign-posted Aberfeldy). This road takes you right to Aberfeldy. Carry on straight into Aberfeldy until you reach a cross-roads with a set of traffic lights. Turn right here, onto the B846, which you follow for about 8.0km, until you see the turn-off to the left for Fortingall. Take this road, which winds its way to the village of Fortingall. Carry on straight through the village, past the turn-off to the right for Glen Lyon. Approximately 200m beyond the turn-off is the gate into the field. There’s room for careful parking on the verge here. Enter the field, and walk S past some old bits of machinery and various rubbish. About 100m in, turn left (E) and walk for another 100m. You should now be able to see the stone lying on a low grass-covered cairn, surrounded by a ditch.

Topics

Scared Nation on Radio 2. 5
stubob
stubob
Feb 2005

Sites within 20km of Bridge of Lyon Cairn

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