Balkemback

Also known as:
Balkemback Cottages and Balluderon
Nearest town:
Dundee (9km SSE)
OS reference:
NO382384
OS sheet:
54
Latitude:
56° 32' 0.65 N
Longitude:
3° 0' 17.64 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Balkemback (Stone Circle) by drewbhoy

Some cups on the west side of the heavily cup marked stone.

Image credit: drew/TMP
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Jan 7, 2015
Image of Balkemback (Stone Circle) by drewbhoy

We missed the last of the sun by about 20 seconds :-(

Image credit: drew/TMP
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Jan 7, 2015
Image of Balkemback (Stone Circle) by nickbrand

A closer look at the cupmarks on the eastern face of the NE stone

nickbrand
nickbrand Feb 17, 2004
Image of Balkemback (Stone Circle) by nickbrand

The southerly recumbent, looking towards the NE and NW stones

nickbrand
nickbrand Feb 17, 2004
Image of Balkemback (Stone Circle) by nickbrand

The western face of the same stone, showing some of the smaller cup marks

nickbrand
nickbrand Feb 17, 2004
Image of Balkemback (Stone Circle) by nickbrand

The eastern face of the eastern stone, showing large cup marks

nickbrand
nickbrand Feb 17, 2004

Articles

Balkemback

drewbhoy
drewbhoy Jan 8, 2015

From the hut circles we headed south following the fence line. Thru a gate and keep heading in the same direction. A stream will be reached which can be crossed by heading west and at the next fence a railway beam crosses the water. Be careful here as the electric fence might be switched on. Thankfully it wasn’t so none of us fell in. After that look for the gap in the trees, go thru this and head west. The circle will be straight in front.

Three stones remain here, one of the them heavily cup marked, one triangular and last one is having a rest. Sadly the sun hid behind the western hills about 20 seconds before we reached a spot to get a pic of the sunset. Still the gathering darkness added to atmosphere at the end of another fantastic day.

So the end of 5 days climbing up and down in Angus/Perthshire, no accidents and spoke to some nice people along the way. Plenty more to discover so hopefully my guide for 3 of the afternoons will be available as well :-)

Visited 3/1/2105.

Balkemback

nickbrand
nickbrand Feb 17, 2004

Had another look at this site today, a fine clear afternoon and (unusually) no cattle-beasts in the field for a change. This was one of the first sites I visited when I started recording the stones in my area, and I only took a couple of general photos. I have removed these and replaced them with the current set, which quite clearly show the large cup marks on the NE stone.

Canmore states: “A ‘circle of stones’ forming a triangle whose sides are 25’10” x 28’10” x 29’4”. There is also a small outlying stone on the north side. The first measures 5’ x 4’ x 10” high; the second, 2’ x 3’ x 3’6” high; the third, 2’ x 2’ x 3’8” high.

On the E side of the latter are 21 cups, varying from 1”-3” in diameter. 6 are surrounded by single rings and connecting grooves. On the west side are 16 cups, varying from 1”-2 1/2” in diameter. There is also a connecting groove at one side.

J R Allen 1881.”

These are all easily visible in the photos. The view from this elevated field is quite spectacular, with the Sidlaws behind and the long slow slope south towards the mouth of the Tay.

Balkemback

nickbrand
nickbrand Oct 29, 2002

Take the A929 north out of Dundee to Tealing. Follow the road due west past Balkemback farm on the left, until you see a house in a stand of trees on the right. Park just past this, and the circle is in the second field north. The site is described as an irregular setting of four stones, two fallen. They form a circle approximately 11m in diameter. The tallest stone is the south-eastern one, standing just over 1m in height, but the fallen south-western stone is 1.5m in length. The south-eastern stone has cup and cup-and-ring markings on the broad east and west faces.

Sites within 20km of Balkemback

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