Clach Mhic Mhios, Glen Loth

Also known as:
Clach-Mac-Mese
Nearest town:
Dornoch (29km SSW)
OS reference:
NC9415
OS sheet:
17
Latitude:
58° 6' 41.03 N
Longitude:
3° 47' 57.07 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Clach Mhic Mhios, Glen Loth (Standing Stone / Menhir) by GLADMAN

Sea mist sweeps in to engulf Clach Mhic Mhios….

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 9, 2018
Image of Clach Mhic Mhios, Glen Loth (Standing Stone / Menhir) by GLADMAN

Sea mist advances up Glen Loth toward Clach Mhic Mhios at dusk. Legend has it that the stone was chucked here by a 1 month old baby giant – or giant baby, whichever you prefer – from Ben Uarie. Chucking its toys out of the pram, perhaps? Big style.

It’s therefore to be expected that a stone with such a founding event appears to refrain from wandering down to the nearby river at nightfall to drink .... as, of course, all stones must do... but instead summons the water to it.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 1, 2014
Image of Clach Mhic Mhios, Glen Loth (Standing Stone / Menhir) by GLADMAN

Despite the substantial height of this impressive monolith..... it fades to almost insignificance when viewed in context within its landscape.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 1, 2014
Image of Clach Mhic Mhios, Glen Loth (Standing Stone / Menhir) by GLADMAN

The superb siting of the standing stone within Glen Loth... as seen from the col between Ben Uarie and Beinn Dhorain.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 14, 2014
Image of Clach Mhic Mhios, Glen Loth (Standing Stone / Menhir) by GLADMAN

Much more substantial than it appears from the road.... well worth overriding my usual reticence for solitary standing stones to see up close. As the lads mention, however... soggy!

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 14, 2014
Image of Clach Mhic Mhios, Glen Loth (Standing Stone / Menhir) by GLADMAN

Looking toward Ben Uarie.... after climbing the latter I agree with the current 1:25K OS map that the mountain is indeed crowned by an ancient cairn.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 14, 2014

Articles

Clach Mhic Mhios, Glen Loth

GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jan 20, 2015

In my opinion this is really something special, a striking monolith up there with such notable beauties as Clach an Trushal, Punchestown... and even the wondrous Maen Llia. It’s probably to my detriment that solitary standing stones don’t generally ‘do it for me’, so to speak. It normally takes at least a pair of the things to overcome my usual inertia to pull on the boots to visit. Or, failing that, an overpoweringly massive presence, or superb positioning within the landscape.

At first sight Clach Mhic Mhios didn’t appear – to me – to possess any of those criteria. However after viewing the landscape context from the col between Ben Uarie and Beinn Dhorain... and spending three nights wild camping within Glen Loth, during which sea mist came to greet the enigmatic monolith in such a memorable manner as to positively freak me out... I reasoned I might as well go and have a look. Hey, any standing stone than could entice water to come to it, rather than wandering down to the river at night – as they apparently are apt to do – must be pretty classy, right? Either that or incredibly lazy. Albeit in a metaphysical manner.

The distance from roadside to the great monolith is not excessive. However, as the previous gentlemen note, the ground is extremely boggy. Wellingtons would be a good idea, to be fair. Trainers? You’re having a laugh! Anyway, as I draw nearer it soon becomes apparent that Clach Mhic Mhios, comprised of red sandstone, is much taller than it appears from the road, some 11ft according to the RCAHMS way back in 1911. No doubt a significant length is embedded within the ground, too, or else the monument would probably have long since toppled over within the soggy morass. The stone is 4ft 11’’ across at its widest point and 1ft 3’’ thick, facing ESW and WNW (again as noted by RCAHMS). Furthermore two smaller stones were apparently standing nearby just over a century ago. Unfortunately I could not see any trace today. More’s the pity.

So, a handsome monument. But what, for me, really places Clach Mhic Mhios in the top rank of its type is its location. Beinn Dhorain, highest peak in the locality, towers to the immediate west while the elegant facade of Ben Uarie soars to the north-west. The view looking east, not to mention those up and down the glen, are also very fine. Indeed it is Ben Uarie, possessing the remains of a large, in my opinion possibly kerbed, summit cairn that might well be the focal point of Glen Loth. The mountain and the standing stone are inextricably linked within local folklore, this relating how the stone was thrown from the summit to its current position “by a giant youth when one month old”. The mind boggles, so it does.

Now that’s what I call throwing toys out of the pram! Proper Highland style.

Clach Mhic Mhios, Glen Loth

nickbrand
nickbrand May 24, 2004

Hamish is right about the distance this one is away from the road, the climb back up, through heather and bog, is pretty sapping. Having said that, it’s well worth the effort – this stone is a good 11 feet tall. Strange surface, pitted with dozens of tiny little holes (visible in one of the close-up photographs) and one possible cup mark, which I also photographed. A bright, cold May day when I had a look at this one, with a brisk northerly wind which discouraged lingering to enjoy the view back down the glen.

Clach Mhic Mhios, Glen Loth

hamish
hamish Nov 10, 2002

About three miles up the single track road from Lothbeg on the A9 you see on the right a solitary standing stone. It doesn’t look far so you decide to stroll over to it. It seems to get further away from you ‘till you realise it is a greater distance than you had thought, the nearer you get the taller it grows and when you get there it has reached about 10 ft. The silence is wonderful there is nothing but the breeze and the midgies, I wanted to stay longer but a far off Malt was calling, so I left to find it.

Topics

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FourWinds
FourWinds
Oct 2005

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