The Gathering Stone

Nearest town:
Dunblane (3km WSW)
OS reference:
NN811022
OS sheet:
57
Latitude:
56° 11' 50.88 N
Longitude:
3° 54' 59.53 W
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The Gathering Stone

hamish
hamish Dec 22, 2002

You need wellies to find this. Park at the MacRae Monument and take the left hand path. Follow this ‘til you come to a dyke on the right, follow this and you come to a fork, take the left path and make for the far trees. Here you will find the stone covered with a grill. When I was last here the local school children had laid flowers and messages in memory of people killed in war.
This traditional gathering place was where the Jacobite army met for the inconclusive no score draw with the goverenment army in 1715.
If you come here in the summer use a repellant, there is a massed gathering of midgies here.

Folklore

The Gathering Stone
Standing Stone / Menhir
Rhiannon
Rhiannon Feb 28, 2011

The Gathering Stone on the Field of Sheriffmoor.

This Battle Stone (as it is locally called) is a block of fine Highland grit, travelled possibly from Balquhidder. In 1840 it was enclosed by an iron grating, which bears the following inscription:--

“The Gathering Stone of the Highland army on the day of the memorable battle of Sheriffmuir, fought in November, 1715. This grating has been erected to preserve the stone by John Stirling, Esq. of Kippendavie, Principal Heritor in the parish of Dunblane.”

I have been told that this battle stone used formerly to be known as the Beltane Stane. If that is the case, it has probably a much older interest than the battle of Sheriffmoor. It certainly has the appearance, so far as it can now be seen, of an overthrown standing stone.

I can’t help thinking John Stirling Esq. was a bit misguided. Couldn’t he have stood it upright instead? But that Stone has seen long ages and one day that cage is going to rust to nothing. It looks cruel. It looks like one of those cages they put over graves to stop bodysnatchers.

From the transactions of the Stirling Natural History and Archaeological Society 1892-3, in an article by A F Hutchison, about ‘The Standing Stones of the District’.

Sites within 20km of The Gathering Stone

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