6/8/04- the three stones- looking SW
Images
6/8/04- the three stones with the road- looking NE
6/8/04- view of the three stones
6/8/04- stone 3 looking NW to stone 1
6/8/04- stone 3- the most southerly of the trio- looking E to stone 2
6/8/04- stone 2- N face
6/8/04- stone 2 looking N to stone 1
6/8/04- stone 2 looking W to stone 3
6/8/04- stone 1- the S corner
6/8/04- stone 1 looking SW to stone 3
6/8/04- stone 1- the northermost of the trio- looking S to stone 2
The Giant’s Stone
One of the stones on the opposite side of the road from the Giant’s Stone
The other stone opposite the Giant’s Stone.
Articles
Friday 6/8/04
I drive up a small forested road to Menzion. The pine trees line either side of the singletrack, but give way slightly as the road passes through three standing stones. I park up and walk back. Two of the three stones are on the N side of the road, one to the S. The most northerly stone is almost square in section, 1.1 m high by about 67 cm square with an almost flat top. The corners of the stone are aligned perfectly N/S pointing to the stone on the south side of the road. Approximately 17 m S to the next stone. This one is 1.3 m high and 1.5 m by 70 cm at the base. The whole stone tapers up to the sky and is aligned E/W pointing to the third stone. Approximately 15 m west to stone three. This stone is the smallest of the trio and leans slightly to the SE. It’s 90 cm tall and 60 by 69 cm on plan. I put the compass and tape measure away, take some pics and then just look at this site and walk around the stones. There are blue skies above us now and sweltering heat. There are no sounds except from nature- flies, songbirds, crows and buzzards echoing through the forest. This is a very atmospheric site. Very remote, quiet and peaceful.
Canmore quotes the Statistical Account’s reference to the stone being 5’2” (1.6m) high without comment but it is more like 1.2m high – a little higher than the two on the other side of the road.
Plenty of parking available at the crossroads in Tweedsmuir village – a short walk from the stones.
Visited 17 February 2004
Another giant-related location in the area was the Giant’s Grave. The Canmore record says it was a cairn removed at the start of the 19th century, and there’s nothing more to be seen. They say it was supposed to be at NT 0925 2410.
Over against the foot of Hawkshaw-Burn in a Kairn beside the High road is the Giants Grave, so called from a huge and mighty Fellow, that robbed all on the way, but was at length from a Mount in the over side of the River supprised and shor to Death as Tradition goes.
(Shot I suppose?) From ‘A Geographical, Historical description of the shire at Tweeddale’ by Alexander Pennecuik, 1715.
archive.org/stream/geographicalhist00penn#page/n35
From the Second Statistical Account:
“Close by the road leading from the church to Menzion House, there are the remains of a Druidical temple or Pictish court of justice. Only one stone is left of a number similar in appearance and size which stood together, and which have been removed for the purpose of dike- building, &c. It is called the Standing Stone, and is five feet above the surface of the earth. From behind it, a person of diminutive stature, known by the name of Little John, discharged an arrow at the head of a freebooter of formidable dimension who greatly annoyed the peaceful inhabitants, and who, though on the opposite side of the Tweed, was unable to elude the deadly stroke.”
This stone and the two nearby mark the place where Jack the Giant Killer despatched his last victim. Jack hid behind the Giant’s Stone to shoot, but unfortunately the mortally wounded giant managed to get a punch in and Jack was himself killed. The stone now acts as his gravestone.
(story from J&C Bord’s ‘Atlas of Magical Britain’)
Topics
Sites within 20km of Giant’s Stone
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Menzion Standing Stones
photo 4 description 2 link 1 -
Nether Dod
photo 1 -
Hearthstane
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Megget Stone
photo 4 description 1 link 1 -
Drumelzier
photo 6 link 1 -
Langloch Knowe
photo 4 description 1 -
Cow Castle
photo 12 description 2 -
Nisbet, NE of Cow Castle
photo 5 description 1 -
White Hill
photo 7 description 1 -
Mitchelhill Rings
photo 17 description 2 -
Rotten Bottom
photo 5 description 1 link 3 -
Henry’s Brae
photo 10 link 1 -
White Coomb
photo 6 description 1 -
Tinnis Castle
photo 14 link 1 -
Cleuch Hill
photo 4 description 1 link 1 -
Dreva Craig
photo 16 description 2 -
Lamington Hill
photo 5 description 1 link 1 -
Drumelzier Haugh
photo 4 description 3 -
Normangill
photo 10 forum 1 description 1 -
Tail Burn
photo 6 description 1 -
Normangill Rigg
photo 3 description 1 -
Fall Hill
photo 2 description 1 -
Langlaw Hill
photo 4 description 1 -
Castle Crawford Farm Fort
photo 1 description 1 -
Devonshaw Hill
photo 18 description 2 -
Viaduct Plantation
photo 4 -
Bodsberry Hill
photo 1 description 1 -
Kirkton Fort and Settlement
photo 2 description 1 -
Arbory Hill
photo 21 description 4 -
Crookedstone
photo 10 description 1 -
Peatshiel Sike
photo 4 description 2 link 1 -
Castle Hill
photo 5 -
Bizzyberry Hill
photo 26 description 3 -
Kirkton Fort
photo 2 description 1 -
Air Cleuch
photo 4 description 1 -
Scaut Hill
photo 2 description 1 -
Pyked Stane Hill
photo 5 description 1 link 1 -
Tinto
photo 29 forum 1 description 7 -
Park Knowe
photo 9 description 1 -
Quothquan Law
photo 6 description 1 -
The Mount
photo 2 description 1 -
Fallburn
photo 18 description 1 -
Black Hill
photo 1 -
Cademuir Hill
photo 24 description 4 -
Black Hill
photo 1 -
Sheriff Muir
photo 8 description 2 link 2 -
Kirkton Manor
photo 8 forum 1 description 2 link 2