I had spotted this wee stone in the fiels just east of Dunrobin Castle on the drive north, but didn't stop at that time. Managed to park in the field entrance on the way back down the road and went to investigate (can't find anything at all about this stone in Canmore). It has the right feel to it, though (i.e. not a rubbing stone), but is sadly neglected. The stone itself is mainly propped up now by pieces which have been knocked off, as can be seen in the photographs. Some of those pieces are very newly knocked off too, and the care taken by the farmer can be seen in the way the crops grow right up against the stone. I have to confess to not having walked very carefully on the way back from this stone, I was so annoyed.
I suspect that this is part of the Duke of Sutherland's estate, being so close to Dunrobin. Fairly typical of the care for the people and landscape that these scum have shown down the years. The landscape above Golspie is dominated by a monstrous statue of the cretin responsible for the Clearances. One of these fine days we may be able to treat this excresence to a proper and fitting end, just the way that they treated the land and people. It's even visible in one of the photographs, it can be seen from so far away!
I wonder if this cist is related to the stone Nick found. It's on the same estate at least.
In March, 1880, roadmen digging for gravel in the side of a moraine in Dunrobin Park (Co. Sutherland, N. B. ) came upon an upright sandstone slab, which proved to be the foot of a stone coffin. This cist, formed of undressed slabs, lay north-west, about 3 ft. below the surface, and was 4 ft. long, 2 ft. wide, and 1 ft. 6 ins. deep. As the lid had not been lifted, the contents were undisturbed. These consisted of a skeleton (female), in fair preservation. Behind the head stood an urn of the "drinking cup" pattern, the farthest north of this type recorded up to this date, 1903. At the feet of the skeleton, which lay on the right side, with knees doubled up, lay 118 shale beads about size and shape of a silver threepenny piece. Six of these were perforated. Near these were 18 beach-rolled quartzose pebbles about 2 ins. long [...]
Log in |
Register
Show map (inline Google Map)
Add an image 
Posted by nickbrand
Posted by Rhiannon
Top of page