The erectors’ originality knew no bounds... unlike mine [oh dear]. Having said that, are there parallels with the main tomb at Cairnpapple?
Images
Dunruchan A
Dunruchan A
Dunruchan A
Dunruchan A
Dunruchan A
Dunruchan E
Dunruchan E with Dunruchan D in the background
Dunruchan E
Dunruchan E
Dunruchan E
Dunruchan E
Dunruchan D
Dunruchan D
Dunruchan D
Dunruchan D
Dunruchan C
Dunruchan C
Dunruchan C
Dunruchan C
Dunruchan A from Dunruchan B
Dunruchan B
Dunruchan B
Dunruchan B
Dunruchan B with Dunruchan A visible on the horizon
Dunruchan B with Dunruchan A just visible on the horizon
Dunruchan F
Stone F, looking west.
Stone E, the furthest out of the group, looking south.
Stone E looking NW.
Stone E looking NE, stone D in the background.
Stone D, looking south towards stone E.
Stone D looking east.
Stone D looking NE.
Stone C looking south.
Stone C looking west.
Stone B looking south.
Stone B looking NW.
Stone A looking west.
Stone A looking south with a saltire in the sky....
Stone F, in the field beside the road, looking NE.
The first stone you come to on the hillside, if walking up from the valley floor. A 5 ft stone which stuck in my mind.
Another monster
The most southerly stone, 6ft tall. This stone has cists nearby. The large angled stone is just visible in background.
The 12 foot monster which dominates the valley.
Articles
There are many reasons why certain prehistoric monuments may leave the visitor more ‘fullfilled’ – for want of a better word – than others. As it happens, I don’t subscribe to any formula, as such... massive stones, for example, won’t suffice if the siting is wrong. But sometimes multiplex, diverse factors combine, like ingredients in the hands of a master chef, to produce the perfect vibe. For me, my Masterchefs included the people who erected the glorious monoliths upon the northern slopes of Dunruchan Hill.
Why? Startling originality, for one. Truly bonkers. Sure, I’ve seen finer monoliths.... for example the Lewissian Gneiss of the Calanais ‘circles cannot, in my opinion, be bettered for intricacy of grain, the ‘stanley knife’ Stenness stones, for profile. But each and every stone upon this hillside has clearly been selected to be as ‘different’ from its neighbour as possible. One is conventionally rounded, one a massive, brutish slab resembling a capstone suspended in perpetuality above it’s robbed cist. Another is a completely orgasmic, thrusting phallus of a standing stone [as AngieLake notes] akin to a supercharged, viagra chewin’ version of the centre stone at Boscawen-un. Look at the base.... it was meant to stand at this angle. Why? Oh come on! Surely it can only be shouting ‘Let’s get it on, Mother Earth, right here, right now!’ Then there’s a classic of flowing lines and pointed summit, achingly evocative, even against a sunlit landscape. The first to be encountered when ascending the hillside is arguably the most traditional in form. Ha! To coax would be visitors into a false ‘comfort zone’ perhaps? Well, it worked upon me. Oh, there’s also a sixth stone standing just across the minor Culloch/Craggan road near Craigneich Farm. Plus a number more further to the east.......
So, how can the complex at Dunruchan be explained in rational terms? No idea. Not a stone row, unless the surveyor had an extremely ‘serpentine’ ruler! In my experience a grouping of this magnitude and form is unique [I would welcome notification of any parallels]. What’s more, the observant motorist heading east along the aforementioned minor road may catch sight of one or two stones, but that is all. It would seem you had to be ‘in the know’ to join the party.
Parking is not easy, it being just about possible to squeeze a car upon the verge here or there. As it happens the Craigneich farmer drives by in his lorry, followed by wife on quad bike. I waive her down and am invited to park at the end of the south facing farm track, this enclosed by one of the most fragile wooden gates ever. ‘You want to visit the standing stones? Great!’ I’d therefore suggest having a word is perhaps the best option. Park safely because you will want to spend quite some time amongst the Dunruchan Stones and inconveniencing such people is not an option.
These stones are utterly fantastic. Six stones – plus numerous suspicious-looking lumps and bumps – snake their way up over the moor here. The smallest stone is 5 foot something, but Dunruchan A, the largest, is a whopping 11ft 4in, and totally dominates the skyline.
From each stone, at least one other can be seen.
Dunruchan D and E, the two highest up stones, would appear to be a typical Perthshire pair comprising one pointy slab-like stone and a chunkier, round-topped partner.
There are a total of six stones in this group, quite widely scattered but worth the effort. There’s more of a description of them in my weblog entry.
I know nothing of this place.
We visited this stunning site 2 years ago, and I’ve bored people since with my pure enthusiasm since.
I’ve not seen this place as an entry in any gazzeteer or anything, but it deserves to be mentioned and not for the the usual compact aesthetics and feelings that other places have.
This whole hillside has the feel of one monument – and a powerful one at that! It is a must when visiting Perthshire!
Visit the stone on the green valley floor as a pre cursor and make your way up the hill to the first stone (a powerful thing that belies it’s 5 foot presence). Off up to the left and there is a MF of a thing which dominates the valley from all directions. This 12ft monster is surrounded by what looks likes untampered cists.
Sitting in a hollow in the hillside is a vicious stone at a terrible angle and then further south is a 6 footer with nearby untampered cists, marking the end of this special monument.
Every stone is visible from at least on other in the hillside and that seems to be important.
I can’t say enough about this whole place and what it did to me, and it was not all love and peace !
Next time I come here, I intent to visit the stones at Dalchirla, just down the valley.
Sites within 20km of Dunruchan
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Auchingarrich Farm
photo 17 description 4 link 2 -
Glascorrie
photo 43 forum 2 description 8 link 2 -
Dalchirla
photo 13 -
Dalchirla
photo 11 description 2 -
Wester Cowden Farm
photo 21 description 6 link 1 -
Cultybraggan
photo 12 -
Dalginross
photo 27 description 5 link 1 -
Strowan Cairn
photo 2 description 1 -
Craggish
description 1 -
Tom na Chessaig
photo 4 description 2 link 1 -
Lawers
photo 18 description 4 link 1 -
Rottenreoch
photo 2 description 1 -
Clathick House
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Twenty Schilling Wood
photo 29 description 6 link 1 -
Concraig
photo 7 description 1 -
Crieff
photo 6 description 2 -
Bennybeg Cursus
description 1 link 1 -
Balmuick
photo 16 description 3 link 2 -
Broich
description 1 -
Duchlage
link 1 -
St Serf’s Water
description 1 -
Ochtertyre
description 1 -
Druim Na Cille
photo 1 description 1 -
Kindrochet
photo 16 description 2 -
Cradle Stone
photo 2 description 4 link 1 -
Carroglen
photo 9 description 1 -
Crieff Golf Course /
Ferntower photo 28 description 1 link 2 -
Millhills
description 1 -
Monzievaird
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Dundurn
photo 14 forum 1 description 5 -
Bracklin Burn
photo 8 description 1 -
Uamh Bheag
photo 5 description 2 link 1 -
The Roundel
photo 4 description 1 link 1 -
Fingal’s Putting Stone
photo 3 description 1 -
Witches Stone (Monzie)
photo 17 forum 1 description 7 link 2 -
Monzie Circle
photo 23 description 6 link 2 -
Monzie Rock Art
photo 19 description 1 link 4 -
Cultoquhey
photo 2 description 2 -
Cairn Coinneachan
photo 21 description 4 -
The Boat Stone
photo 2 description 1 -
The Judge’s Cairn
photo 5 -
Milquhanzie Hill Fort
photo 4 -
Milquhanzie Hill
photo 3 -
White Stone
photo 1 description 3 -
Wester Biggs
description 1 -
Connachan
photo 4 description 1 -
Harper Stone
link 1 -
Dun Caoch
photo 8 description 1 link 1 -
The Belted Stane
description 1 -
The Camp Stone
description 1 -
Auchterarder
photo 29 description 7 link 3 -
Fowlis Wester Standing Stones
photo 42 description 4 link 2 -
Buchanty Hill
photo 5 -
Fowlis Wester Cairn
photo 34 description 7 link 1 -
Glen Tarken
photo 7 description 2 link 2 -
Gleneagles A
photo 9 description 1 -
Loaninghead
photo 10 forum 1 description 3 -
Gleneagles B
photo 16 description 1 -
The Gathering Stone
photo 1 description 3 -
Braes of Fowlis
photo 44 description 4 link 1 -
Sheriffmuir Stone Row
photo 13 description 6 link 2 -
Clach na Tiompan
photo 20 description 4 link 2 -
Buchanty Hill
photo 6 -
Clach na Tiompan
photo 19 description 3 link 1 -
Clach na Tiompan
photo 1 description 1 link 1 -
River Almond
photo 19 description 5 -
Jock’s Cairn
photo 13 description 2 link 1 -
Glenhead Standing Stone
photo 6 description 4 -
Giant's Grave (Sma' Glen)
photo 7 description 3 link 2 -
Giant’s Grave Cairn
photo 6 description 1 link 1 -
Clach Ossian
photo 16 description 3 link 2 -
Stroness Hill
photo 3 -
Glenhead Stone Row
photo 11 description 4 link 2 -
Auchenlaich Cairn
photo 18 description 3 link 1 -
Dun Mor
photo 6 description 1 -
Tulloch Knowe
photo 2 forum 1 -
Sheriffmuir Road, Pendreich
photo 1 description 1 -
Belhie
forum 2 description 3 -
Belhie
forum 1 description 1 -
Belhie
description 1 -
Belhie
photo 11 forum 2 description 3 link 2 -
Belhie
description 1 -
Belhie
description 1 -
Belhie
description 1 -
The Auld Knowe
photo 3 description 2 -
Ardveich
photo 11 description 1 -
Hill of Airthrey Fairy Knowe
photo 4 description 3