I was out that way today. It’s pretty easy to find. If you’re heading east along the road, keep going till you see a metal barrier on the south side of the road – barring access to the wood. Cross to the north side, head east about 30m and it will be just at your feet!
nickbrand
Leave the A928 just before Kirriemuir and take the un-numbered road leading west. About a mile and a half along this you will see Lendrick Lodge on your right (north of the road). If you park here carefully, then there’s a gate into the field south of the road, where the stone lies.
The lady who lives in the Lodge is very informative. She told me a bit about the stone. Apparently a good few years ago the farmer at Linross was one of these ‘progressive’ types. The stone was removed and dumped in a corner of the field. A short while later, a man with a clipboard turns up at her door, asking ‘didn’t there used to be a stone in that field’, so she told him the story. Two weeks later the stone was back in its original position.... One up for the man with the clipboard!
This one lies just of the A926, a busy little road and it can be awkward parking nearby. The stone’s about 5-1/2 feet tall, and flares out a bit near the top – rather like the Bonhard stone, I think. A bit of field clearance built up round it, and a few scrape marks from farm machinery. No significant markings, though.
The outlier has some cup marks on it, low down on the SE edge. They appear to form a rough diamond shape, visible in a couple of the pictures I have posted.
Park at the foot of the hill – just off the Ninewells access roundabout, on the south side, is a small residential area where there is usually parking space. Walk up the drive towards the hospital, and as you pass the first curve you’ll see the cairn on your right.
This cairn or barrow is described thus in Canmore: “A small circular, wooded enclosure on Menzieshill farm, known locally as “Dark Stane” Roundie, derived its name from a large upright block of dark whinstone, standing near its centre, almost enveloped in foliage. It has been suggested that it formed part of a stone circle, and when it was removed in 1888, a quantity of bones was ploughed up at the spot where it stood. Further human bones were found all over the Roundie when it was ploughed over. The stone was about 7’ high, 4’ broad and 1’ thick, entirely unsculptured, but fairly smooth on the sides which faced east and west. A large piece lying on the ground was said to have been struck off by lightning.”
The stone has long since gone, as has the wood. On the top of the cairn now are a few small stones, which look like Victorian railing supports – only 4 of a possible 7 or 8 are left, all with small holes facing outward. There’s not much left to look at, and it is now almost surrounded by roads and housing developments.
Leave the A90 Dundee to Perth dual carriageway at the Errol turn off and head towards Rait. As you approach a small crossroads you will see the Rati Farm steadings just up ahead on the right (nowadays an Antiques Centre with several shops). Turn right into the steadings then right again into the car park – the stone is at the corner as you turn in.
This is a very interesting stone, absolutely covered in cup marks on the upper surface. According to Canmore, “the boulder measures 1.5m by 1.2m and is at least 0.4m in thickness, and the cups measures up to 80mm in diameter. The arrangement of the cups includes a large one which is surrounded by six equally-spaced smaller cups; this pattern of cup-marks is similar to the rosettes which occur at Ormaig in Argyll but with the outer ringmark missing. Given that the boulder was placed in its present position fairly recently after having lain nearby for some time, it is likely that it was originally found in the field which lies S and E of the steading as it bears plough scarring and was almost certainly buried before discovery.” There are certainly distinct plough marks on it. It is a short walk from here to the Fingask standing stone also well worth a visit.
Park at the Rait Farm Antiques centre and walk up to the farm itself. Take the track leading east (your right) and follow it along towards the walled garden. As the track curves upwards you will see the stone in the little field north of you.
Canmore states simply “This standing stone is situated about 320m SSE of Fingask Castle and close to the SW corner of a walled garden. It measures 1.2m from NE to SW by 0.8m and 1.5m in height.” But there’s more to this one than initially meets the eye. Have a very careful look at the north face – two grooves run vertically up the face of the stone. They do not look to be natural. On the SE side there is a smaller one at the foot of the stone – this proved easier to photograph than the others. Very reminiscent of the markings on the main stone at Tuilyies, I thought!
This stone stands in the centre of a field just to the north of the A90 Dundee to Perth dual carriageway. Turn off the road into the Inchmartine Caravan Park drive and park off the road.
The stone measures 1.85m from NE to SW by 1.3m and 1.9m in height, shouldered away from the uppermost horizontal plane, according to Canmore – which also states “It is possible that the stone is no more than a large erratic boulder,” I find this hard to believe, as the surveyor obviously didn’t pay much attention on his visit. There is a clearly defined set of four cup marks in a rough diamond configuration low down on the NW aspect of the stone. Quite a dramatic stone, easily visible from the road. It has suffered from some machinery scrapes over the years, and there is very little space left round it by the farmer.
This large stone stands some 9 feet tall. According to the Name Book of 1860, it was said locally to be a pointer to roads that were merely heather tracks. There are no markings on it, but it is quite impressive.
Take the Tealing to Auchterhouse road (un-numbered) at the back of Dundee. Pass the Old School House (North Balkello) on your left, and about 100m past this you will see the top of the stone showing above the bank and wall on your left. Drive on down into the dip in the road, and there is space (just) to pull over by a metal gate. Entry can be made here.
This site lies in a field SW of a back road into Arbroath. Travel along the B961 which runs from the NE of Dundee until just before the hamlet of Cononsyth there is a crossroads. Take the road on the right towards Arbroath, and it’s about 2/3 of a mile down here. Parking can be a bit awkward, but you’ll see the site in the field – resembling nothing so much as a pile of overgrown rubble.
According to Canmore, air photography (21 May 2002) has recorded the soilmark of a possible souterrain here. There is certainly a pile of stones, laid up over what may be a large flat capping stone, with a similar smaller pile some thirty feet SW – possibly the other end of it. Certainly not a very exciting site!
Again, according to Canmore, the upper stone of a circular rotary quern, 52.5cm in diameter, was found in the field which lies to the S of that containing the souterrain, and is now in Dundee Museum.
This 4-poster lie within the same small wooded area as the Bandirran Circles. Access is from the B953 Abernyte to Balbeggie road, over a stile into the wooded area, then head roughly north-west until near the un-numbered road to Collace. This whole area is overlooked by the remains of a hill fort on nearby Dunsinane Hill, just to the east of the sites. There is allegedly a northern 4-poster (or the remains thereof) approximately 100 metres away from the southern one I have photographed, but I have not uncovered it as yet.
I was over this way the other day, but no-one home in the Manse. Left a note, and the minister phoned me later. I will be getting in touch with him again soon and will post the photos from the visit.
Visited here yesterday. Nice stone, shame about the ridiculous sundial perched on it. Aligned roughly E-W and around 8 foot tall.
Visited this yesterday in the pouring rain. The track is definitely only suitable for 4x4, as there’s a real risk to sumps on some of the track. Also it was awash in mud...
Two stones of quartzose schist, about 8-10 inches apart. In a rough line NE-SW, no markings visible, but nicely patterned rocks.
Fairly easy to find (can be seen from the A9, in the distance). Turn off left just after the Luncarty junction, on to a farm track. Bear left towards Pitlandie then left again towards Cramflat. There’s a convenient space to park on the corner so you’re not blocking the road!
The stone’s just under 6 feet tall, with no visible markings on it. Oriented NNE-SSW.
Revisited today – on the northwest face, in the centre is what appears to be a cupmark – didn’t notice that last time I was here but that was a while ago. It’s not a recent addition – I think I mustn’t have been wearing my glasses last visit! I’ve appended a photograph which shows it reasonably clearly.
Take the Errol road running due east out of St Madoes, and keep an eye on the left. At the entrance to Pitcoag Farm there is a sign – Hawkstone Cottage. Park carefully and ask permission to view the stone at the cottage. This was readily granted when I called, and the gentleman also pointed out some carving on the east face of the stone – the word ‘Caledonia’ has been engraved at some point in the past, at least 70 years ago according to the cottage’s current owner.
Other than this there are no marks on the stone. This stone is connected with the Hays of Errol, and the Falcon Stone near Knapp.
This is a beautiful place, and it was a pleasant sunny afternoon in November when the Megaraks visited. Sadly, there was evidence that some idiot had lit a small fire in the centre of the stones. Fools are everywhere, and unfortunately even remote spots like this suffer from them. However, we tidied up a bit, and the area remains a nice place to visit, as the photographs show.
I visited these en route to the Sherrifmuir Inn, for the annual march to commemorate the Battle of Sherrifmuir. These stones are also referred to as the Wallace Stones. Situated in Stirlingshire close by the site of the Battle of Sherrifmuir on 13th November 1715 (the Jacobite Rising), they are also traditionally held to be where William Wallace and Andrew de Moray rallied their troops prior to the Battle of Stirling Bridge (1296). Marked as 5 stones by the OS, I can only find 4 of them! They are aligned on a SW-NE axis, and about 100m apart. The third stone in the sequence heading SW is virtually buried, and the fourth is actually two stones very close together. There are what appear to be cupmarks on the inner face of the westerly stone of this pair.
I visited yesterday, a fine bright clear November afternoon. Easy access, there’s a layby right beside the site, though the barbed wire fence is a bit awkward! An interesting little place.
I was up there yesterday, a bright November day, clear but windy. The views are quite magnificent, and it’s easily seen why they chose this location to build. I’ve appended a few of the photos I took.
St. Madoes is reached from the A90 Perth – Dundee road, at the Glencarse turning. Head down the little main street and turn right at the sign for the school. These stones are now incorporated into a garden feature in the grounds of St. Madoes Primary School, in front of the main entrance. Permission MUST be obtained from the school for viewing – for obvious reasons
This interesting stone stands in the middle of a field approximately 3 kilometres east of Alyth. Take the B952 east from Alyth, to the fork onto the small road marked Airlie. Past Shanzie Farm on your right, less than half a kilometre on the left is the turning in to Bruceton Farm up on the hillside (well posted – Bed and Breakfast sign). Park on the verge, and walk back to the berry field on the other side of the road – an open gateway here takes you into the field. Walk east then follow the stone dyke south towards the River Isla. You will see the stone on your left in the field beyond the dyke, if the field is not in crop. You will have to climb over the dyke to gain access, and permission should be sought at the farm before doing this. It is well worth it, as this Class 1 stone, though eroded somewhat, still bears a distinct horseshoe mark without decorations, plus a Pictish beast (sometimes called an ‘elephant’) below. This carving is quite worn and less distinct. The stone lies on an ESE axis almost exactly equidistant between the Shanzie and Philpie stones.
According to Jervise (1857) a number of stone coffins were dug up around 1840 some 20 metres north-east of the stone.
In the Perthshire village of Dunning, where the Dupplin Cross is housed in the local kirk, this stone stands just down the lane from the church a short distance into a field. There was a very limited area round about it, and several signs of damage in the form of scrapes and traces of orange paint show that the farmer here does not care for this megalith the way we would hope for. No distinguishable features apart from the damage.
This spectacularly dull stone is included only out of completeness. It stands outside the parish kirk of the little fishing town of Crail, which in itself is worth a visit, but I wouldn’t do it just for this stone. Don’t miss visiting Crail just because of the negative review of this particular lump of rock, however. It’s worth a look, and the fish is always fresh.
This large stone stands within the grounds of the Swallow Hotel (formerly the Graystane Hotel) just off the main Dundee-Perth dual carriageway, the A85. A small road to Denhead of Gray leads off the roundabout, and there is ample car parking at the hotel. Ask for permission to view the stone, which is readily granted. It lies behind the Conference Centre to the right of the main hotel. Adjacent to a section of railing, there are no cup marks or similar, though there is evidence of carved initials on the north facing – probably 200-300 years old.
These stones stand beside a farm building, acting like gateposts for a field entrance. No significant markings on either of them. The farm road to Dunmay branches east from the A93 a couple of miles south of Spittal of Glenshee, crossing a small bridge. Cars with dodgy suspensions should avoid this road like the plague, as it’s suitable for tractors or 4X4’s only! The road bends to the right about 200m in, and park here at the wide space to ensure farm vehicles are not impeded. The stones are up on a low mound, above what appears to have been an old kiln. The farmer has no problem with people viewing them.
Leave the A9 at Bankfoot, and turn east into the Tullybelton road. Follow this past the turning to Pitsundry farm, and you will see the stone up on the rise to your left. There is an area to park beside the gate into the field. Walk up the side of the field by the fence to reach the stone. One eroded cup mark is evident on the lower left area of the stone on its eastern face.
This stone stands on GlenIsla Golf Course, on the 3rd hole, which is called Standing Stone. It lies just outside the town of Alyth, where 2 golf courses lie next to one another – the Alyth course, which is the more southerly of the two, and the GlenIsla Course. You may park at the course in the public car park, and ask permission to view the stone at the Club House. This was readily granted when I visited, and it is easy enough to follow the first two holes keeping in the rough. The stone itself is fairly unspectacular, no cup or ring marks visible, and the south face has been vandalised at some point in the past by having white paint applied, though this is slowly weathering away.
Leave Perth on the A94 towards Scone, and take a right turn towards Murrayshall. Follow this road out into the country heading north east until you pass the golf course on your right – look to your left and you will see the stone in the centre of the field.
Balhomais lies on the B846 about 1km before the Dull turning, beside the farm road of the same name. There is a tumulus or cairn here, by the north side of the road, and the remains of what may have been a circle. Only the northern and western sides remain, along with a jumble of other stones by the cairn, one of which must have been pretty impressive when upright. Fallen, it is easily 2m in length. The stone in the most SW position has had an area chiselled out in the past, roughly the shape of a crescent.
Canmore suggests a diameter of 66’ feet for the circle, but also states that things have changed over the years – the barrow has been partially quarried away on the east side, and 5 stones were noted originally, one of which became incorporated into the wall by the roadside.
Turn off the A90 at Longforgan and take the road towards Knapp. Turn right onto the small road about a kilometre up the Knapp road, and park about 200 metres east on this road. The Falcon Stone lies out in the field to your south.
Close by the village of Airlie, off the A926 from Alyth, a small road runs north. About 300m up, a gate blocks access to an old quarry. Enter here and walk heading due east, over fairly stony ground and a couple of old fences, until an old stone hut is encountered. Just past this you will see a telegraph pole, and the stones are located either side of this. There are many other smaller stones around, as there is an abandoned quarry just north of them. These stones are unremarkable, with no visible cup or ring marks. Interestingly, however, they lie on an ESE axis, at the eastern end of an almost perfect line between the Shanzie stone with the Bruceton stone almost exactly in between. The hillside where the Shanzie stone is located is clearly visible, but Bruceton is in a hollow and is hidden.
Revisited 9/2/03, two more images added.
Take the turning into Glencarse from the A90 between Perth and Dundee. Head NNW just after the hotel, and follow signs for Gouktoun. Take a right, then right again for Balthayock, and follow this road for about two miles. The stones lie within the farm lands of Commonbank Farm, lying to the west of the road. They are accessible via the farm road and through the fields, but permission should be sought from the farmer as stock are in the fields. I found the people on the farm to be very helpful. There is supposed to be a stone circle here at NO177247, but I could find no trace of it, and the farmer did not know of its existence, so it is presumably lost.
From Forfar head east on the A932 Friockeim road. Turn north onto the un-numbered Aberlemno road by Balgavies Loch, until a small crossroads is reached. Just north of this junction you will see the stone in a field on your left (west side of the road.) This at first appears an unassuming stone, standing about 1.2m high. Flat-faced, with the faces approximately due south-west/north-east. However, it repays closer examination. Along with 5 cup marks along the top ridge, on the SW face is (allegedly) a very faint outline of a man. I had a good look, and could make out some faint lines, but the stone is very eroded.
Blackgate cottage lies on the B9134 east from Forfar. Turn onto the track and Blackgate cottage is third on the left. Ask permission from the owners of the cottage, as the stones are within their yard.
Take the B955 Cortachy road north out of Kirriemuir, Pass Caddam Wood on the left and take the road on the left leading to Kingoldrum. The stone lies 100m down this road in the field on the north side, and has been enclosed. It is a plain stone, with no visible cup or ring marks.
Kindallachan lies just to the east of the A9 a few miles north of Dunkeld. The stone lies in a field adjacent to the A9, and there is plenty space to park nearby. The stone itself is fairly unremarkable, standing approximately 1.5 m tall. It is known locally as the ‘Druid’s Stone’. The area itself is interesting, however. The Megaraks visited on 13/10/02, and on investigating the nearby area found traces of what we believe to have been a stone circle close by this standing stone – was it an outlier? Four stones remain (I have marked the 3 visible ones on the lowest photograph), and a local man we spoke to said that his neighbour had paced these stones out – they were precisely 14 of his paces apart. They lie in an eastern arc, at approximately NN995503. The area before them is flat, and although our cursory examination revealed no further stones, I intend to return and subject this one to a closer scrutiny! The putative circle remains lie within a natural amphitheatre, and is bounded by a stream to the east. An interesting site, and one which may repay further study. There is no information about this particular site in Canmore.
These are a bit awkward to get to. Follow the A94 through Scone towards Shianbank, take the small road on the southern side towards the house at the end of the track. The circles are in the small wooded area out in the fields. There are the remains of what appear to be old WW2 bunkers beside the site, and a very large rabbit warren! According to a friend (Scotty) there is evidence of wierd rituals being held on this site – he saw the usual candle debris, a large cow skull and a cat’s tail last time he visited, approximately September 02.
From the A90 just north of Brechin take the B966 through Edzell, amile or so past the town there is a road marked “Glenesk – Tarfside” heading north (left side of the road). Take this and follow the road for several miles (be warned, it’s pretty narrow so watch for oncoming traffic!). As the glen opens out you’ll see a sign for Colmeallie, park where convenient at the foot here, so as not to block the entrance, and walk up to the circle, which is to the left of the track. The man who lives at the cottage here is helpful and there’s no problem viewing the circle.
The circle itself is pretty disrupted. Only five stones remain upright, though a drawing I’ve seen from the 1950’s showed 6 upright at that time. It sits on a mound, and on investigation appears to have been two concentric circles at one time. Many stones are now recumbent, and others have been utilised in nearby dykes... It’s in a pretty stunning location though, and worth a look. ‘Dowsing’, for those of the ley line persuasion, shows that there is a pretty strong ‘focus’ near the centre of the circle – this was demonstrated to me by the resident of the cottage, who had been shown how to do it by a previous visitor to the site!
Situated in the village of Murthly, accessed via the B9099 from Luncarty on the A9, the circle is in an area known as Druid’s Park (formerly Murthly Hospital). This circle lies 300 yards north east of the gate, in the private grounds of Druid’s Park House. Permission should be sought from the occupants before entering, although when I visited this was readily and cheerfully granted. The circle comprises 5 stones, in a sunken circular area approximately 10 metres in diameter. From gaps in the circle it appears that there may once have been 7 or 8 stones, but there is no trace of the others. This site stood in an open field until the construction of Murthly Hospital in 1863-4, when oaks were planted and an earth bank raised around the stones. Cinerary urns were found close to but not inside the circle during the 19th century. The area is now unfortunately heavily overgrown with rhododendrons, and although the primary stone, some 2m high, is easily visible, the others are quite hidden. They have been marked with white lines on one photograph.
Take the A929 north out of Dundee to Tealing. Follow the road due west past Balkemback farm on the left, until you see a house in a stand of trees on the right. Park just past this, and the circle is in the second field north. The site is described as an irregular setting of four stones, two fallen. They form a circle approximately 11m in diameter. The tallest stone is the south-eastern one, standing just over 1m in height, but the fallen south-western stone is 1.5m in length. The south-eastern stone has cup and cup-and-ring markings on the broad east and west faces.
From Alyth, follow the B954 northwards past the Loch of Lintrathen over on the right, until the road forks at Dykend. Follow the B951 for approximately 2km until just before Pitmudie. Park at the side of the road, climb the fence into the wood on the north side of the road, and follow the fence as it zigzags uphill. At the second north-to-east junction, climb over the inner fence and head approximetely 50m north east, where you will soon see the upright stone amongst the broom. There are 3 stones, a large (3.5m) upright and 2 recumbent ones. It is easy to see that they were all originally upright, aligned on a south-west axis. Following the line south west points to the Kilry stone, and north east to the stones at Knowehead of Auldallan. Seriously spooky stuff, I’ll leave any conclusions to the ley line/magnetic/conspiracy theorists! Beautiful views of the scenery to the north of here, well worth a visit.
These stones are a bit off the beaten track. Knowehead of Auldallan Farm is north of Pitmudie on the B951. Find Pitmudie and turn north on the Balintore road (un-numbered). Drive up past the ruined Balintore Castle ( a real Brigadoon affair! ) and about 1/2 km along to the east is Knowehead of Auldallan Farm. Ask permission (readily granted when I called) and head down the fields, negotiating 2 gates. Always ask, as there are stock in the fields. The 2 stones are in a fenced-off area, one standing and the other recumbent. The farmer told me that the recumbent one had been pushed over many years ago by cattle rubbing against it! When standing, it must have been aligned with the other on an approximate SSW axis.
From Alyth take the B954 north until the road forks, signposted for Dykehead and Kilry. Follow this un-numbered road until you see Kilry School, a small building. There is a little cottage opposite, appropriately named “Standing Stone”. There’s not much in the way of parking here, and the road is very narrow. The stone is to the north side of the cottage down a private track – please ask before entering. It sits in a peaceful glade in the trees, and on the map, appears to be perfectly aligned with the Pitmudie Stone Row and the Auldallan Stones. You can’t see any one from the others, but try it on the map with a ruler.... Spooky! I’ll leave discussion of this coincidence to the believers in ley lines, etcetera.
This stone is situated near Alyth. Taking the A926 east from Alyth, through Ruthven and the village of Airlie, it is immediately visible to the right, highlighted against the sky. There is a convenient farm gate nearby, which can be parked in short term. The stone is over 2 metres high, and has no normal distinguishing marks (If you disregard the ruddy great bench-mark on the northern face...), but is quite dramatic as it leans to the south, illustrated in the picture I have posted.
Take the A929 north from Dundee towards Tealing. Turn off before Tealing at Tinkletap, and park in the yard (ask permission). Take the track north to the old shed, then west towards another track running SW/NE. 50 metres NE up this track the stones lie up on the left. This pair of stones is not very impressive, with no cup marks or rings visible, but the view from their location is fine.
Take the B952 east from Alyth until you encounter the small road leading east towards Airlie. About a kilometer along this road is Shanzie Farm, on your right. Drive past, park about 100 metres along on your left, at a field entrance (ensuring the farmer is not working in the field). Walk another 100 metres east, where a path can be seen between a stone dyke and an electric fence, leading uphill. The path is wide and easy to follow. Up the hill, there is a stile placed there by the farmer over the electric fence. The stone itself is unremarkable, with no cup or ring marks, but the view is excellent and well worth the little climb. All credit to the farmer at Shanzie, who has made access to the stone extremely easy, and is a very friendly and helpful gentleman. One oddity I did notice is that the Shanzie stone is at the western end of an ESE axis, with the Philpie stones the opposite (eastern) end. The Bruceton symbol stone lies almost exactly halfway between.
A small stone perched on a low hilltop, just off the A93 through Glenshee. About 5 miles south of Spittal of Glenshee is a small road which runs east towards Glenisla, signposted for Blacklunans. On a bend in the road about a mile in there is sufficient space to park – the stone itself can be glimpsed just on the small hilltop. Negotiate a couple of gates and it’s about a 50m walk up the hill to the top. No significant markings, but worth a look just for the views!
Not a lot to add to what’s been said below – I’ve added 3 photographs of various aspects of the stones around the site. I wasn’t sure what to make of the layout.