nickbrand
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!
A closer look at the cup marks – and some farm machinery scrapes...
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 stone is connected with the Hays of Errol, and the Falcon Stone near Knapp and Rossie Priory. A Scottish peasant named Hay, and his two sons, assisted in the Scots victory over the Danes at the battle of Luncarty, c. 990 A.D. Following the battle, the peasant was awarded land for his assistance. From Bellenden’s ‘Boece’, in The Archaeology of Scotland:
“Sone efter ane counsel was set at Scone, in the quhilk Hay and his sonnis war maid nobil and dotad for their singular virtew provin in this feild, with sindry landis to sustene thair estait. It is said that he askit fra the king certane landis liand betwix Tay and Arole; and gat als mekil thairof as ane falcon flew of ane mannis hand or sho lichtit. The falcon flew to ane toun four miles fra Dunde, callit Rosse, and lichtit on ane stane, quhilk is yit callt the Falcon Stane; and sa he gat all the landis betwix Tay and Arole, six miles of lenth and four of breid; whilk landis ar yit inhabit be his posteritie.”
The falcon was allegedly flown from this stone, and alighted at the Falcon Stone. All the land between was gifted to the Hays, and remained in their possession until the 1700’s.
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.
