greywether
From just outside the circle showing the recumbent and flankers and the only other upright stone (2.9m).
Ruined but still impressive.
If you want to see the longest recumbent, this is it – 5.2m. No west flanker and only two other upright stones.
Great views.
Access. Close to the road – from where you can get a good view even if the field is in crop. Nearby passing place big enough to park in.
Visited 15th March 2005
The view from the road looking NNE showing all that survives of this circle.
The recumbent and east flanker from outside the circle. The ranging pole is 1m high.
The two surviving stones on the W of the circle – 1.7m (L) and 2.2m.
An excellent recumbent stone circle. The west flanker has fallen but it remains an evocative site with its massive recumbent and largely open outlook.
What a difference from when I was last here in 1987 when the circle was completely surrounded by trees (see posted image).
Access. a23’s directions are spot on. The parking place is at NJ 9561 4706.
Visited 19th March 2005
Looking SW with the three surviving upright stones, the recumbent and the east flanker.
Another view showing more of the decorations on the S part of the stone.
The cup and five rings with groove here shows up detail which Morris described in 1981 as having weathered off.
Location view.
You approach the site from the trees at the top left.
This is a splendid stone.
It lies about 2km S of the other decorated stones at Menteith and has been moved slightly from its original location.
Located at an altitude of 25m it could be the lowest lying cup and ring stone.
GPS reading (12m accuracy) NS 56421 99536.
Access Ask at Malling Farm. They get a few visitors a year and seem happy to let you walk down to it.
Visited 13 January 2005
It’s difficult to get a good view of this from the ground.
These two views cover most of the cairn.
Looking S on the left. The cairn continues beyond the tree and ends at the mound which is just visible.
Looking N on the right. The cairn ends at the distant tree.
The S end.
Some stones of a possible chamber can be seen to the right.
I can’t resist a superlative!
“...at 342m, [this is] by far the longest chambered cairn in Britain ...” PSAS 132 p118
This enigmatic and unexcavated site has only in the last decade or so been interpreted as a chambered cairn. The higher and wider S end is seen as a Clyde cairn to which a long “tail” of a cairn has been added.
There is certainly a very clear chamber towards the S end and some partly visible stones at the extreme S end which could be part of another chamber.
It is, of course, the length which makes the site special and worth seeing – and comparisons have been made with the cursus monument tradition.
Aerial views can be seen on the Canmore website.
Access Easiest access is via the Keltie Caravan Site which is signposted just E of Callander.
Visited 13 January 2005
PDF article containing original sketch of the Cochno Stone.
From The Prehistoric Rock Art of Southern Scotland by Ronald W B Morris (1981).
Morris has based this drawing on a late 19th C sketch by Donnelly contained in the Bruce paper referenced in the PSAS link but has added, at the lettered areas, details from other plans.
Image credit: See caption.
The S stone with the N stone in the background in front of the white van.
24/11/04
One of, I think, the few cup and ring-marked large boulders in Scotland – there’s another at Newbigging. Most carvings are on outcrop or smaller stones.
Had a long and interesting chat with the farmer who had been there for over 40 years. He remembered Morris coming to first record the site. His most recent visitors were “two dutchmen”. That must have been you Jan and Gus!
GPS reading NS 49507 95044.
There is a cup-marked stone at NS 491 951.
Access. Very easy. You can drive up to and park at NS 4960 9514 then follow S bank of stream to the stone. A drop down a steep bank is necessary if you want a close view.
Visited 15 December 2004
This 1.1m high stone sits amongst the gravestones in the parish churchyard. Just inside the entrance slightly to your right.
Visited 15 December 2004
A 1.2m high stone clearly visible from the A891.
A cremation urn was found at its base when the stone was re-erected in 1982.
Visited 15 December 2004
THE SAD TALE OF THE COCHNO STONE
NMRS Number NS57SW 32
The Cochno Stone is one of the most extensively decorated and most interesting rock art sites in this part of Scotland.
The good news is that the rock still exists in its original location; the bad news (for some) is that, around 50 years ago, it was covered by about a metre of soil to protect it from further vandalism.
The worse news is that it does not seem to have been properly recorded before it was covered. Morris refers to several drawings of the site which are consistent in recording the main features but contain many differences on the minor ones.
As well as a splendid array of cup and ring-markings, there are spirals, a circled cross, two four-toed feet and a lot more.
He produced a drawing for The Prehistoric Rock Art of Southern Scotland (posted) incorporating as many features from the different drawings as he thought reasonable but this can be no substitute for a proper recording.
If you visit the site, you can get an impression of its immense size from the surrounding wall which remains.
Pictures of Menteith ..... and a whole lot more.
The Menteith images are (clockwise from top right): 26, 17, 12 east, 10
From What to see around the Kyle of Tongue by Kevin J. O’Reilly
Image credit: See caption
The guidebook from which the illustration is taken gives a slightly different description of the carvings from that given in Canmore.
“There are about 36 separate conical cups up to 3 inches in diameter; 20 of these are surrounded by rings up to 7 inches across. The southerly end of the boulder bears a rather oddly shaped projection or boss which has been carved artificially.”
From What to see around the Kyle of Tongue by Kevin J. O’Reilly.
Image credit: See caption
The markings at the S end.
With a little sprayed water for help. 20p coin in the approximate centre for scale.
Close-up of the five-ringed beauty.
Before spraying with water – shows up better the natural colour of the stone.
I’ve included this as Castleton 2b [NS88NE 53] meantime.
It doesn’t exactly match the description in Canmore (“two large disc cups, roughly pecked”) but it is in the right general location and I couldn’t see anything better matching the description.
Number 2. NS88NE 9. Described as “a ring of peck marks [15 cm] and a natural basin [18 cm]“.
