Cup-and-Ring Stone: OS Grid Reference – NN 91123 25978
Also Known as:
- Buchanty Hill
- Constellation Stone
- Footprint Stone
We took the long route to get here, via Fowlis Wester village, up to the car-park near the standing stones, then walk for 1¾ miles along the track: past the stones, veering right to go downhill then uphill, past the Ardoch (1) petroglyph and bearing right at the next split in the track, then right again at the next split. Then, crossing a small burn and curving round the next bend, keep your eyes peeled for the track-cum-footpath that reaches uphill on your right (NE). A shorter route is via the Foulford golf course (found along the A822 roughly halfway between Gilmerton and the entrance to the Sma’ Glen): take the track from there, eastwards into the hills, and literally ¾-mile along you reach the pylon; keep walking along the track for another 200 yards and on your left watch out for the same track-cum-footpath. Walk up there for about 400 yards and, 35 yards to the right of the fence, you’ll see a large flat stone.
Archaeology & History
This is a most curious design, sitting way up near the top of this unnamed hill on its western face. It’s curious as there are number of odd elongated cup-marks which, to me at least, should be described as footprints. We find such designs on a few carvings (such as the one at Dunadd, and St. Columba’s Stone, etc), but they’re pretty rare. The best can be found on the Cochno Stone a few miles north of Glasgow, with additional toes on the design… but that’s for another site profile – and an essay, perhaps, should I ever get round to writing it! Anyhow…
It was first described, albeit briefly, by a Mr Comrie in 1972, who told us that,
“On a south-west facing slope of Buchanty Hill at 950ft is a boulder measuring 1.60m x 1.40m with 22 cups and 11 dumb-bells, 6 of which are distorted by a fault of quartz in the stone.”
But his description of what he saw as eleven “dumb-bells” is somewhat extravagant. Six, perhaps seven would seem the more probable. I was hoping to find that the Scottish Rock Art Project doods might have spent some of their million quid in doing a computer enhancement of this carving in order to confirm it one way or the other, but this was one of hundreds that they never looked at. Very poor… (and they only described two so-called dumb-bells here!) The only other mention I’ve found of the place is in Finlayson’s (2010) fine survey of local megaliths, but only in passing.
The dumb-bells or “footprints” on this carving are small: fairy footprints, one might say. The main ones are seen near the middle of the stone on its flat smooth surface. Another—perhaps two—occur along a curious geological cut that runs in a straight line, north-south (roughly) over the rock. This curious line has a series of deeply cut elements, mainly cup-marks, which give the impression of being enhanced or worked upon in much more recent centuries, looking almost as if they possessed some utilitarian function. They’re most odd and are certainly much younger than the very worn cup-marks that are scattered across the stone in no particular order. One of them seems to have a very faint ring around it. You can just make it out in one of the photos.
So we’re looking at a multi-period carving done (probably) over several centuries. Some of the cup-marks are barely visible unless the light is just right. On my first visit here, the day was grey and overcast and some elements of the design were all but invisible; but on my second visit, one a beautiful evening, then wetting the rock, it shone out in all its splendour…. Well – as good as could be expected considering it may be five thousand years old! But the footprints are the stand-out features of the design.
In a lengthy essay on this motif that’s found on numerous European petroglyphs, Miroslav Verner (1973) points out several traditional and theoretical meanings ascribed to the symbol, which may be relevant to the stone here. The footprints may mark the rock as a pilgrimage site; or a representation of the location of a theophany, or genius loci. In some places it can be a signature of the so-called artist; or a symbol of victory; and even a symbol which possesses the power to cure fevers and other ailments. This latter tradition was known to have been practiced at the mightily impressive Blarnaboard (3) carving near Aberfoyle.
Another important feature of this carving its position in the landscape: more than a thousand feet above sea level, you sit here and the vista ahead of you reaches far far away into the distance from east to south to west. The skies above and around it are open and seemingly endless from here. It’s impressive and, most likely, these attributes are mythically significant to its meaning. Have a look at the place: take a day out and sit here for a while and get your own impression of the place. You’ll like it…
References:
- Comrie, J.E.M., “Fowlis Wester parish: Cup-marked Stone”, in Discovery & Excavation Scotand, 1972.
- Finlayson, Andrew, The Stones of Strathearn, One Tree Island: Comrie 2010.
- Verner, Miroslav, Some Nubian Petroglyphs on Czechoslovak Concessions, Universita Karlova: Praha 1973.
© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian