Description

The monument comprises the remains of two standing stones, ritual monuments dating from the later Neolithic or Bronze Age periods. The monument was originally scheduled in 1968 but the area covered by the designation was not properly defined. The current rescheduling rectifies this.

The standing stones lie at just over 260m OD on a small hill summit overlooking the valley of the River Carron to the N. The stones lie approximately 1.8m apart and form a NNE-SSW axis. The S stone is roughly slab-shaped, around 1.5m high and a maximum of 1.2m wide, tapering at the top and the base. The N stone is nearly recumbent, although packing stones around its base indicate that it was originally meant to stand upright. It is 1.8m long and roughly square in section measuring a maximum of 1m by 0.8m in width. Small cup markings have been recorded on the downward face of the leaning stone although it is not clear whether these are natural or man-made. Cists were also reported as being discovered in the general vicinity during explorations in the 19th century; disturbance during these excavations may account for the collapse of the northernmost stone.

The area to be scheduled is a circle 20m in diameter centred on the stones as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric ritual practice. The potential presence of related deposits such as cist burials further enhances the interest of this site.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

The monument is recorded in the RCAHMS as NS 68 SE 1.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland