| 1016988 |
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Situated on the Moor of Ardoch above Fowlis Wester, a position that offers commanding views over Strathearn towards the Ochil Hills, there is an interesting group of monuments that was excavated in 1939; it comprises two standing stones (although one is now fallen), a cairn with a circle of boulders around it, and a ruined circle of standing stones. The upright stone is some 2m high and bears a single cup-mark; excavation revealed a deposit of cremated bone, charcoal and quartz chippings on its east side; on the same side there was a pit carefully packed with white water-rolled stones. The cairn to the south-west belongs to a distinct group of sites known as kerb cairns, for the perimeter boulders, or kerb, form the most remarkable element; the cairn is some 4.8m in diameter and is best preserved on its southern half. At its centre excavation revealed traces of burning and patches of cremated bone as well as deliberately positioned quantities of white quartz. The inner face of one of the south-western kerb stones was decorated with three cup-marks. Four stones of the surrounding circle survive, but the stone-holes of the other seven could be clearly traced. The second circle and a fallen standing stone may be seen a little to the west, but the circle has been more severely damaged and none of its stones now remains upright. [...] |
1987 |
| 1016994 |
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This pair of shapely stones stands on a slight rise; in the 19th century, several cists and burials were discovered in the course of ploughing nearby, and the stones were clearly a focal point for burial and ritual in the bronze age. The stones are unusual in having been explored in recent times too, for in 1972 following the toppling of the western stone the area round each was excavated and the western stone subsequently re-erected. This stone (2.8 m in height and 2.95 m in girth at the base) had been set in a small hollow, and a small deposit of cremated bone was found a little to its south-west The eastern stone is an impressive whinstone monolith (3.8 m in overall height), set in a socket measuring about 1.5m in diameter and 0.75 m deep. A remarkable find was the discovery of two cremation deposits within the stone-hole on the southwest side, presumably inserted during the erection of the stone; they had been carefully interred one above the other with a flat slab separating them, and they represented the remains of several people, as well as bones of pig and dog. [...] |
1987 |
| 1016952 |
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The church at St Vigeans presents a striking sight, perched on a small steep knoll above the Brothock Bum. Although most of the present building belongs to a 19th century restoration, the site has a long ecclesiastical history and bears the name of a 7th century Irish saint, Vigianus. The collection of early stone-carving now housed in a converted cottage at the foot of the knoll was discovered during the re-building of the church, most of the stones having been incorporated into its walls. Most were originally freestanding upright monuments, a few were recumbent or horizontal tombstones, and one or two may have been architectural pieces which once decorated an early church on the site. Overall, the collection is similar in range to that at Meigle (no. 76), and the absence of early symbol stones is a notable feature of both. Many of the St Vigeans stones have suffered badly from misuse as building material, and some survive only as fragments; only the most interesting of the 32 pieces will be treated here in detail. [...] |
1987 |
