Field Visit

Date 6 April 1989

Event ID 1103273

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1103273

RCAHMS National Archaeological Survey: South-east Perth

The village of Rossie was cleared by George, seventh Lord Kinnaird (died 1805) in the late 18th century as part of the improvements to the Rossie Priory estate. It occupied the relatively level ground at the foot of a natural scarp beside the Rossie Burn and was overlooked by the old parish church (NO23SE 4). A scatter of pottery and tile in the ploughsoil (NO 291 307) may broadly correspond with the extent of the settlement and, on the E bank of the Rossie Burn (NO 2926 3065), there are the wasted remains of a solitary rectangular building (10m from WNW to ESE by 5.7m transversely over turf-covered stone wall-footings).

The mercat cross (stepped base, square fluted shaft and composite capital supporting two unicorns, two lions and a bull finial, bearing the date 1746 and the initials KG RH), which now stands some 80m SSE of the church, is said to have been erected at the centre of the village. Beside it (NO 2920 3072) there is a large boulder (the Loupin'-on-stane) which is believed to have stood beside the inn.

Roy depicts Rossie as a linear development along the W and E sides of the confluence of the Lochspout and Rossie Burns, some 300m to the SSW of the present position of the mercat cross. All that is visible at that location, however, are a series of disused fish ponds (NO 2916 3051 to 2936 3050) and an old bridge over the Lochspout Burn (NO 2928 3050); the ponds seem to have been still in use in 1867 (OS 6-inch map, 1st ed., Perthshire, 1867, sheet 87). Stobie also depicts the village (probably with a degree of accuracy) straddling the Rossie Burn alongside the old Perth to Dundee road, and indicates a mill at the confluence of the two burns. The church and village of 'Rosinclerach' are on record in 1160 x 1162.

Visited by RCAHMS (IMS) 6 April 1989.