Scotland's Rock Art Project (ScRAP)
Date 22 February 2019
Event ID 1118804
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Note
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1118804
Date Fieldwork Started: 22/02/2019
Compiled by: Callander
Location Notes: Leckie Broch is about 1 km to the W of the village of Gargunnock on land privately owned by the Leckie Estate. It is in the wooded area along the Leckie Burn known as St. Colm's Glen. There is public access along the tarmac estate roads by foot or bike, though not motor vehicle access/parking is prohibited on the estate without permission. The glen is entered by a gate on the left just before the old sawmill and the bridge over the Leckie Burn (Note : a sign on the gate says that the footpath may be closed on occasion by the estate, presumably during pheasant shoots). The broch itself is on a promontory between the Leckie Burn and the Easter Blackspout Burn just to the S of their confluence. Both burns flow through deep wooded gullies either side of the promontory. The area between the burns is completely overgrown with rhododendrons: so much so that the broch remained undiscovered until the 1960s. It was subject to major excavations in the 70s under E.W. MacKie, but has since become reclaimed by the rhododendrons. Leckie 1 forms part of the dry-stone wall on the S side of the broch, to the left hand side of a small earth ramp leading from the broch, presumably for wheelbarrow access during the 1970s excavations.
Panel Notes: This is a roughly rectangular block of quarried sandstone occupying the second above-ground course of blocks on the outer wall of the broch. The markings are on the vertical S-facing surface. The 'cup mark' which has been reported is about 6cm in diameter x 2 cm deep. After close examination it was considered that this was probable natural. There are other indentations and depressions on the rock which are more obviously natural but mimic cup marks.
