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Wester Achtuie
Cup Marked Rock (Neolithic) - (Bronze Age)
Site Name Wester Achtuie
Classification Cup Marked Rock (Neolithic) - (Bronze Age)
Canmore ID 12642
Site Number NH53SW 3
NGR NH 52176 31319
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/12642
- Council Highland
- Parish Urquhart And Glenmoriston
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Inverness
- Former County Inverness-shire
NH53SW 3 52172 31330
There is an extensive area of cup-markings on the naturally polished east end of a glaciated ridge of sandstone, on the moor, just beyond the dike between Easter and Wester Achtuie. The ridge runs E.N.E. and is covered with stunted heather.
It is impossible to say how many cup-marks there are, as some are covered by turf, but the author has traced 88 varying in size from 1" to 3" in diameter, and in depth from a barely roughened surface to 1 1/8" The cupmarked surfaces lie in a rough line NE- SW and about 40 yards long.
A Grant 1888
In the area centred at NH 521312, on a piece of outcropping rock, three cup-marks about 2" across by 1/2" deep can be seen. As the greater part of the ridge is now grass and heather covered, no other cup marks were found and there is no local knowledge of any such markings.
Surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (R D) 4 December 1964
Field Visit (1 September 1997)
NH53SW 3 52172 31330
Two smooth sheets of bedrock immediately to the NE of the enclosed fields around Wester Achtuie bear thirteen cup-markings between them, each measuring about 70mm across and 10mm in depth.
(URQ97 10)
Visited by RCAHMS (DCC) 1 September 1997
Watching Brief (July 2010)
NH 5219 3125 A watching brief was conducted in July 2010
during groundbreaking works for a new house and garage
to the SE of Wester Achtuie cup-marked stone (NH53SW 3).
The work revealed no archaeological features or deposits.
Archive: RCAHMS (intended). Report: Highland Council
Archaeological Unit
Funder: Mr E Fraser
Note (13 August 2020)
Date Fieldwork Started: 13/08/2020
Compiled by: NOSAS
Location Notes: The panel lies on the S facing slope of the hill overlooking the junction of the River Enrick with Loch Ness. The Drumbuie Burn lies to the NW and there are new houses to the SW of the site. In the past the site has been part of the crofting landscape and there is an old turf and stone dyke about 10m to the SW of the panel. The field around the panel is rough grazing and the post and wire fence of the field is 1m S of the panel. There are several prehistoric sites in the area, a Clava type cairn to the W, hut circles lie to the N and the multiperiod site of Garbeg is about 1km to the E.
Panel Notes: This comprises two adjacent areas of exposed outcrop on a sandstone ridge, measures 2 x 0.9m overall and 0.2m maximum height. In the past more of the sandstone outcrop was visible but now only these two areas are exposed. Other carvings may still be below the deeper turf as up to 88 cups were counted in 1888. As the outcropping rock surfaces were only 1m apart, and it is likely that they were continuous below the turf, they were treated as one panel. The S part of the panel has 13 cupmarks and a single oval cupmark, all lying at the E end of the outcrop, with a few fissures and a weathered channel lying E-W. The N part of the panel has 2 fissures lying roughly NW-SE. There are 4 cupmarks at the E end of this outcropping area and a single cupmark towards its W end.
