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The Witches Stone

Witch Association (Period Unknown)

Site Name The Witches Stone

Classification Witch Association (Period Unknown)

Canmore ID 15807

Site Number NJ05NW 3

NGR NJ 0434 5930

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/15807

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Moray
  • Parish Forres
  • Former Region Grampian
  • Former District Moray
  • Former County Morayshire

Archaeology Notes

NJ05NW 3 0434 5930

(NJ 0435 5929) Witches Stones (NR)

OS 6" map (1938)

Only one granite stone, 3ft square and 1ft high, remains of three set to mark the graves of the three witches who bewitched King Duncan in 960. It is clasped by an iron band. A second stone is said to exist in the garden of nearby Trafalgar Place. The third stone was broken up in 1802, when the remaining stone was also damaged.

H B Mackintosh 1928; J B Ritchie 1932.

The stone is as described above. Part of the top is covered by concrete to support an iron plaque bearing the following inscription:

"WITCHES STONE. From Cluny Hill witches were rolled in stout barrels through which spikes were driven. Where the barrels stopped they were burned with their mangled contents. This stone marks the site of one such burning."

At NJ 04345930, in the garden of 'Trafalgar Place' (a new bungalow) is a boulder of conglomerate 0.8m high with a maximum dimension of 1.1m also said to be one of the Witches Stones (Mr Woods, Trafalgar Place, Victoria Rd, Forres).

It is in a part of the garden that was previously covered by dense vegetation and was moved about 1.0m to the West when the new property boundary was erected.

Visited by OS (RDL), 18 September 1963.

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