Blackhills House
Cup Marked Stone (Neolithic) - (Bronze Age), Pictish Symbol Stone (Pictish)
Site Name Blackhills House
Classification Cup Marked Stone (Neolithic) - (Bronze Age), Pictish Symbol Stone (Pictish)
Canmore ID 16404
Site Number NJ25NE 4
NGR NJ 27000 58640
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/16404
- Council Moray
- Parish Elgin
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Moray
- Former County Morayshire
NJ25NE 4 2700 5864.
An incised and cup marked stone, originally found at Clackmarras (NJ 246 584) is now preserved in the grounds of Blackhills House (NJ 270 586) The stone is a quartzite block 4'9" long by 16" broad by 12" thick, which tradition says was once considerably longer, several feet having been broken off what is now the lower end. The north face is almost entirely covered with cup-marks arranged in irregular diagonal rows and varying in breadth from a maximum of 3". A natural fissure crosses this face diagonally. On the east face an area 30" long has been hollowed out to a rough level by pocking and on this a pocked groove forms a double spiral. The whole of the south face has been similarly dressed and on it appears a crescent, with horns 14" apart, and five cup-marks. The west side of the stone bears only a deep diagonal groove, 10" long. The crescent and spirals are deduced to be later than the cup-marks, probably contemporary with each other and show probable Irish influence.
F R Coles 1907; C A Gordon 1958.
This stone, as described and illustrated is preserved at NJ 2700 5864 under cover in the garden of Blackhills House.
Visited by OS (A A) 6 May 1971.
No change since report of 6 May 1971.
Surveyed at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (J B) 5 October 1976.
Change Of Location (27 May 2022)
Original Location: Clackmarras: NJ 246 584
Interim location: Strypes Farm: NJ 27810 58398
Current location: Blackhills House NJ 27000 58640
Information from HES (SIH) 27 May 2022
Note
Date Fieldwork Started: 17/12/2020
Compiled by: NOSAS
Location Notes: This stone was originally found at Clackmarras (NJ 246 584) and then moved to Strypes Farm (NJ 27810 58398). The owner of Blackhills House saw it being used as a gatepost and came to an agreement with the farmer to exchange it for another gatepost, in order to move it to Blackhills House, where he used it as a feature in his garden. The Blackhills House stone is located in a small, enclosed garden area 25m W of Blackhills House. It has been lime mortared to a circular base, which may have been used previously as a mill/grinding wheel. It stands within a six pillared, circular, roofed shelter. The pillars are possibly granite agricultural rollers. Another circle, approximately 18m in diameter, of 16 upright, agricultural rollers encircles it, giving the appearance of a contemporary stone circle.
Panel Notes: This upright, rectangular quartzite stone measures 1.4m x 0.6m x0.5m. The main cup marked surface faces to the N and the second surface with cupmarks faces S. A natural fissure extends, diagonally, from the top of the N facing side to 2/3 of the way down. This face is almost completely covered with carvings. It has 56 single cupmarks, the largest being 7cm in diameter and 2cm deep. There is also a cup and single ring; 3 pairs of conjoined cups; 2 wide grooves and 3 combination motifs, consisting of cupmarks and grooves. The S facing surface has 4 cupmarks, 3 at the top of the stone and 1 just above a crescent motif. The whole of the flat area of this surface has been pecked. The E face has also been pecked and a double spiral motif is present. This motif has a very 'fresh' clear appearance and is facing the gateway to the garden area. The W face has only a natural, deep groove.
