Sgorach Mor

NS08SE 24 0970 8499

On the prominent rocky hill of Sgorach Mor is a summit cairn supporting a narrow flat stone set vertically upright. It is about 1m high, with its broadest face up to 48cm wide and about 35cm thick. It is of interest because of the discovery, on the opposite side of Glen Tarsan, of a stone below Carn Ban set up to point to Sgorach Mor and of a second pointer stone below Sgorach Mor pointing to Carn Ban (DES 1999, 16), and two similar stones on Beinn Damhain (DES 2000, 17). These may be boundary-related, and were discovered during an investigation of the territorial limits of the ancient kingdoms of Dalriada and Strathclyde. This summit cairn is similar to the S stone on Beinn Damhain in that a direction may be indicated by the orientation of the flat face, in this case towards Carn Ban. From the summit there is a clear view to Dumbarton Rock, the Strathclyde capital. Sgorach Mor may therefore have had significance as a beacon hill.

Adjacent to the cairn on the NE side is a horizontal flat rock with one cup, 2.2cm in diameter, and an incised ring, 11cm diameter. However, these may be modern. On the SW side of the cairn is another horizontal flat rock with several small circular indentations resembling cup marks, but probably natural.

Sponsor: Cowal Archaeological and Historical Society.

D Dorren, N Henry, I Fyfe and M Fyfe 2004