Site type CUP MARKED STONE
Canmore ID 16404
Site Number NJ25NE 4
NGR NJ 2700 5864
Council MORAY
Parish ELGIN
Former Region GRAMPIAN
Former District MORAY
Former County MORAYSHIRE

Canmore Mapping
View this site on a map

Archaeological Notes

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.

Coles, F R (1907) 'Report on stone circles surveyed in the North-East of Scotland (Banffshire and Moray), with measured plans and drawings; obtained under the Gunning Fellowship', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, vol.41
Page(s): 172

Gordon, C A (1958b) 'Carved stone at Cross-stone, Ellon', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, vol.89
Page(s): 444-6 figs. 2, 3, 4; pl. 64