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Creag Na H-earba

Carving (18th Century), Inscribed Rock(S) (Post Medieval)

Site Name Creag Na H-earba

Classification Carving (18th Century), Inscribed Rock(S) (Post Medieval)

Alternative Name(s) Glen Artney

Canmore ID 340826

Site Number NN61NE 7

NGR NN 65493 16219

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/340826

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

  • Council Perth And Kinross
  • Parish Comrie (Perth And Kinross)
  • Former Region Tayside
  • Former District Perth And Kinross
  • Former County Perthshire

Activities

Note (3 November 2017)

A rock carving was reported to RCAHMS in August 1973 by the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, who had in turn been notified by a member of the public. Correspondence includes a photograph of the carved surface (dated January 1973), a perspective sketch showing the position of the stone and an extract of an OS 6-inch map with the position annotated. The position given in correspondence dated 6 August 1973 (NN c. 644 167) differs from the position indicated by the annotated map extract included in correspondance of 14 August 1973 (NN c. 6544 1623). The second of these has been accepted with the understanding that it is imprecise and possibly inaccurate.

Information from HES Survey and Recording (GFG) 3 November 2017

Field Visit (24 September 2018 - 6 October 2018)

NN 65491 16224 A Canmore record from 1973 makes

reference to a curious rock carving made in the vicinity of

Creag na h-Earba in Gleann an Dubh Choirein. This was

relocated during a field visit on 24 September 2018 and a

second, adjacent carved panel was found bearing a name,

date and other lettering and motifs. On a subsequent visit

on 6 October 2018, a third panel was located with markings

upon it.

Panel 1 – Measuring c500 x 200mm with a prominent

stirrup-shaped symbol filled with cross-hatching, a figureof-

eight, a cross symbol plus other possible but now faint

and indecipherable scratching. Prominent intersecting lines

running across the lower two thirds of the panel are probably

natural cracks.

Panel 2 – Measuring c400 x 250mm, has the name J D

CAMPBELL inscribed centrally. Below this is a date, which

appears to read 1703 or possibly 1763. To the right of this are

the initials RSS, with the two S’s separated by a cross-hatched

stirrup shape, although somewhat more crudely incised than

on Panel 1. The top of the R is also filled with cross-hatching.

At the top of the panel, centred above the name, there is a

box filled with two lines of now indecipherable lettering, with

the exception of a large W (or maybe M) at the beginning of

the second line. There also appeared to be a further line of

lettering below this box but it was too weathered to read.

Panel 3 – Measuring 450 x 300mm, has a deeply cut stirrup

shape filled with a rosette of nine, possibly ten dots. There is a

second more indistinct rounded, dot-filled shape towards the

bottom edge of the panel and a smaller crude stirrup shape

near to this. There is also a group of five deep transverse

scraped grooves near the centre of the panel.

It is assumed that the incisions on the three panels were

made by a metal blade. Five adjacent V-shaped grooves at the

bottom edge of Panel 1 might represent where the blade was

sharpened. The panels were all initially covered in moss and

turf and this has been replaced to protect the surfaces from

further weathering.

The carvings do not intrinsically reveal why they are there

and it is thought likely that they are essentially graffiti and

have no specific meaning. It is speculated that they are

either; the work of a traveller or drovers passing through the

area on the route from Loch Earn to Glen Artney and possibly

spending the night here in the shelter afforded by the rock,

or maybe a deer hunter waiting for his quarry – Creag na

h-Earba translates as ‘Deer Rock’.

Report: My Canmore

Nick Parish

Note (24 September 2018)

Date Fieldwork Started: 24/09/2018

Compiled by: Callander

Location Notes: The Canmore entry (340826) for this site is based upon a single report made in 1973, which included a monochrome photo.

This remote site has now been visited twice and studied in some detail. Two further adjacent panels have been found. One has the name J D CAMPBELL and an 18th century date inscribed on it plus other letters. The original panel has motifs of a similar style to this & the third panel and they all appear to be contemporary with each other - 18th century graffiti. There is nothing that would suggest prehistoric art of the cup & ring type.

Panel Notes: Carvings dated to 18th Century

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