Rock Art Database

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Section A. CORE INFORMATION

A1. Identifiers

Classifications And Periods

County

STIRLINGSHIRE

A2. Grid Reference(original find site)

A3. Current Location & Provenance

Section B. CONTEXT

B1. Landscape Context

B2. Current land use & vegetation

• Wood/Forest

B3. Forestry

• Mature

B4. Archaeological Features within 200m / or visible from the panel

• Other rock art

Other: Iron Age - classified as a broch or promontory fort

B5. Location Notes

Leckie Broch is situated on a steep snout of land between the confluence of the Leckie Burn, at St. Colm's Glen, with the Blackspout Burn, both lying within deep gullies either side of the promontory. The broch is about 20m in diameter and the outcrop upon which bears the carvings is on its N side, just outside and below the ramparts. The outcrop is normally covered in thick moss, which obscures all but the most deeply incised motifs. The whole promontory is thickly veiled by dense and invasive rhododendron cover. The broch lies on the Leckie estate and must be accessed by foot from the start of the estate road at grid ref. NS 69906 94700. It is possible to park on the verge of the road just past the estate entrance. Following the estate road for about 1km, a footpath through the woods is accessed on the left via a gate just before the bridge over the Leckie Burn at Sawmill cottage. After about 150m, cross the ford just beyond a gap in the trees on the right, then a few metres beyond the ford on the left a faint path takes you upwards to the broch through the rhododendrons. The moss-covered outcrop is encountered on reaching the top just in front of the N walls of the broch, which are above it. The three separate blocks of rock that top the outcrop bear the carvings, each quite different in character. All three were originally recorded under the same Canmore ID as the broch (45379), but are not part of its structure and their relationship with it is unclear.

Section C. PANEL

C1. Panel Type

C2. Panel Dimensions, Slope & Orientation

C3. Rock Surface

C4. Surface Features

• Fissures/cracks
• Bedding Planes
• Smooth Surface

C5. Panel Notes

This is a strikingly decorated sandstone outcrop with an arrangement of deeply carved cupmarks and incised lines that appears to have some sort of design intent underpinning it. The rock measures 1.2 x 0.4m and is 0.4m high, sloping steeply to the N and E. It has a sloping fracture cleaving it at about two thirds along its length, and this has displaced the carvings slightly either side of the fracture. A second, smaller fracture meets this at about a third of the way down from the top so that there is a small triangular section of the rock that appears to have almost completely been detached (although this is still firmly held in situ). The most striking carved feature is the 'ladder' design of 3 deeply cut cupmarks, each surrounded by a carved sub-rectangular frame. To the E and above this is an arrangement of 9 larger, deep cupmarks (from 6-10cm diameter and 2-6cm deep), interspersed with subtly arranged smaller cupmarks and incised grooves. Like Leckie 2 and 3, it might reasonably be assumed that the carvings are contemporary with the adjacent Iron Age broch, although they may have been inspired by a far more humble cup markings that existed here beforehand and were then greatly elaborated by the broch-builders.

C6. Probability

The probability that there is any rock art on the panel is Definite

Comments

The cup marks are enumerated here but the other carved markings, which are indefinable in this context and not conventional Atlantic type rock art, are omitted. One rounded groove has been included, although there are many other lines present, which are incised.

C7. MOTIFS

Visible Tool Marks? Yes

Visible Peck Marks? Yes

Section D. ACCESS, AWARENESS & RISK

D1. Access

• Right to Roam access.
• Panel is on Private land.

D2. Awareness

• This panel is known to others in the local community.

There are stories or folk traditions associated with this panel No

D3. Risk

Natural

• Large areas of the rock are covered in lichen, moss or algae.
• There are shrubs growing on the rock surface.
• There are trees nearby whose roots might disturb the rock.

Animal

Human

• The rock is located on/nearby a path or place where people might walk.
• This panel has been estimated to be seriously at risk of being damaged or destroyed.

Comments and other potential threats

Although scheduled, this whole monument is gradually dying of neglect. There is a serious issue with invasive rhododendron ponticum growth plus some tree growth over the whole of the broch and also on, and around, the carved rock art outcrop. The roots are causing major damage to the broch, with the walls and interior now being barely accessible. On the plus side, the broch is hidden from view at the base of the promontory which it occupies and is no easy to access through the rhododendrons, or to find, without prior knowledge of its existence (which is the reason is was unknown until its chance discovery in the 1960s). This has protected it from vandalism, bonfires and littering, which is in evidence within Conan's Glen by the Leckie burn beneath the promontory. The most serious threat to the rock carvings however, is possibly because they are severely undercut by past quarrying (possibly for stone for the brock & fort) and so with the action of runaway rhododendron root growth around and amongst the carved rocks could eventually weaken them to the point of collapse. The Leckie 4 rock would appear to be the most vulnerable to this. The rock is already cracked and displaced across its centre, with a triangular section at the top appearing almost detached although apparently firmly held in place and so not yet at critical risk. A photograph taken in the late 1970s (by Mr John McLaren of Gargunnock) shows that the rock was in this state at that time. Leckie 3 is also well undercut. Leckie 2 is perhaps the least threatened. All are potentially open to vandalism is found by persons inclined to carry out such acts.