Rock Art Database

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Section A. CORE INFORMATION

A1. Identifiers

Classifications And Periods

County

INVERNESS-SHIRE

A2. Grid Reference(original find site)

A3. Current Location & Provenance

Section B. CONTEXT

B1. Landscape Context

B2. Current land use & vegetation

• Rough Grazing

B3. Forestry

• No selection

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

• Other rock art
• Field System
• Settlement
• Burial Mound/Cairn
• Enclosure
• Ditch/Bank
• Hillfort

Other: Bronze Age Bowl Barrow

B5. Location Notes

On the western end of a low E-W running ridge are a number of earth-fast stones, including the panels Urchany 2, 3 & 5. This low ridge lies between a steep hill to the N, across a burn, and another taller ridge to the S, from which it is separated by boggy moor. The aspect of the panels is to the W, sitting in a bowl bordered by higher ground. The Urchany 5 panel lies 4m SW of Urchany 2 and 4m SE of Urchany 3, the three stones forming a roughly equilateral triangle. To the SW, on the summit of a higher ridge, is a scheduled Bronze Age bowl barrow (Canmore ID 345775) sitting within a surveyed archaeological moorland landscape (also Canmore ID 345775) characterised by the scattered remains of buildings, enclosures and relict cultivation. Adjacent to the bowl barrow is an enclosure, described as "Burial Ground" on an 18th century estate map, and some derelict buildings. A straight line drawn from the three panels of Urchany 2, 3 & 5 to Urchany 4 panel passes directly over the summit of the bowl barrow. A rough trackway lies 200m to the S of the panel, running in a NW-SE direction, connecting Urchany with the crofting townships of Farley and Leanassie 5km to the E. This track was shown on an estate map dated 1798.

Section C. PANEL

C1. Panel Type

C2. Panel Dimensions, Slope & Orientation

C3. Rock Surface

C4. Surface Features

• Fissures/cracks

C5. Panel Notes

This is an approximately rectangular rock, measuring roughly 1.45 x 1.02 m with its long axis orientated W-E. It is low lying, partially covered by grass and moss on the S aspect which was not all completely removed. Its most notable features is that it consists of two joined components – a larger mass to the W, a smaller mass to the E. Each of these components has a steep W face, which then slopes down in a SE direction. The fissure or crack that marks the boundary between these two components runs N-S, approximately two-thirds of the stone width from the W. There is one deep roughly cup-shaped depression on the NW summit of the western component, which is almost certainly a natural features. It measures 6.5cms diameter and 2cms deep and is surrounded by yellow lichen, which dips down into the top of the cup.

C6. Probability

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

Comments

One cup-shaped depression that is almost certainly a natural feature.

C7. MOTIFS

Visible Tool Marks? No

Visible Peck Marks? No

Section D. ACCESS, AWARENESS & RISK

D1. Access

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

D2. Awareness

• No selection

There are stories or folk traditions associated with this panel No

D3. Risk

Natural

• No selection

Animal

• There are sheep near the rock.
• There are cattle near the rock.

Human

• No selection

Comments and other potential threats

Both sheep and cattle have been grazing this ground for 200 years!