Rock Art Database

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Section A. CORE INFORMATION

A1. Identifiers

Classifications And Periods

County

PERTHSHIRE

A2. Grid Reference(original find site)

A3. Current Location & Provenance

Section B. CONTEXT

B1. Landscape Context

B2. Current land use & vegetation

• Urban/Garden

B3. Forestry

• No selection

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

• No selection

B5. Location Notes

MacBeth's Stone is a large standing stone traditionally marking the grave of a 'hero' slain by MacBeth. It is situated immediately SW of the gate-lodge on the SW side of the Belmont Castle policies. This site was included within the RCAHMS Emergency Survey (1942-3), an unpublished rescue project. Site descriptions, organised by county, vary from short notes to lengthy and full descriptions and are available to view online with contemporary sketches and photographs. The original typescripts, manuscripts, notebooks and photographs can also be consulted in the RCAHMS Search Room. Information from RCAHMS (GFG) 10 December 2014.,NO24SE 16 2799 4346. (NO 2799 4346) MacBeth's Stone (NR) OS 6" map (1902) MacBeth's Stone is a large standing stone traditionally marking the grave of a 'hero' slain by MacBeth. Name Book 1864 O G S Crawford (visited 14 October 1939) describes it as about 10 ft high with no markings, and standing on a low, large mound, and M E C Stewart (visited 2 February 1956) says it is heavily cup-marked, although those on the W face are more difficult to see, due to weathering. The nature of the stone is not conclusive to cup-marking, and the cups are shallow and many are worn flat. A stone coffin is said to have been found at the base of the stone. A large granite block, c 3.5m high, 1.8 m long and 1.1m thick. On the N.W. face are at least 12 small cup-marks while on the S.E. face, c 1.3m above ground level there is a "strip" of about forty, small, weathered cup-marks. The stone stands on natural rising ground, not a mound as suggested by Crawford. No information was found regarding a 'coffin' at this site. Visited by OS (WDJ) 13 February 1969 This large standing stone is situated immediately SW of the gate-lodge on the SW side of the Belmont Castle policies; it measures 1.85m by 1.3m at the base and 3.6m in height, and gently tapers to a thickness of no more than 0.3m at the top. On the broad E face there are at least forty cupmarks, measuring up to 60mm in diameter, and most are disposed across the face in a band about 1.4m above the ground. On the W face there are a further twenty-four cupmarks (up to 70mm in diameter), but they are more randomly spaced across the lower half of the stone. In addition, there are two cupmarks low down on the S face and a single cupmark on the N face. Visited by RCAHMS (JRS) 5 April 1989.

Previous Notes

NO24SE 16 2799 4346. (NO 2799 4346) MacBeth's Stone (NR) OS 6" map (1902) MacBeth's Stone is a large standing stone traditionally marking the grave of a 'hero' slain by MacBeth. Name Book 1864 O G S Crawford (visited 14 October 1939) describes it as about 10 ft high with no markings, and standing on a low, large mound, and M E C Stewart (visited 2 February 1956) says it is heavily cup-marked, although those on the W face are more difficult to see, due to weathering. The nature of the stone is not conclusive to cup-marking, and the cups are shallow and many are worn flat. A stone coffin is said to have been found at the base of the stone. A large granite block, c 3.5m high, 1.8 m long and 1.1m thick. On the N.W. face are at least 12 small cup-marks while on the S.E. face, c 1.3m above ground level there is a "strip" of about forty, small, weathered cup-marks. The stone stands on natural rising ground, not a mound as suggested by Crawford. No information was found regarding a 'coffin' at this site. Visited by OS (WDJ) 13 February 1969 This large standing stone is situated immediately SW of the gate-lodge on the SW side of the Belmont Castle policies; it measures 1.85m by 1.3m at the base and 3.6m in height, and gently tapers to a thickness of no more than 0.3m at the top. On the broad E face there are at least forty cupmarks, measuring up to 60mm in diameter, and most are disposed across the face in a band about 1.4m above the ground. On the W face there are a further twenty-four cupmarks (up to 70mm in diameter), but they are more randomly spaced across the lower half of the stone. In addition, there are two cupmarks low down on the S face and a single cupmark on the N face. Visited by RCAHMS (JRS) 5 April 1989.

This site was included within the RCAHMS Emergency Survey (1942-3), an unpublished rescue project. Site descriptions, organised by county, vary from short notes to lengthy and full descriptions and are available to view online with contemporary sketches and photographs. The original typescripts, manuscripts, notebooks and photographs can also be consulted in the RCAHMS Search Room. Information from RCAHMS (GFG) 10 December 2014.

Section C. PANEL

C1. Panel Type

C2. Panel Dimensions, Slope & Orientation

C3. Rock Surface

C4. Surface Features

• No selection

C5. Panel Notes

The stone measures 1.85 x 1.3m at the base and 3.6m in height. It has been described as having numerous prehistoric cupmarks. On the broad SE face there are at least 40 such depressions, measuring up to 60mm in diameter, and most are across the face in a band about 1.4m above the ground. There is modern graffiti (Scott Amanda) on the E face and above this an inscription of a horse's head and possibly a flower which appear earlier in date. On close inspection the cupmarks do not appear to be prehistoric and may have been caused by rifle fire target practice (rational for 'Recreational' classification). The granite nature of the stone is not conducive to cup-marking, and the cups are shallow and many are worn flat or have several flat planes within rather than peck marks. There are similar such depressions on all aspects of the standing stone, none of these have rings or grooves that would suggest having been carved.

C6. Probability

The probability that there is any rock art on the panel is not mentioned

Comments

The depressions which have previously been considered to be cup-marks have flat planes within and some have small nodules. The rock is granite and would be very hard to make cup marks by pecking. The depressions seem very similar to 16th Century bullet holes which I have observed on Haddington Parish Church. There is no suggestion of rings or grooves or peck marks on any of the depressions which appear on all faces of the stone.

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

• 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.

Animal

Human

• There is graffiti (paintings and/or carving) on or near the rock.
• The rock is located on/nearby a path or place where people might walk.

Comments and other potential threats

No comments added