Rock Art Database

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Section A. CORE INFORMATION

A1. Identifiers

Classifications And Periods

County

ROSS AND CROMARTY

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

• Felled
• New Plantation

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

• Other rock art

B5. Location Notes

Situated on a terrace on a SW facing slope overlooking Loch Luichart to the W and above the junction of the Rivers Conon and Meig to the S. The stone is 50m due E of a pylon within a newly forested area enclosed by a deer fence. A track runs parallel to and S of the power line; it has a spur off to the nearby pylon.

Previous Notes

This site, recorded by NOSAS in 2007 as part of the Scotland's Rural Past Project,has a wonderful aspect to the south overlooking Strathconon. It is at an altitude of 180m and on a terrace about 1.5kms to the north of Little Scatwell. The whole area has been commercially forested and recently felled leaving a mass of brashings and tree stumps which make access very difficult. There is evidence of improved land in the vicinity with a number of large enclosure and a complex field system to the SE. There are also cairns which may not be clearance. The site comprises one main boulder and three “satellites”. There may well be other cup marked stones in the vicinity. 056B Cup Marked Stone NGR NH 39192 57963 An earth-fast boulder, triangular in ground plan, c2m x c2m x c2m, rising c1m in height to a round topped pyramid, with a single cup c7cm in diameter and 2cm deep at the high point. The boulder sits near the edge of a gently sloping terrace at c160m OD, in an area of recently felled conifers. Whilst the boulder is set back from the break of slope, standing beside it one is looking into Glen Marksie and the lower end of Loch Luichart. The boulder also sits above Conon Falls. <1> <2> <1> Marshall, M, 2008, Cup marked rocks at Scatwell, 056B (Text/Record Form). SHG23981. <2> Marshall, M., 2009, A Project to Identify, Survey and Record Archaeological Remains in Strathconon, Ross-shire: Report of Phase One Scatwell and Lower Strathconon, Site 56B (Text/Report/Fieldwork Report). SHG24094.

Section C. PANEL

C1. Panel Type

C2. Panel Dimensions, Slope & Orientation

C3. Rock Surface

C4. Surface Features

• Fissures/cracks

C5. Panel Notes

The carved surface is on a small level area at the apex of a large, triangular shaped boulder with a fissure on its NE side. The boulder has clearly been broken, probably by tree root and frost damage, and two fragments of rock, each 1m square lie at the foot of its SW side.

C6. Probability

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

Comments

The small carved surface at the apex of the boulder has just one oval cup 7 x 6cms.

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

• Panel was known before the project.

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

• No selection

Comments and other potential threats

Threat from tree root damage also minor threat by damage from deer or forest machinery