112 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1954-56.

X.

EXCAVATIONS AT CLACH NA TIOMPAN, WESTER GLEN ALMOND, .

AUDREY B . . HENSHALLYS , M.A., F.S.A.Scoi., AND . STEWARTC . ME . , PH.D., F.S.A.ScoT.

INTRODUCTION. e coursth n f compilinI eo ga corpu f Scottisso h Neolithic chambered cairns three outliers of the Clyde-Carlingford group had to be considered. These outliers are in Perthshire, at Kindrochat near Comrie,1 Rottenreoch near ,2 and Clach na Tiompan in Wester Glen Almond. Kindrochat beed ha n examine Professoy b d r Child tha1930.n w ei t No opportunit3 y offered, it seemed desirable to excavate at Clach na Tiompan with a view to comparing its" lay-out with that at Kindrochat and establishing its structural affinities wit e manhth y variation f grouno s d plan withie th n Clyde—Carlingford group. Also it was hoped to augment the sparse series of grave goods which this grou chamberef po d cairn produceds sha thin I .s we were disappointed, as there were no relics. Clach na Tiompan would seem to be situated on the NE. fringe of the ,area occupie buildere th y db Clyde-Carlingforf so d cairns. Ther lone ear g cairns in Kincardineshire, Aberdeenshire and Banffshire,4 but their structure and ritual have not yet been investigated. Westward, Clach na Tiompan othee th rd Perthshiran e example linkee sar d wit lone hth g cairn remnantr so s of long cairns on Stockiemuir,5 Dumbartonmuir,6 Blochairn' and Cardross.8 These in turn lead back to the main grouping of Clyde—Carlingford cairns in Arran, Bute, Kintyr Argylld ean . e lonTh g cairundew nno r consideratio s referre y Professowa nb o dt r Childe in 1943,9 but had previously been described by F. R. Coles,10 who also 1 P.S.A.S., LXIV (1929-30), 264-72; Ibid., LXV (1930-1), 281-93. 2 Ibid., LXXVII (1942-3). 31 , 3 See also Discovery and Excavation, , 1955 (1956), 23, for a recently recognised ruined chambered cairn possibly of Clyde-Carlingford type at Dull, . If of Clyde-Carlingford type, the siting would lend emphasis to the suggestion of a west to east penetration along (see infra under Discussion, p. 120). 1 P.S.AS., LVIII (1923-4) ; LI24 X, (1924-5) , 24-2621 , . BuchanT ; Field Club, xvn, n (1952); 60 , P.S.A.S., LXIII (1928-9), 34, 63. 5 P.S.A.8., LXXXHI (1948-9), 230. 6 Unpublished. 7 Ure, D,, History of Rutherglen and East Kilbride (1793), 87. 8 Council r Britishfo Archceology, report,h 9t Scottish Regional Group (1954). ,9 9 P.S.A.S., LXXVH (1942-3). 35 , 10 Ibid., XLV (1910-1), 98-100. EXCAVATION CLACT A S TIOMPANA HN , PERTHSHIRE3 11 .

drew attention to the conspicuous standing-stone 143 ft. SE. of the E. end lone oth f g cairn, which traditionall pars ycircla i f o f standing-stonest eo . It seemed desirable to examine this ruined site at the same time as the long cair beins nwa g excavated (se . 122)ep . sitee some Th sli milee6 s fro heae m th f Gle do n Almon 3|d -d an mile s above Newton Bridge, where the River Almond turns S. to flow, through

Lund overzooo' m® over 1000 ED over SOQ '

Fig. 1. Distribution Map of Clyde-CarHngford cairns in Central Scotland: 1. Dumbartonmuir; 2. Stockiemuir; 3. Blochairn; 4. Kindrochat; 5. Kottenreoch; 6. Cardross. Smae th ' Gle joio nRivee t abovny th Ta r e Perth (National Grid reference to the sites 27/831329). From the head of Wester Glen Almond an old right-of-way crosses the watershed to the N. and comes down on the S. shore o t fArdtalnaiga Locy s seemhTa a , If s . likely e builderth , f Clydeo s — Carlingford tombs wer som n elinkei y ewa d with early prospectin copper gfo r and tin, thesignificans i t ni t that copper occur t Ardtalnaigsa . The site situatee s ar 900e terraca th . abov n -dft o n o 0 rivee e5 ed th ran foot e hillcontour th fooe sf th o -whict t a , h ris . eManN steeple th y o yt VOL. LXXXVIII. 8 114 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1954-56.

hillock f morainio s c materia noticeable ar l e valleth n yeo floor botd an ,h sites were buile foun b thin o o tt ds moraine material which consistef o d yellowish sandy clay with pebbles of various sizes. The excavations were carried out during a remarkably fine week in April and a wet week in September/October 1954. Clach na Tiompan is a scheduled site, and excavation was sanctioned by the Ministry of Works. Ministrye Outh Societe o t r th e thank o ,t Antiquariedu f y o e sar Scotlanf so d fo generoua r s grant towards the. cos excavationf o t Major-Generao t , r Si l John Whitaker, Bart.s hi r , fo ownee site r permissiod th fo ,f an o r g di o nt kind interest r WilliaSi o t ,m estatn Rootea e allowinr eus sfo roa o t ds gu for access to the site, to Mr D. A. P. Downs who drew the plans in the field, l thos provideo al an o dewh t necessare dth y labour.

Kg. 2. Map of Wester Glen Almond.

DESCRIPTIO E CAIRNTH F N.O lone W.d Th gan 1 . cairalonE rivee . ngth ft extendr0 terrace19 r sfo . Beyond the road which runs along its southern margin the ground falls steeply to the river. To the N. there is a peaty hollow before the hills rise. The cairn has acted as a dam, to the water draining off this hillside, and as a result water has collected along the northern margin before seeping gently through and round the cairn. This fact caused considerable trouble when excavatin buriae gth l chambers caire bees Th nha n. severely robbed, mainly for road metal. t I . endE . e . width ft t 8 ea 3 d an d en . W Th e . wideth ft cairt 0 ea 2 s ni rises graduall materiae caire Th heighn yi th roun. f s ni o lE t o t frod . mW water-worn boulder stoned san s among whic ha numbe r wer quartzitef eo . There was very little accumulation of earth, and as a result much of the cairn was free of turf. Before excavation the inner ends of three large cists 1 Althoug lone hth g cair actualls ni y orientated SE.-NW. easr descriptiof ,fo e o bees ha n t n i treate d as lying E. and W. EXCAVATION T CLACA S TIOMPANA HN , PERTHSHIRE5 11 .

or chambers were visible, with their main axe t righsa t anglemaie th no st axis of the cairn, but a fourth chamber, shown on Cole's plan, had been totally destroyed.

EXCAVATIO F THNO E CAIRN—SECTIONS THROUG E CAIRHTH N MATERIAL. Three partial sections were cut across the cairn (fig. 3). The first, . froins 6 ft apparene . m2 .th ft 1 wide 4 s 2. lon 5ft d wa , gtan easterf o d nen cairnprimare e th Th .existence y th tes o r purpost s tfo f ewa o thif t eo scu a chamber orientated along the axis of the cairn and entered at the eastern t Kindrochata end s a , sigo f sucN no .ha chambe e founds th t wa r bu , section was instructive in showing how the cairn material had been made

./>r«tnt tdgi »( c

SITE PLAN "- ~ J H$ fter "x CLACH NA TIOMPAN ° ' '• "——^°f'" '°'"f^'"'

Fig. 3.

up. There was earth and some vegetation on the top, and earth occurred intersticee inth s betwee stonee nth s immediately abov naturae eth l moraine material. Between these layers there were considerable air spaces between the stones. At the bottom along the medial line of the cairn there were large boulder siza f eso that could onl handlee yb d alone with considerable effort . structur y retainina trac o f an Thern cair e o f s r eo th nen wa no ei g wall at the edge. secone Th d sectio carries nwa d from beyon bace dth keasterne slath f bo - most chambe northere th o t r n cairne edgth f eo . Her generae eth l picture was the same. Immediately behind the back slab of the chamber the stones were more angula werd an re carefull closeld an y e northeryth laidt A .n sectioe th en f spacee do n th s betwee e stonenth s were filled with vert ywe black clayey earth which had accumulated due to the drainage conditions of the site. The third section was between the back of chamber 3 and the northern e cairncaire edg th t thiTh a f n eo .. s narrowft point1 2 onld o an ,t ysa couple of feet behind the end of the chamber inward slanting slabs were found appearanc e whicth d hha beinf eo grevetmena t wall (fig PI, 6 . . XXV, 2). The slabs lay in a double row. The inner row were slightly bedded in the 6 11 PROCEEDING SE SOCIETYOTH F , 1954-56.

natural subsoil. The outer row were lying on cairn stones and were resting increasen a t a d angle. Over these slabs were large stoneusuae th f slo cairn materia considerabla d an l e admixtur f broweo e nnorther th earth n O n. margi cuttine th f no g where conditions were very dam playea gref ro y clay, which had the appearance of being a natural deposit, overlay the subsoil.

EXCAVATIO E FACAD TH EASTEENMOS D F NO EAN T CHAMBER. easternmose Oth f t chamber (chambe bace th k) northe 1 rsla th o o bt tw , side capstona slab d san e were visible before excavation capstone Th .s ewa e onlextane th on yd stil an tl partly overhun e buriagth l chambern O . excavation it was found that there had been a facade of slabs on either side of the entrance to the chamber. Like all the structural stones in the'cairn they were set very slightly into the natural. This may not have been done on purpose, but may have been the result of setting them on a wet clayey subsoil. Smaller stones had been set on the outside of the facade stones to act as wedges and prevent the feet of the larger slabs from moving forward. onle th y n placI e wher facad e bace th eth f ko e slab examines swa dlarga e boulde beed rha n place provido dt efira m backing. In front of the facade slabs to the E. of the entrance to chamber 1 and belo caire wth n material were trace carbonisef so d substance t consisteI . d of tiny fragments scattered sporadically against the front of the facade stones. Belo separated wan d froy frob m t minsi 2 f dar 1^o .o t - k sticky earth -were thin black greasy smears, in one case underlying one of the wedge stones of the facade. These smears probably represented the old turf level. Two of the facade stones had fallen forwards and were lying flat. There was no cairn material below them but there was a little of the black sticky earth. In front of the fagade the cairn material was found to a depth of 2 ft. 3 ins. and extended 11 ft. down the southern slope. When the two fagade stones fel cairo l n ther s n materiaewa fronn i l f themo t . This suggests thae th t facad designes ewa shoo dt tha d caire wan th t n material must have fallen forward subsequently. Such a quantity of cairn material in front of the fagad s surprisingi e t presenA . e cairth t n materia fluss i l h wit e tophth s of the fagade stones and the side stones of chamber 1 (see also p. 121). The investigation of the fagade was limited by the time available, but apparentl entrance yth chambeo et fouf beed o ha rn w 1 rflanke ro a y db stone eithen so r entranc e sideTh unsymmetrical.s ewa We flath a . o t T . facade stone lying horizontally on edge formed one side of the entrance, portaa . E le whilston th . hig ft n eo he5 projected abov surroundine eth g stones and made a conspicuous feature of the entry. originae Th l blockin entrance th f gfouno s ewa place n dcarefulli x Si . y laid horizontal slabs were resting on the paved floor, wedged between the porta firse l stonth t d westerstone ean th f eo nchambere walth f lo . Outside Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot.] [VOL. LXXXVIII.

CLACH NA TIOMPAN

PLAN OF CHAMBER. I

alien side stone '\ n /K^ /oo-se brown earth

;'-ijM- ~ ~ --- -- '".-

earth lack B

Compact black earrh and i/fveri SECTION THROUGH A-B

AUDREY S. HBNSHALL AND M. E. C. STEWABT [To face p. 116. EXCAVATIONS AT CLACH NA TIOMPAN, PERTHSHIRE. 117

two large slab beed t leaninsha n se g agains buile th t t blocking outee Th r. compartment of the chamber was also filled with blocking consisting of small boulders. e facad Th d entran e y when first erected must have been impressive approache thes duphilla e yar .

Chamber1. Chamber 1 was divided into three compartments by septal slabs. The outer septal slab rested on grey clay. The inner, which consisted of two naturae slabth othern e sfrono n lyinth i l y f e subsoilo tla , g on . The innermost compartmen d beeha tn very thoroughly rifled. Dark humus lay on top of loose brown earth both recently accumulated. Beneath wa layea s f haro r d dark earth containing many sliver f stono s e froe mth disintegrating western side slab. This layer may represent at least a part Neolithie oth f c level disturbe 19th-centure th y db y roadmakers. In the middle compartment the side slabs were considerably decayed. flooe formes Th wa r f smoothlo d y laicloseld dan y fitting a pavin t a t gse higher level than the floor of the inner compartment. The paving had been set in a layer of imported grey clay containing numerous small round pebbles and lying above the natural subsoil. This clay was quite absent from the inner compartment thn I e. outer compartment pavin agais gwa n lain do clay which thinned away at the entrance where the pavement rested on the natural subsoil. The clay must have been laid down after the side slabs and inner pai f septao r l slabs wer positionn ei t befor bu ,oute e th e r septal slab and paving were constructed. The blocking in the outer compartment consisted of two upright stones set agains side th te stone highea t sa r level tha pavinge nth , between which numbea boulderf ro s were wedged together quartzitef o e on , . CHAMBER 2. Chamber 2 was much ruined; indeed the western stone of the inner compartment was the only slab upright in its original position. The recon- struction of the ground plan of this chamber is tentative, due to the fact that the constructional stones had been so slightly set into the subsoil. This combined with the wet conditions made it impossible to recover on the groun e exacdth t positio e falleth f nno stones innee Th r. compartment would have had a height of at least 3 ft. and was wider at the inner end. The westere th end dnan slabs wer positionn ei , thoug formee hth leanins wa r g inwards. The eastern slab had fallen and had exposed behind it two large boulders which had acted as a backing. The floor had been covered by a double laye f pavingo r lowee Th .r layer consiste f largdo e slabs carefully laid but not completely covering the natural subsoil. On top were numerous smaller slabs. Man thesf yo e rested directl lowee th n ryo paving wito hn 118 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1954-56.

accumulatio eartf no h between indicatin approximate gth e contemporaneity layerso tw e .oth f The two septal slabs were both small slight stones different in character from thos chamben ei . 1 r

ired gravelly cl&y

SECTION THROUGH C-D CLACH NA TIOMPAN

Fig. 5.

The outer compartment was very ruined but had been paved in a similar way to the inner compartment. At no point was the paving of chamber 2 comparabl thao et chambef o t . 1 r To the S. of the outer compartment the reconstruction of the plan is very uncertain. Several piece disintegratef so e th e b y d ma slab . E s e lyinth o gt remains of a ruined fagade linking up with the facade to the W. of chamber 1. I fcasee thith s ,si the facade nth e stones woul dhavo t hav d ep ebeeha u t nse at least 4 ft. in front of the outer septal, presuming that the facade stones chambero tw e oth f s wer notee alignmentb n e i y d thama t I t .chambe 1 r did not have a septal slab across the entrance, a further suggestion that the outer septa chambef t indeeo l no entrancee s i dth 2 r . Chambe probabl2 r y had an outer compartment similar to that in chamber 1. EXCAVATIONS AT CLACH NA TIOMPAN, PERTHSHIRE. 119

A curious featur vero f chambetw o e y s largwa 2 er slabs which were found leaning southwards ove e sidth re slab d wedgean s d together, thus blockin e middle compartmentgth th f eo t firsA . t they were thougho t t have been upright slabs set outside the chamber and at right angles to its main axis, perhaps in some way connected with supporting the roofing of the chamber, as are the tall slabs outside the chamber at Kilchoan, Argyll

(the stone markee plae sar th "transverss na n do e slabs theid "an r possible 1 original positions have been hatched). The W. slab would have been let ins6 4- . int stone groune oth th ed wouldan d have ins 4 stoo . . ft higd3 hf i this supposition is correct. However, it is just possible that the slabs are in fact capstones from the front and central compartments of the chamber, though it is difficult to understand how they could have reached the positions in which they were found even in the course of the almost total wrecking of chambere th . Chamber 2 had been ruined in a rather curious way. All but two stones are inclined towards the S. and some have been pulled through an angle of 65°. It is almost as though the stones having been loosened had then been hauled downhill by some mechanical means and this process had completed the demolition of the outer compartment. But it is difficult to attribute destructioe th recenno t t times frone Th t .discoloure n slabi y sla d gravelly clay immediately above the natural subsoil with no debris beneath them. The eastern sid einnee slath f rbo compartmen collapsed ha t d with onlya slight accumulation of earth below it.

Chamber 3. The westernmost chambe s evewa rn more ruined tha e middlth n e chamber. Only the stump of what had been the back slab remained. The main western side leanins slabwa g slightly toward e interioe sth th f o r chamber but the base was probably in its original position. The eastern side slab had broken in two and one-half had fallen across the chamber. To . onl beddeS o ye tw th d stone t possiblsno wers recono wa et e t founi d - dan struct the plan. From the extent of the chamber it seems probable that it was similar in plan to the others. When the floor of the chamber was scraped, darker disturbed patches appeare naturae th n di l subsoil whic gravellyd t thian ha y s dr poin .s wa t The stains staine wer founth s insf e2 s o wa depth froo n dt .i o e t m1 On . be unde originae rth l positio fallee th f no western side slab whic beed hha n removed in the course of excavation. A centrally placed stain may possibly indicat positioe eth pavinf no septaa r go l slab which, though they would have rested on the natural subsoil, may have been removed by pick and shovel which would have disturbe underlyine dth g grave].

1 P.S.A.S., VI (1865-6), 353. 120 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1954-56.

DISCUSSION. The geographical position of the long cairn can be interpreted in one of two ways: eithe t representri northersa n outlieexamplee th o rt Stratn si h Earn at Kindrochat and Rottenreoch, or else it is indicative of a parallel

SECTION THR.OUGF HE-

CLACH NA T10MPAN

Fig. 6.

W.-E. penetration farther N. along Loch Tay. The first interpretation is unlikelreasonso tw r plann I yfo . , Clac a Tiompahn t particularlno s ni y linked to Kindrochat. At Clach na Tiompan there was a multiplicity of side chambers and the only concession to the traditional layout was to make the eastern end higher and wider. If the usually accepted theory of degenera- tion is applied, it will be classed as more degenerate than Kindrochat. Secondly transverse th n i , e slab chambef so therr2 perhaps ei featursa t eno hitherto associated with Clyde-Carlingford tombs. Finally s unlikeli t i , y tha lone tth g cairn builder Stratn si h Earn would cros relativele sth y difficult countr e interveninth f yo g watershed betwee valleye Eare nth d th f nan so EXCAVATIONS AT CLACH NA TIOMPAN, PERTHSHIRE. 121

the Almond. From, its siting Clach na Tiompan has been built by people entering Wester Glen Almond from the N. or W. If this is so, then we can accept Sir Lindsay Scott's route from the head of Loch Fyne or Loch Long by Crianlarich and Killin and the shores of Loch Tay.1 Copper at Ardtalnai southere th n go n shor havy ema e bee magnete nth . In two features Clach na Tiompan can be related to cairns in Wigtown- shir Ayrshired discussios ean hi e structurn I th .e chamberf no th f eo n si the Cairnholy excavations,2 Professor Piggott drew attention to the fact that the burial chamber was a massive closed cist to which access could never have been gained fro outee mth r segmen portad chambere th an t f o l . n factI e traditionath , l tom d becom ha bdistinco tw e t elementse Th . eastern chambe t Claca r a Tiompan h n exhibits similar though less fully developed features middle Th outed . ean r compartment t give no eth o sd impression of forming a single unit along with the larger inner compartment. The tendency, unlik traditionae eth l gallery grave lay-out regaro t s e i , dth burial chamber as distinct from the portal and antechamber. The difference ifacte n th floor-leve f s o whice on hs i ltend dissociato st buriae eth l chamber from the rest of the structure. The floor of the two outer compartments was made up to a considerably higher level than the floor of the main burial chamber. The double septal is another indication of the same division. This featur alss oewa foun similaa n di r positio chambee th n ni t Hailesa r , Largs, Ayrshire,3 the plan of which appears to be closely comparable to the Clac Tiompaa hn n chambers. It has been suggested that the facade in front of the chamber was meant to be seen as when it fell there was no loose cairn material under it. At the tim excavatiof eo caire nth n materia fluss wa lh witfacade tope th hth f so e and side stones of the chamber. If the outermost capstone had been covered originall caire slope yth th f neo material would have bee greao nto t and the stones of the facade would not have been enough to hold it in check. Yet the stone material on the slope outside the fagade, besides an unknown quantity which has been totally removed from the site originally, must have been piled on the cairn, and the presence of these fallen stones on the slope belo facade wth e indicates tha cairangle e th tth f neo behin facade dth e must have been quite steep. If so, the capstone of the main compartment l probabilitwaal n si y covered. The structur fagade th f t eClaco ea Tiompaa hn comparabls ni thoso et e at Unival and Clettraval, North Uist.4 In both monuments the orthostats stand on, and not in, the natural subsoil. Moreover, at Unival the stones were supported at the back by massive stone abutments built into the cairn face. 1 P.P.S., xvn (1951), 35. 2 P.S.A.S., LXXXIII (1948-9), 116-7. Forthcoming, Coll. Ayrs. A.S. 34 P.S.A.S., LXXXH (1947-8), 9; ibid., LXIX (1934-5), 488-9. 122 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1954-56.

EXCAVATION OF THE STONE CIRCLE AND SMALL CAIRN. The large standing-stone, 4 ft. 3 ins. high, to the SE. of the E. end of the long cair traditionalls ni circlsita e yf th e o standing-stonesf eo stume Th .p

———' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ''./I.I , : .

CLACH NA TIOMPAN PLA F SMALO N L CAIRN

Fig. 1.

oa seconf d stone show s. E througBein e th ge tur ho th immediatelt f y adjacent to the road the circle has been an obvious quarry, and the area shows sign f considerablso e interference. A trench 3 ft. wide and extending 20 ft. E. of the large standing-stone was opened. At the base of the stand ing-stone and immediately below ture th faren ther a ston f as o ewa e packing consistin water-worf go n boulders EXCAVATIONS AT CLACH NA TIOMPAN, PERTHSHIRE. 123

diameten i . ft 1 ins8 r o t extendin. g. inwardft 2 r fo s fro e facmf th o e e standing-stoneth e packinTh . g materia s lefn i twa l situ, as it was impracticabl stoneg bi e .shoro et th p eu e ston e edgth th f eeo f o packing . FivE . eft , typical water- worn cairn material was found immediately below the turf extending up to and around the stump of a standing-stone. In the section beyond this stone the cairn material thinned out over a distance of 5 ft., and was found to be lying on a slightly rising mound of natural gravel.

Section A-Bon

Stone- lined socket C/iarcoal puCch SCOne-lined socket Wafural

Section on C~i .SMALL CAIRN

The south-eastern quadrant of the circle was deturfed and the cairn materia agais wa l n found immediately below turf-level edge f thiTh eo .s cairn material formetogethec ar n da r with that already excavated. A second trench, 14 ft. 6 ins. long and 3 ft. -wide, was laid out to the S. ins5 . . ft fro 3 southere me firstt th o th A f . n edg f trenceo roughla h1 y circular patch of darker soil, 2 ft. 8 ins. by 1 ft. 11 ins., appeared on the surface of the natural gravel. The rim had been packed with six large boulder smalled san r stones. Whe dare nth k beesoid lha n cleare dshalloa w socke exposeds twa , whicmissine mary th f positioe ho ma k th ge stoneon f no s from the circle. south-westere Th n quadran circle deturfes th f ewa o t caird dan n material mixed with dark friable earth was found immediately below the surface. The outer edge of this cairn material was delimited by a setting of five large boulders set in a shallow arc from the southern edge of the large standing- stone to the SW. tip of the socket in the southern section. 124 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1954-56. A cutting to the N. of the first trench exposed to the E. the mound of cair nWe vermateriaa th . o t y d disturbean l d are whicn a i foun s e hwa dth shallow broken-down socket of another missing stone. A 3-foot square was excavated in approximately the centre of the circle. Under the cairn material and overlying the natural gravel was a low mound of loose reddish loam at the base of which was a scatter of tiny fragments of carbonised wood. Within this area wer patcheo etw morf so e compacted earth wit hhighea r proportion of carbonised material. Both patches were only skin deep and •were found to rest on natural gravel. e coursth f examininn I eo e stongth e circle ovequartzit0 10 r e pebbles were recovered. The small circl f standing-stoneo e e cairth e b nd n withian s ca t i n exactly paralleled barely a mile to the westward. In meadowland beside the Almond a small circle of standing-stones, hitherto unrecorded, protrude throug water-wore hth n cairnmateriaw lo .a f o l Thi similaa s si r type of monument to the ruined site at Clach na Tiompan. The conjunction of circle and cairn is not unknown elsewhere in Perthshire. In 1942 Mrs Alison Young excavated allied structures on the Moor of Ardoch near Fowlis Wester,1 and among the many small stone circles of eastern Perthshire it is possible that on excavation several would show a denuded central cairn. featurThere on s Perthshirf ei eo e stone circle sfrequentle b whic y hma y noted and which is well exemplified at Clach na Tiompan. One stone of the circl s oftei e n disproportionately largee remaininTh . g stones fall away from it in size so that the smallest stone is found opposite the largest. The situation of the large stone in the circle is not constant. disappointins i t I g that neithe Westen ri r Gle Mooe n th Almon n ro r dno or Ardoch was anything found which would indicate the date of these structures. They hav edegenerata compositd ean e appearancen i f i d an , the Bronze Age give the impression of being late in that period. 1 P.S.A.S., LXXVII (1942-3), 174-84.