34 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 12, 1921.

II. CUP-MARKED STONE STRATHTAY,N SI - PERTHSHIRE. BY JOH . DIXONNH , F.S.A. SCOT. The stones hereafter describe n Strathtayi e ar d . t Visitorap e ar s o confust e termth e s Strathta d Grandtullyan y t I seem. s therefore necessar defino t y e them. Strathtay is the part of the Tay valley in Perthshire between the villag f Logieraio e e easd Clunith an t n o tee west Rocth n , o kabou t 6 mile lengtn croe i s th ws h a flies , hal mila f eroade morth y . b e Both Logierai d Cluni e nortan tth en h o e rive Roc banth e f rar k o k Tay , coursof ebut Strathtay includeadverse*ex the s territory soutof h the river. Except the 3-mile length at the east end south of the Tay, which is in the parish of Little Dunkeld, and the 1-mile length at the west end e Taynortth ,f o hwhic e pariss ii hnth f Weemo h e wholth , f eo Strathta civie th l n i paris s yi f Logieraitho . The par f Logieraio t t paris constitutey Ta h e sout th e quoad f sth o h sacra paris f Grandtullyo h Strathtae Th . y statio "thn no e branch line of railway to Aberfeldy is called Grandtully Station, and the little e soutvillagth n e hTayo th e sid ,f o eincludin e stationth g , hotel, school, stores, institute, etc., is called Grandtully. But Grandtully is in Strathtay. Strathtay teems with prehistoric remains o mant , f whico y e th h writer has been introduced by Mr W. L. Macnaughton, Bailaness,. Grandtully knowo wh , se subjec morth f o e t thay othenan r resident, having made a hobby of the archaeology of his native strath. These notes are mainly due to his information and co-operation.

TOBAIRANDONAICH CtTP-MABKED STONJ5. This stone is a comparatively recent discovery. Face downward it formed the doorstep of an old stable, and the cups became visible only liftee b orden do i t d r whethaha t i draina t n belo e stablwth e might be cleared. The Gaelic name of the place means " Sunday Well." There is a holy well 30 yards to the south. Tobairandoiiaich, or, to be exact, Easter Tobairandonaich a ruine s i , d village wit remaine hth s farm-steadingo otw f d manan s y dwelling e hillsidth n o se above th e mansion-house e paristh f Derculicn o i h e y nortth Ta n he ho th sid f eo of Weem. The ruins are about 800 feet above sea-level. The distance from Grandtully Station to Derculich House is nearly 2 miles. It is a.

36 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 12, 1921. stiff ascent to Tobairandonaich. The ruin of the place is complete— rooa t f no remains t musI . t have been deserted many yeare s Th ago. great size of many stones in the ruin s noticeablei s . stone ) d fig 2 . Th 1.an ; e No (fig, 1 . has ninetee e samth nen o cup l al s f inche 3 e largesface s i Th n p si . cu t diameter and 2 inches deep. The next largest has the same diameter, but is 1| inch deep. Other five of e cup e verth ar s y nearl e samyth e e smalles sizes 1i Th 1 .p inccu th - PrirT* 3'">Aaa i?m i i • /f/s n A , ^ • ' s Fr in diameter and \ inch deep, but t"'"l"i"l————I————i————i weatherin s effecteha g d muc- to h Cup-marke. Fig2 . d Ston t Tobairandonaichea . Wards almost obliterating SOmf o e the smaller cups. The stonf whinstono s ei e with slight vein f quartz o sovas i t n i I l . ford varieman n thicknesi s s from 2J inche inches4 s o greatest sIt . t diameter is 3 feet 2 inches, and its least diameter 2 feet 8 inches. BAILANDTJN CUP-MARKED STONE. .This fine exampl cup-markea f eo e sidth en do stons i ) 4 e d (figsan 3 . partld oan f y embedde whan di t buriaa appear e b l o t smound , locally called "The Dun." It is on the hillside above Cloichfoldich, about 150 yards mansion-housnorte th f ho f thaeo t norte namth n he eo th sid f eo Tay, and is a full mile north-west of Grandtully Station. The Dun is a circular mound in perfect condition standing on an artificial terrace 6 fee fee8 o tt wide , unifora whic n o s hi m e soutleve th t some o hbu t l - what highe othen i r r direction e shillside th wher s f carvei o t t i e. dou The Dun stands 10 feet to 12 feet high above the terrace, and its circum- ference is 65 yards. It is slightly over 500 feet above sea-level. cup-markee Th e south-easdth stonn o s ei e Dunt th sid , f eo nearl ya e north-north-westyarth o d(t abovd e terraceen th e e d somTh an .) e than t cannoi Du t otheburiee o s quite th b e t rn d i ar epart t accuri f so - ately measured, but approximately the stone is 5 feet 2 inches in length, fee3 inche4 t foowidthn 1 si inche8 d t an , thicknessn si cupe n Th si . sight number, at least, seventy, and possibly there may be eight more. e threTh e larges e 2f ar t inche diameten i s d 1^ an rinc depthn hi e Th . other e smallerar s , dwindling where much weathere a scarcel o t d y measurable size e larges. th Arounf o t o cup de tracetw ar s f circulaso r rings 1^ inch broad, in which the surface is slightly lower than in the adjoinin ge stone longese parth f Th o .t e stont th axi f eo s runs north- CUP-MARKED STONES IN STRATHTAY, PERTHSHIRE. 67

.Fig . Cup-marke3 , d Ston t Bailandunea .

Fig. 4. Cup-marked Stone at Bailandun. PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , DECEMBER 12, 1921.

north-wes d south-south-eastan t a rounde s i t I d. hloc f whinstoneko . e photograpTh h mucs (figi ) 3 . h foreshortened. Three group well-cuf so t grooves, one at each end and one on the west side, should he noted. GLACH NA BXJIDSEACH, OB THE WITCHCRAFT STONE. e describeThb eo t stonw d no ebear e Gaelith s c nam f Claco e h iia Buidseach, which mean e Witchcrafth s t Stone. a moderIt s i ' n name y devoisignificancan f o d e origie th as r purposo o t n' e cup th n o sf o e e far th f Tullypowrie mo n o e s stonei th t I . , nearl yard0 y30 s from e steadingth a mil,e nort du e h from Grandtully fee 0 Bridge80 t d an , above sea-level. When the writer first saw the stone some years ago buils wa tt i int dry-stone oth e wall, close to which it now lies. Since s beeha then t i nremoved s i t bu , now restore s originait o t d l site. Its removal revealed the presence of two large cups on the side pre- viously hidden by the wall. It lies prone on the ground, but by lifting it on edge (a difficult job, owing to weights it ) bot hphotoe b side n -ca s graphed. |MlnlnlM|————————|————————|————————I It is a slab of the local whin- Fig . Clac5 . a Buidseachhn r Witchcrafo , t Stone t Tullypowriea , . stone measuring acros e largesth s t cups on the front (the side origin- ally exposed a lin t .righa n 4 inchesei 3 ) d t an ,angle o that s9 2 t inches—its extreme width bein 8 inche3 g s an's meait d n thickness 13 inches. s froi , m7 a photograp . Fig No e fron, th 1 .f thi o f to hs stoned an , fig.' 5 is taken from a rubbing. The following are the measurements e fouoth f r cups; the e veryar y nearly circula formfirsn e i r s i Th t . 11 incheinche0 1 y diameten b i s 7d | an rinche n dept i se secon th h; d 7| inche 6y Jb s inches inches3 y b e thir th ; d 7£ inche 6y £b s inchey b s 3 inches; and the fourth 7|- inches by 6| inches by 3 inches. Apportion e ston os th beef ha e n 2 adjoinin. broke t soma No f p enof cu gremot e time fros i , m.8 photograp a . FigNo , e stone bac.1 th th f ekf o h o show - ing its two circular cups, the larger about 9 inches in diameter and 4 inches in depth, the smaller about 7J,- 'inches in diameter and 3 inches n depthi . Ther triangulaa s ei r depressio a ncupso t abovtw A /e th e first glanc t i seeme s artificial t closbu , e examination producee th s impression that it is due to the accidental detachment of a flake from the stone's surface, possibly during the forming of the cups. CUP-MARKED STONE STRATHTAYN I S , PERTHSHIRE. 39 Bot cupe interiore h th ston e th sides l th d exhibi al f esan o f so t effects of weathering that indicate prehistoric antiquity. The opinio s beeha nn locally expressed with much assurance (though it is not generally held) that the cups were formed and used as cressets or lamp ligho st t monks attending midnight services proximite th d an , y of an Early Christian church is put forward in support of the view. Against it is the appearance of greater antiquity conveyed by the weathering of the cups, the arrangement of the cups, which is -quite different from that on cressets, and also the occurrence of cups on both e stonecertainls i sideth t f cresseta I o s.t yno .

BALNABEGGAN CUP-MARKED STONE. On the farm of Balnabeggan, in a natural birch wood on the hill- side a mile south of Grandtully Station and about 500 feet above

Fig. 6. Cup-marked Stone at Balnabeggan. sea-level, is a boulder of whinstone veined with quartz (fig. 1, No. 2; and fig. 6). It is roughly hexagonal in shape, but one side is partly hidden by an old dry-stone wall built above it. The greatest width is 7 feet, whilst a diameter at right angles measures 6 feet. The 40 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 12, 1921. thickness or depth of the stone is at least 2 feet, but it may be more underneath stone th t placs e a , havy we standwhicn i ea ma e t n hi i s settled down. . On the upper surface of the stone are fifty-nine cups of various sizes, the largest measuring 2£ inches in diameter, and from 1 inch to | inch, or less, in depth. A special feature is that four equidistant cups (three e fourt a righth t d a h t e an rowe centr anglth th )w f o ro o et i a n 'are c.onnected by grooves slightly less broad and deep than the cups. Three pairs of cups are also similarly connected. The cups connected as described are discernible, but the group of lefw foue lo stont th e sidr f eth o cupe doen t o appeae s no sth n i r photograph to have its fourth cup (the lowest) connected, as it really is e group, witth e centraf o hth . p cu l Thi e sout e otherse describeth th b ston hn d o o t ssid an ee f eo dar rivee th r Tay. LETNASKEA CUP-MARKED STONE. This stone (fig. 1, No. 3; and fig. 7) is built into a rough dry-stone wall on the farm of Letnaskea, a mile and three quarters west of Grand- tully Station. It is on the side of the farm-road, 120 yards south of

. Cup-marke7 Fig. d Ston t Letnaskeaea .

s junctioit n wite highroath h o Aberfeldyt d s aboui fee0 t I t30 t . above sea-level e e heighston fee3 th Th f s .ti e o t3 £ inches thed an ,- breadt feeh3 inches3 t . Some of the cups are much weathered, but twenty-three can be counted e largesTh e 3. Jar t inche n diametei s 1d J an rinc depthn hi . The smalles \\e ar inct diameten hi \d incan rpai e depthn hi r On . appea t distinctconnectee b no o s t ri groovea t .i y db t bu , CUP-MARKED STONES IN STRATHTAY, PERTHSHIRE. 41 LUNDIN CUP-MARKED STONE No. 1. The roa Lundio dt n south-westerfarme th n i , n extremit Strathtayf yo , leaves the highroad on the south side of the Tay about two miles from Aberfeldy. Running parallel to the railway, it soon reaches the ruins e disuseoth f d Grandtully Distillery, wher t turnei s sharpl southe th o yt .

Fig. 8. Cup-marked Stone No. 1, at Lundin.

Fig. 9. Cup-marked Stone No. 2, at Lundin. Twenty yards from the ruins are two smallish standing-stones, one on eithe e roadr betweed th sid f an ,eo nvere themth yn roae o edgth df eo is the Lundin cup-marked stone No. .1 (fig. 1, No. 4; and fig. 8). It does t risno e more tha inchen3 s abov e surface road eth s lengtth It f .o e h ifee 6 s s visible breadts inchei 6 it t t d i s an sfee.ha 2 inchesr 7 t fa s a It has eight or nine cups, varying in diameter from 2| inches to \\ inch, and in depth from f inch to f inch or less. It is about 300 feet above sea-level. LUNDIN CUP-MARKED STONE No. 2. A hundred yard r moro s e e last-describesoutth f ho d e stonth s i e well-known Lundin circl f standing-stoneo e e easth e tn th o ssid f o e 42 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 12, 1921. ascendin e gLundi th roa o t dn farm-steading d separatean , d from e Lundi th e roa th y e south-easdb yardn w th burnfe e o t sth A f : o t circle is the cup-marked stone No. 2 (fig. 1, No. 5; and fig. 9). It is a rounded boulder of whinstone resembling in outline, when viewed fro e west mth e impressio th , a gian f o n t huma ns partl i foot t I y. buried in- the ground on the side of a bank terminating in the circle. s visibla r St fa i measureoe fee6 s inche8 t n 2 feelengti s d t an h 11 inches in breadth at its widest. There are forty-four, possibly forty- five, cups of various sizes in sight. The largest measures 3|- inches in diamete 1d J an incr depthn hi e nexth , t largest 3| inche diameten i s r and If ince smalles depthn th hi d an ,t 1| inc diameten i h f inc d h an r in depth. Ther e traceear f connectino s g grooves between three pairs of the cups, but they are indistinct.

THE PRIEST'S BASIN, LUNDIN. r Frerepora Cole. M n dR I y ston n b to s e circles surveye Perthn i d - shire, which appeared in vol. xlii. of the Proceedings Soc. Antiq. Scot., this stone is referred to in footnote 1 on page 135 as " a curiously water- worn stone locally called 'The Priest's Bath.'" Other local names are "The Priest's Basin s above)"(a "Thd an , e Priest's Punch Bowl.e Th " stone (fig. 1, No. 6) lies embedded in the large field on the Lundin farm, on the western edge of which stand the Lundin stone circle and the cup-marke s aboui yard 0 t i ease 25 f tthem d du so t an d , .2 ston . eNo The stone, so far as above ground, measures 2 feet 10 inches each way. Its single cup, after being cleared of the soil and rubbish that nearly inche9 s e founb swa filleo t , ddeep s it dgreatesIt . t widt fee2 s i ht 2 inchesa measuremen d an , t righa t t angles give foo1 sinches0 1 t . When completel appearanco n s yha emptiep f beincu o e e gth d water- worn s e describeinterioIt b . y ma s rresemblin a d inverten ga d cone widened at its base, i.e. at the upper part of the cup. The clean-cut appearance of the interior of the cup, especially in its deepest part, suggests that the popular theory of an Early Christian e cuporigi th s indicate a f , no locae th ly e b dnameb y sma , giveit o nt well worthy of credence, or, at least, of consideration. Last yea I describer d befor e Societth e y (Proceedings Soc. Antiq. o cup-marketw ) Scot.,99 d dan vol n stones5 i Gle9 . e . nIvon pp ,. Breracha e paristh f e othen Moulinni ho th t Balvarraa d r an , e th n ni paris f Kirkmichaelho . Althoug abls reproduco et wa hI e photographs of the sculpturings, 1 was unable to obtain rubbings. This omission is reproductione ar 1 1 d rectifiede latterw an th figsn i no f 0 t I o 1 sd .. an , will be noted that the stone at Balvarran (fig. 11) bears a resemblance CUP-MARKED STONES IN STRATHTAY, PERTHSHIRE. 43

o Clact a Buidseachn e numbe e cupth th n i hsf o rcarve s uppeit n do r e largth e hollowse Balvarrasurfacen th i th siz f d n o eI an e. n stone

JN&I: t

Fig . Cup-marke10 . d Ston Glen i e n Breraclian.

Fig. 11. Cup-rnarked Stone at Balvarran. they vary fro inchem7 9o t s^ inche diameten si frod an mr 3| incheo t s 5£ inches in depth. indebtem Thomaa r I M o dt s M'Laren, Burgh Surveyor, Pertho s r ,fo kindly making rubbing r makin stonee fo th d f so an g reduced drawings therefrom.