BRAC Site File of Malling (The Peace Stone)

by Jan J. Brouwer (rockartuk)

This page is part of the

British Rock Art Collection

The Peace Stone as unearthed on 12 June 2004

 

 

When we visited the stone in June 2004, it became clear that the stone, at some time, must have been moved from it's original position because we found it in a ditch in a stroke of bracken between the old fieldwall and the modern fence, near a round boulder, together with some smaller stones which were obviously cleared from the adjacent field.

 

We spoke to the friendly (former) farmer, Mr William Stewart (Mill House Cottage, Malling, Port of Menteith) and he told us that he lives on the farm for 65 years and he never saw the stone before, let alone in the field. "If it was there, I should have known", he says.

 

OS visited the stone on 14 March 1965 and 15 October 1968 and found it as described by Hutchison in 1899.

Hutchinson wrote than: "The Peace Stone -a cup-and-ring marked boulder- lies…..at the boundary of arable land".

 

Chaulked-in photo and –inacurate- drawing from Morris´ book (ref. 5, 1981)

 

It is doubtfull whether Ronald Morris saw the stone in real when he did the research for his book (ref. 5). Not only the drawing is far from accurate but he also wrote: "In 1979 the area had recently be ploughed by the Forestry Commision and the stone was un-traceable. On its smooth top, sloping 30 degrees to the South, were……… etc.

We assume the Forestry Commission ploughed the plantation ground. If the stone was originally in what is now the plantation it would be probably still there because that seems to be the policy of the FC; leave things where they are.

According to Armit in 1998, OS marks -at some time- the position of the stone as "standing on a low and locally prominent rise which gave views over both the Lake of Menteith to the NE and the small Loch Macanrie to the SW".

If this was the location of the stone it is very possible that the original location lies about 10 m SW of the current location. There is indeed some sort of elevation in the field which is suitable for having views to both the lakes.

The site seen from the NW with the “rise” in the field before the plantation

 

 

The current position of the stone looks like a field clearance and that is probably what it is.

 

Now was farmer William Stewart a bit lying or did his memories failed him?

Whatever, The Peace Stone has –just for one hour- seen the daylight again. Now she’s covered up. May her peace last forever!

 

 

The stone in the stroke with bracken

 

 

At the RCAHMS there are 2 items in the NMRS collection:

Cat. Nr. MS 678/52; Notes taken from A.F. Hutchison´s 'The Lake of Menteith' and a photograph of the stone (1899) from the collection of George Applebey and

Cat. Nr. PT 9932 PO; a photograph taken by A.S. Reid in 1902

References:

 

1.  Hutchison, A.F. (1893 a)

         ‘The standing stones and other rude monuments of Stirling district’,

         Trans Stirling Natur Hist Soc, 15, 1892-3, 131,

2.   Hutchison, A.F. (1899)

The Lake of Menteith: its islands and vicinity with historical accounts of the Priory of Inchmahome and the Earldom of Menteith, Stirling, 47-8

3.  Young, A. (1938)

         ‘Cup- and ring-markings on Craig Ruenshin, with some comparative notes’,

         PSAS 72, 1937-8, 146

4.   RCAHMS (1979 b)

The archaeological sites and monuments of Stirling, Central Region, no 7, Edinburgh, 15, no. 99

5.   Morris, R.W.B. (1981)

            The Prehistoric Rock Art of Southern Scotland, BAR 86, 1981, p. 60-1

         (This ref is not mentioned in CANMORE)

     6.  van Hoek, M. (1989 a)

         Survey of the Menteith rock art sites, D&E, Scotland, 1989, p. 10.

7.   Armit, I (1998 g)

         ‘The peace Stone (Port of menteith Parish), c&r marked stone’, D&E 1998, p. 95