Morris number: CEN 7

Other (database) numbers: RCAHMS Inventory, No. 7, Edinburgh, 13, nr. 74

Access: Private

Visited: 12th of May 2004

First version of this page: June 2004

Photo by Morris, ref. 5, 1981

General

Corrie is an interesting site. Not because of the elaborate rock art designs or the friendly farmer but of some anecdotes about the two locations.

 

Site Corrie 1

The first one regards the decorated boulder, which used to be located in a field on the left side of the road to the farm, 35 m South of a burn, about 115 m WNW of a wall, with wide views (site 1).

When Ronald Morris visited the site in 1967, he arrived at a curious moment. In PSAS 100 (1967-8), p. 73, in "The Catalogue of Sites", no. 180, he made the following remark: "I found this when seeking No. 181 (Site 2, JJB). Farmer was about to blow it up, but won't now (drilled)".

We visited the site in June 2004 and were not able to locate the stone in the field. However, on or about the gridref, there was still a boulder but not the decorated one and likely to be made of sort of concrete. This was even more strange because the farmer, who showed us the location of site 2 and some other probable sites on the far horizon, had not mentioned the stone either.

We went back to the visible roots in Morris' book and walked up in the bearing to the farm.

 

                 

                        View over the stone to the farm. Photo by Morris, ref 5, 1981                                Plate 4c, PSAS 100, 1968

We found the stone, moved North from the original position, near the side of the burn. The drilling hole (practically chosen in a cup with ring) was still visible. What a relieve!

 

Found again in June 2004 near the burn, 35 m N. of its original position in the field

 

 

 

Site Corrie 2

This site, also known as 'Gartnabrodnaig', was the first we visited at Corrie Farm. The farmer

pointed out where it was (alongside a burn) and he could also remember the gentleman who came to look for the stone many years ago and that he was "quite exiting" about what he found.

It isn't clear whether this gentleman was Mr Lacaille in 1963 or Ronald Morris in 1967.

We belief it must have been Mr Lacaille. This is based on the fact that Morris only mentioned the site in his extensive study (Ref. 5) and that no reference was made to the interesting article by Lacaille in PSAS 96 (Ref. 1).

Furthermore in his remarks in PSAS 100 (Ref. 2), Morris said that he was looking for "nr 181" (site 2) but he, obviously, met with the hole drilling farmer first! It could well be that his appetite for the cup-marked stone, previously reported by Mr Lacaille, had weared off after that miraculous encounter.

So the visitor remembered by the farmer must have been Mr Lacaille in 1963. And this is his remarkable account taken from from ref. 1:

 

 

 

"In the spring of 1927 I was driving southward over the Glasgow Corporation Water Department road from Loch Ard to Douchlage on the Glasgow-Aberfoyle highway (now A. 81). Four miles S. of the loch, a little beyond the point where the private road changes direction to south-easterly, I stopped just on the 350-ft. contour to admire the expansive scenery of mountains, moor, moss and, beyond, the wide strath towards the Firth of Forth.

From this high point at the bend of the road, in the midst of a vast grassy heath, 1 ¾ miles from the gate at Drymen Road Cottage, a conspicuous rock or boulder, about ¼ mile away to the E. on the flank of a small valley, attracted my attention. On going to look at it I was interested to see that part of its surface bore cup-markings. Not having with me the means of making a proper record of the sculpturings I determined to return later with what was necessary, but it was not until September 1963 that I realised my desire. As a result of the special journey undertaken then to re-examine the rock I submit the following in the belief that a note on these prehistoric carvings may interest the Society, particularly since, so far as I know, nothing of the kind has been reported from this remote locality on the south central Highlands borders. Actually, the nearest prehistoric remains are a small stone circle, 3 ½ miles NNE., between Kirkton and Balleich, near Aberfoyle".

 

 

So in 1927 a man stood at a well defined viewpoint and saw a cup-marked stone. Only 36 years later he could realize his desire and recorded and reported the stone. Where do we find such patience nowadays?

In 1963, and that is even more remarkable, Lacaille had no knowledge of the stone in the field (site-1) and was not, for whatever reason, informed by the farmer. Was the farmer unaware of the decorated stone or did he have already a small explosion in mind? Who can tell?

Fact is that in 1967 Ronald Morris came to see the stone reported by Lacaille (ref. 2, nr 181). He must have read Lacaille's article with a description of the location. However, a grid-reference was not given in the article. That, together with the fact that Morris didn't see the site himself, can be the reason why he is (in ref 4) not referring to Lacaille's article.

There's only the following reference:  "….and there is a boulder with many cup-marks on it about 450 m to the NW, out of sight from CEN 7".

(CEN 7 is site-1)

Morris was probably unaware of the stone in the field (site-1). Had not the farmer been busy drilling a hole in it just at the moment Morris arrived, there should have been only one cup-marked stone at Corrie Farm, the Lacaille one!

The question remains why Morris didn't visit and photographed Lacaille's stone, the one he intentionally came to see. Maybe his conversation with the farmer, who certainly knew where the stone was, gave him no reason to stay much longer. We will never know!

 

Conclusion

So there is indeed a bit of a mystery around the stones on Corrie Farm, deep in Rob Roy Country.

During our visit we felt as being part of this mystery. Of time falling away, of a sequence of events and unbelievable time laps.

(Pre-) History preserved in the middle of nowhere!

3000BC           People decorate two stones with stone implements;

1927    Man on road sees cup-marked rock;

1963    Man comes back and record and report the stone;

1967    Another man comes to see that stone but, instead, rescued the other;

2004    Two man from Holland photographed both stones and are still a bit puzzled.

 

For some reason the rock art site "Corrie" will always be connected with three man; Lacaille, Morris and, of course, the friendly farmer.

 

 

 

Surveys 

Site-1 was surveyed by OS (JP) on 22 March 1974 and found it "A cup and ring marked stone as described".

 

NMRS Collection Items

Catalogue Number      : DC 11108

Description                  : Drawing, ink, 1":5', Lacaille, PSAS 96, fig.1 (drawing below) 

 

 

 

References

1. Lacaille, A.D. (1965 b)

Cup-markings in North Drymen, Stirlingshire', PSAS 96, 1962-3, p. 350-2 and Plate LVII

2. Morris, R.W.B. (1969a)

'The cup-and-ring marks and similar sculptures in Scotland: a survey of the southern Counties, part II', PSAS 100, 1967-8, p. 73, nr 180-1 and Plate 4c;

3. Morris, R.W.B. (1969)

          'The cup-and-ring marks and similar early sculptures of Scotland', part 2: the rest of southern Scotland except Kintyre, p. 59 (not                       mentioned in Canmore)

4. RCAHMS (1979 b)

The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The archaeological sites and monuments of Stirling, Central Region, The archaeological site and monuments of Scotland series no 7, Edinburgh, 13, No. 74

5. Morris, R.W.B. (1981)

'The Prehistoric Rock Art of Southern Scotland', BAR British Series, 1981, p. 50 and 52 (not mentioned in Canmore)

6. Morris, R.W.B. (1989)

'The Prehistoric Rock Art of Great Britain: A Survey of All Sites Bearing Motifs more complex than Simple Cup-marks', Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 55, 1989, p. 69 (not mentioned in Canmore)