It'd been a few months since the last Scottish Megarak meet and as November is traditionally the time for a meet anyway, we decided one was overdue. As ever, before the day itself it was shaping up to be the Biggest Scottish Megarak Meet Ever (tm), but a little drizzle this morning evidently dissuaded some less hardy folk to stay in bed.
Nick picked me up and we drove up to Pitlochry, parking in the centre of town to wait and see who would come. Although some regulars couldn't make it - George was a no-show, Scotty's car was broken, and Martin's car had broken down in Wick of all places! - our numbers were swelled by 2 southern megaraks coming up from England. To be fair, Moth was already in Montrose for a wedding last night, but Suzanne drove 3 hours north through driving rain - now that's dedication! Irene also turned up, so we were 5, and could all fit into Nick's Big Red Beast for the short journey to Fearnan on Loch Tay to investigate the Clach an Tuirc (The Boar Stone), a cup-marked boulder. Unfortunately it was covered in ivy, so we headed up the road to Cromrar.
In the field here are the possible remains of a couple of stone circles, and also some cup-marked rocks. As the youngest member present, it was only right that I should race off up the hill in order to get a photo of the others struggling up.
Finding specific rocks in a field of rocks is a tricky business - cue puzzled looks from Moth amongst others.
We found a few cup-marks - no stone circles though, but we were rewarded by magnificent autumnal views down to Loch Tay and up towards Glen Lyon.
And it was towards Glen Lyon we were now heading. Just over the bridge crossing the River Lyon is a field full of archaeology. First up was the Bridge of Lyon standing stones, where Irene limbered up for her customary attempt at the hide and seek championship.
The views from here again towards the mouth of Glen Lyon are absolutely stunning, the hills clothed in a mass of golden browns.
In the next field is a cairn and fallen standing stone with an interesting myth attached. Legend has it that Pontius Pilate was born in Fortingall to a British mother and a Roman father, and this cairn is supposed to be his grave. Whether or not the story is true, what is for sure is that this ancient monument predates Pilate quite considerably. Moth certainly didn't believe the story.
Just along the road on the way into Fortingall is a mound called Carn na Marbh (the Mound of the Dead) topped with the Clach a'Phlaigh (the plague stone). There's a story attached to this one too. Apparently this was the focus of the village's Samhain festival, but was also reused in the 14th century for burying plague victims away from the churchyard.
Next up was the 3 stone circles on the other side of Fortingall, where George caught up with us.
Then we stopped off at the church to look at the famous yew - probably the oldest tree in Europe and perhaps even the world - and the cup-marked stone that was found buried below it.
Back in the car, we drove out to Tummel Bridge to see the stone circle at Upper Gaskan. At the centre is a huge cup-marked flat rock, surrounded by a ring of small stones.
On the way back down the forestry track to the car, George suddenly leapt into the wood. No-one was sure why, so we followed him in - his amazing nose for rock art had found an unrecorded cup and ring marking.
Stomachs were now rumbling, so after a brief stop at Faskally Cottages to see the stone circle there in the fading light, it was back to Pitlochry and up to the famous Moulin Inn - the perfect end to any Megarak meet!
(photo courtesy of Nick )
Nick picked me up and we drove up to Pitlochry, parking in the centre of town to wait and see who would come. Although some regulars couldn't make it - George was a no-show, Scotty's car was broken, and Martin's car had broken down in Wick of all places! - our numbers were swelled by 2 southern megaraks coming up from England. To be fair, Moth was already in Montrose for a wedding last night, but Suzanne drove 3 hours north through driving rain - now that's dedication! Irene also turned up, so we were 5, and could all fit into Nick's Big Red Beast for the short journey to Fearnan on Loch Tay to investigate the Clach an Tuirc (The Boar Stone), a cup-marked boulder. Unfortunately it was covered in ivy, so we headed up the road to Cromrar.
In the field here are the possible remains of a couple of stone circles, and also some cup-marked rocks. As the youngest member present, it was only right that I should race off up the hill in order to get a photo of the others struggling up.
Finding specific rocks in a field of rocks is a tricky business - cue puzzled looks from Moth amongst others.
We found a few cup-marks - no stone circles though, but we were rewarded by magnificent autumnal views down to Loch Tay and up towards Glen Lyon.
And it was towards Glen Lyon we were now heading. Just over the bridge crossing the River Lyon is a field full of archaeology. First up was the Bridge of Lyon standing stones, where Irene limbered up for her customary attempt at the hide and seek championship.
The views from here again towards the mouth of Glen Lyon are absolutely stunning, the hills clothed in a mass of golden browns.
In the next field is a cairn and fallen standing stone with an interesting myth attached. Legend has it that Pontius Pilate was born in Fortingall to a British mother and a Roman father, and this cairn is supposed to be his grave. Whether or not the story is true, what is for sure is that this ancient monument predates Pilate quite considerably. Moth certainly didn't believe the story.
Just along the road on the way into Fortingall is a mound called Carn na Marbh (the Mound of the Dead) topped with the Clach a'Phlaigh (the plague stone). There's a story attached to this one too. Apparently this was the focus of the village's Samhain festival, but was also reused in the 14th century for burying plague victims away from the churchyard.
Next up was the 3 stone circles on the other side of Fortingall, where George caught up with us.
Then we stopped off at the church to look at the famous yew - probably the oldest tree in Europe and perhaps even the world - and the cup-marked stone that was found buried below it.
Back in the car, we drove out to Tummel Bridge to see the stone circle at Upper Gaskan. At the centre is a huge cup-marked flat rock, surrounded by a ring of small stones.
On the way back down the forestry track to the car, George suddenly leapt into the wood. No-one was sure why, so we followed him in - his amazing nose for rock art had found an unrecorded cup and ring marking.
Stomachs were now rumbling, so after a brief stop at Faskally Cottages to see the stone circle there in the fading light, it was back to Pitlochry and up to the famous Moulin Inn - the perfect end to any Megarak meet!
(photo courtesy of Nick )