Description

The monument comprises two standing stones and a circular cairn - ritual and funerary monuments of the Neolithic and Bronze ages. The standing stones were originally scheduled in 1939, but an inadequate area was defined for their protection; the current scheduling rectifies this, and incorporates the adjacent burial cairn.

The stones and cairn lie at approximately 135m OD, on a hill ridge overlooking Loch of Yarrows and Battle Moss, and standing on an artificial "island" of raised ground, created by peat cutting in the vicinity. They form a rough alignment running NW-SE with the stones to the N. The northernmost stone stands approximately 2.5m high, but is only c.0.5m wide by 0.3m thick. Situated about 10m to the S, the other stone is around 1.75m high, 0.5m wide and 0.3m thick. The area around the stones shows signs of antiquarian investigations during the last century: their digging did not produce any evidence of burials, but did reveal the substantial packing stones around the base of both standing stones.

The cairn, which lies approximately 30m to the SE, was also excavated by antiquarians during the 19th century, when a long cist containing human remains was found. No trace of the cist can be seen today, and the cairn survives as a circular turf and stone mound, approximately 10.5m in diameter and 0.5m high surmounted by modern stone dumping. Elements of the original walling can be seen near the base of the cairn.

The area to be scheduled is sub-oval in shape, measuring a maximum of 70m NW-SE by 30m, to cover the remains described above and an area around and between them where evidence relating to their construction and use may be expected to survive, as shown in red on the attached map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

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Source: Historic Environment Scotland