Description

The monument comprises a pair of standing stones, dating to the Late Neolithic (3000 BC – 2500 BC) or Bronze Age (2500 BC – 800 BC). The northern stone measures about 0.8m by 0.6m and stands about 1.1m high. The second stone has fallen and lies about 0.5m to the south. It measures about 0.8m by about 0.8m and 1.4m long. This stone has been moved and previously stood about 4.8m to the southwest of the northern stone. The monument lies on level ground at about 40m above sea level.

The scheduled area is circular, measuring 14m in diameter. It includes the remains described above and an area around within which evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map. This includes the location in which this stone was originally recorded. The above-ground components of the post and wire fence are specifically excluded to allow for their maintenance.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The national importance of the monument is demonstrated in the following way(s) (see Designations Policy and Selection Guidance, Annex 1, para 17): a.  The monument is of national importance because it makes a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the past or has the potential to do so as a pair of standing stones. Standing stones are one of the main sources of evidence for the late Neolithic and Bronze Age in Scotland and so are important in our understanding of the nature of Scotland's prehistoric society and landscape. The example contributes to our understanding of prehistoric ritual monuments and has the potential to enhance our understanding of ritual and ceremonial activities in the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods.b.   The monument retains structural, architectural, decorative or other physical attributes which make a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the past as a pair of standing stones. Study of the form, layout and construction techniques has the potential to increase our understanding of this monument and other similar monuments.e.   The monument has research potential which could significantly contribute to our understanding or appreciation of the past, in particular prehistoric religious practice, the chronological development of religious monuments and wider changes in society during the late Neolithic and Bronze Age.f.   The monument makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the historic landscape by its association with a wider cluster of prehistoric burial and ritual monuments. Study of this monument in relationship to other monuments of a similar date in the area can enhance our understanding of these monuments within the historic landscape.

Assessment of Cultural Significance

This statement of national importance has been informed by the following assessment of cultural significance:

Intrinsic characteristics (how the remains of a site or place contribute to our knowledge of the past)

The monument is a pair of standing stones. Although one of the stones has fallen and been moved, the location in which it was originally recorded is known, and the plan of the monument is understandable. Some standing stones represent the surviving remains of larger sites such as stone rows, and it is possible that these stones also formed part of larger monument.

Standing stones are one of the main sources of evidence for the Neolithic and Bronze Age in Scotland and so are important in our understanding of the nature of Scotland's prehistoric society and landscape. They are sites of ritual significance and typically provide evidence of prehistoric ceremonial practices. There is good potential for the survival of buried deposits beneath and around the stones, as well as artefactual and environmental material deposited during the construction of the monument. Buried deposits at these monuments can include human skeletal material, pottery vessels, grave goods, the remains of other human activity and, traces of the environmental conditions (such as vegetation cover and land use) at the time of its use. Study of this monument when compared to others has the potential to increase our understanding of the distribution and use of prehistoric ritual monuments in the late Neolithic and Bronze Age periods.

Contextual characteristics (how a site or place relates to its surroundings and/or to our existing knowledge of the past)Standing stones are a widespread class of monument across Scotland with notable concentrations in the Western and Northern Isles, Caithness, Aberdeenshire, Perthshire and Dumfries and Galloway. Pairs of stones have a slightly more limited distribution and are found mainly in west, north and central Scotland. Although surviving as a pair of stones, it is possible that the monument originally formed part of a larger complex. The stones lie around 100m south-southwest of White Cairn (SM1951; NRHE ID 62849) and about 400m north-northwest of Boreland cairn (NRHE ID 62870). They may be associated with these cairns, or the cairns or the standing stones may have been placed with reference to one another.The monument is part of a local cluster of prehistoric ritual and burial monuments and is around 3km northwest of the complex of standing stones and cairns around Torhouse stone circle (SM90304; NRHE ID 62843). There is potential to study these sites together to better understand the late Neolithic and Bronze Age landscape, the placing of such sites in the landscape, as well as prehistoric society and economy. The monument has the potential to enhance our understanding of ceremony and belief during the late Neolithic and Bronze Age. It can tell us about the character, development and use of ritual sites, and the nature of prehistoric society, economy and social hierarchy in this area of Scotland and further afield.

Associative characteristics (how a site or place relates to people, events, and/or historic and social movements)

There are no known associative characteristics that contribute to the national importance of the monument.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

Historic Environment Scotland https://www.trove.scot/reference number NRHE ID 62860 (accessed on 30/10/2025).

Local Authority HER Reference MDG2524 (accessed on 30/10/2025).

Burl, A. 1993 From Carnac to Callanish. The prehistoric stone rows and avenues of Britain, Ireland and Brittany. Yale University.

Murray J. (1981) 'The stone circles of Wigtownshire', Transactions of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, 3rd series, volume 56, pp 18-30.

trove.scot

https://www.trove.scot/place/62860/

HER/SMR Reference

MDG2524

Source: Historic Environment Scotland