Ballymeanoch Stones

There are two rows of standing stones at Ballymeanoch. A four stone alignment and a two stone alignment. They are the most visible part of a concentration of ancient monuments in the immediate area.

Their construction dates back to over 4000 years ago.

Thirty metres to the north-east of the four stone alignment is a kerb cairn. A henge monument lies 130m to the south-west.

The tallest stone is 4 metres (12 feet) in height. The two middle stones of the four stone line are heavily carved with cup and ring marks. On the east face of the second stone are about 70 cupmarks. Thirteen of these have rings around them. The west face of the third stone has forty cupmarks. Two of these cups have rings. The first stone has one cup mark on the east face.

A seventh stone with a hole through it, which also has several cupmarks, stood 18m west of the row of two stones. This was recorded as being upright in the 19th century, so fell sometime after. Three small deposits of cremated bone were found in the socket. The remains of this stone have been placed out of the way of farm machinery and now lies near the remains of a kerb cairn to the north east of the stone row, at the edge of the field.

Created: 27  November  2016  Edited: 29  November  2023