<< Our Photo Pages >> Stone of Mannan - Standing Stone (Menhir) in Scotland in Clackmannanshire
Submitted by peigimccann on Tuesday, 29 August 2017 Page Views: 5259
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Stone of Mannan Alternative Name: Clackmannan Stone, King Robert's StoneCountry: Scotland County: Clackmannanshire Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Nearest Town: Alloa Nearest Village: Clackmannan
Map Ref: NS91119188
Latitude: 56.107230N Longitude: 3.752418W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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I have visited· I would like to visit
Anne T visited on 14th Jul 2018 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 5 Stone of Mannan, Clackmannan: I was surprised to find this only about 20m east of the Mercat Cross (refer to that page for the rest of my visit report). Right next to the market cross and the Tolbooth. See the report above. I was interested to read the plaque on the eastern wall of the Tolbooth: “The Stone or Clack, originally placed at the foot of Lookabootye Brae, was sacred to the pre-Christian deity Mannan and is an unique relic of pagan times. It was raised on the large shaft in 1833”.
Andy B: would like to visit No 3. in Kenny Brophy's Top Ten Urban Prehistory site selections, compiled for our Old Stones book.
The name of the town comes from the stone, Clackmannan meaning The Stone of the Monks.
For more information on the Mercat Cross/Market Cross see SID 48117 Merkat Cross (Clackmannan), which has a separate Canmore listing (ID 48318).
This stone is recorded as Canmore ID 48321, which includes a 1985 publication account, an extract of which reads: "The Clach Mannan (from the Gaelic, Stone of the Manau) is a natural whinstone boulder which, in 1833, was placed on the top of an impressive monolith next to the Tolbooth in Clackmannan. For many years it had been kept in Clackmannan Tower (see no. 38) but it is reputed to have come originally from the foot of Lookaboutye Brae about 1km to the south. As the name suggests, the stone is associated with the Manau, a local iron-age tribal group; its precise function, however, is unknown but it may have marked the site of the rallying point for the tribe or indicated a sacred place. The ritual use of a boulder, whether decorated (as are several of the Irish examples) or plain, was not uncommon in the Celtic world, but this practice should not be confused with the much earlier bronze-age tradition of erecting standing stones. Another well-known example can be seen at Lochmaben, Dumfries, where a large natural boulder, the Clockmabon stone, is associated with the worship of the Celtic god, Maponus. The Manau are also remembered in the placename, Slammanan, which lies on the south side of the Forth."
The Canmore entry also tells us: "Early in the 19th century, a suitably shaped plinth was chosen from among the large boulders at the Abbey Craig at Causewayhead, and the stone, having been clamped together with iron bars, and a hole made in it for a flagstaff, was placed on top of it for better preservation."
The Northern Antiquarian (TNA) also features a page for this stone - see their entry for Stone of Mannan, Clackmannan, Clackmannanshire, which includes directions for finding this phallic shaped stone, together with recent photographs, an old drawing, a brief archaeology & history and local folklore.
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