<< Our Photo Pages >> Craigmailing Boundary Marker (Torphichen) - Marker Stone in Scotland in West Lothian
Submitted by Anne T on Wednesday, 03 March 2004 Page Views: 9365
Multi-periodSite Name: Craigmailing Boundary Marker (Torphichen) Alternative Name: Witchcraigs; Witch Crags; Witch CraigsCountry: Scotland County: West Lothian Type: Marker Stone
Nearest Town: Bathgate Nearest Village: Torphichen
Map Ref: NS99097270 Landranger Map Number: 65
Latitude: 55.936727N Longitude: 3.616952W
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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Anne T visited on 30th Sep 2017 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 3 Craigmailing/Witchcraigs Boundary Stone: To find this stone, we parked near to the Little Criagmailling cross base found earlier this week and followed a little-used footpath through the woodland. This footpath joined another wider one, crossing a stile into a little tree-lined lane which followed a trickling stream to our left hand side.
This, very unexpectedly, opened up into an area of grass/heath with a viewpoint. As soon as you sight the viewpoint with its dry stone wall and information boards, the refuge stone is to your right hand side. This is a really rather special place. And being named Witch Crag made it much more atmospheric!
The refuge stone is no longer in the wall, but has been sited at 90 degrees to it.
This enigmatic refuge stone is recorded as Canmore ID 47917 where it is also known as Witch Crag or Witchcraig Boundary Marker.
An entry from 1878 records: "This slab measures 2 3/4' x 2' x 13", and is sculptured with a patriarchal cross on both sides, shown in high relief on the W side, and deeply incised on the E. It marks the boundary of Torphichen (which was held by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem)" and was pictured embedded in the top few courses of a stone wall. It is now located adjacent to this wall, near the Witchcraig Viewpoints.
We found this stone by parking near the Lower Craigmailing Cross base and following the footpaths which led north, then north east, through the woods to the view point at Witch Craig/Witchcraigs/Witch Crags.
This stone is also featured on the Ancient Stones: A Guide to Standing Stones and Stone Circles in the South of Scotland - see their entry for the Boundary Stone, Witch Craig, Torphichen, which includes a description, directions for finding the stone with nearby parking, and fieldnotes.
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670m SW 223° Lower Craigmailing (Torphichen)* Ancient Cross (NS98627222)
1.0km SSW 200° Cairnpapple Hill* Round Cairn (NS98727175)
1.1km WNW 290° Gormyre* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NS98067311)
1.2km N 358° Kipps Farm* Round Cairn (NS99087387)
1.4km S 177° Knock Stone Circle* Modern Stone Circle etc (NS99137133)
1.7km N 354° Cockleroy Hill (Beecraigs)* Hillfort (NS98947438)
2.3km W 264° Torphichen Churchyard Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NS96847250)
2.7km N 357° Williamcraigs Standing Stone* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (NS99037544)
2.9km S 184° Galabraes* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NS9881869839)
2.9km ENE 68° Beecraigs Round Cairn (NT01827372)
3.9km WSW 240° North Couston Refuge Stone* Early Christian Sculptured Stone (NS95637078)
4.4km N 354° The Boarstane (Linlithgow) Standing Stone (Menhir) (NS98757706)
4.4km N 11° Linlithgow Camp Not Known (by us) (NT00057700)
4.6km NNE 13° Cross Well (Linlithgow)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NT0021677170)
4.7km W 262° Westfield Farm Refuge Stone* Early Christian Sculptured Stone (NS94377211)
7.2km WSW 245° Hillhouse (Torphichen) Standing Stone (Menhir) (NS92456984)
7.3km NNW 335° Inveravon Temporary Camps 1 & 2 Not Known (by us) (NS96117933)
7.5km NW 325° Polmonthill Temporary Camp Not Known (by us) (NS94867895)
7.7km NNW 333° Inveravon Roman Camp Not Known (by us) (NS95777965)
7.7km NNW 349° Kinneil Fortlet Ancient Village or Settlement (NS97748031)
7.8km NW 321° Little Kerse Temporary Camp Not Known (by us) (NS94327892)
8.0km NNW 329° Inveravon Roman Fort Ancient Village or Settlement (NS95107969)
8.1km SW 235° Boar Stone (Armadale)* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (NS92336820)
8.3km N 6° Kinglass Park Marching Camp Not Known (by us) (NT00178097)
8.4km NNE 17° Muirhouses Camp Not Known (by us) (NT01688071)
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