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<< Other Photo Pages >> The Stone Lud - Standing Stone (Menhir) in Scotland in Caithness

Submitted by coldrum on Thursday, 06 September 2012  Page Views: 4557

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: The Stone Lud
Country: Scotland County: Caithness Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)

Map Ref: ND222617
Latitude: 58.536420N  Longitude: 3.337975W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
 no data Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 no data Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
 no data Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
 4
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The Stone Lud
The Stone Lud submitted by durhamnature : Photo from "Report on inventory of Scottish Monuments...Caithness" via archive.org (Vote or comment on this photo)
Standing Stone (Menhir) in Caithness

From Clas Merdin: Tales from the Enchanted Island:

"Stone Lud
In the parish of Bower in Caithness, in the Highland region of Scotland, about four miles south of Castletown (Grid Ref: ND222617) is a standing stone known as The Stone Lud.

It is claimed that this stone marks of the grave of Ljot, (or Loitus) the 10th century earl of Caithness and Norse Orkney, who died in battle here. The name of Ljot is clearly very close to that of Lot or Loth, the mythic king of Lothian of Arthurian legend who according to Geoffrey of Monmouth was also King of Orkney.

This standing stone is about 3 metres high, significantly taller than most Norse 10th century stones and is more likely to be a much older megalith that a local legend has attached to it. The Stone Lud is similar in size to the stones of the Ring of Brodgar in Orkney, and is one of a pair, its partner having now fallen lies some 30 metres away. It said that when erect the two stones would have made an alignment with the summer solstice sunset."

http://clasmerdin.blogspot.co.uk/2008_10_01_archive.html
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Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.

Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
ND2162 : Abandoned farm near Bowertower by Steven Brown
by Steven Brown
©2010(licence)
ND2262 : Minor road near Bowertower by Steven Brown
by Steven Brown
©2010(licence)
ND2262 : The derelict buildings of Lower Bowertower by Peter Wood
by Peter Wood
©2022(licence)
ND2261 : Details of trig point at Brabsterdorran by John Ferguson
by John Ferguson
©2010(licence)
ND2261 : Wild flowers colour a drab scene at Brabsterdorran by Alan Reid
by Alan Reid
©2017(licence)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 595m E 80° Mains of Bowertower Broch or Nuraghe (ND22796179)
 1.8km ESE 106° Halcro Manse* Broch or Nuraghe (ND23896119)
 2.7km NE 41° Ha' of Bowermadden* Broch or Nuraghe (ND23986369)
 3.3km NW 304° Ha' of Durran* Broch or Nuraghe (ND19516359)
 3.4km ENE 68° Murza Broch or Nuraghe (ND25386290)
 4.9km S 173° Lynegar House, Oslie Cairn* Chambered Cairn (ND22715679)
 5.1km SSW 200° Lower Dunn (2) Broch or Nuraghe (ND2036356940)
 5.1km S 169° Lynegar House, Grey Cairn* Broch or Nuraghe (ND23045662)
 5.2km WSW 259° Mill of Knockdee* Chambered Cairn (ND17036077)
 5.3km SSW 200° Lower Dunn* Broch or Nuraghe (ND2026656718)
 5.6km SSW 197° Bridge of Dunn Standing Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (ND2045156374)
 5.7km E 86° Gunn's Hillock* Broch or Nuraghe (ND27926201)
 5.8km NNW 345° Thurdistoft Broch or Nuraghe (ND20786731)
 5.8km SE 143° Scottag* Broch or Nuraghe (ND25665699)
 5.8km SSW 197° Bridge of Dunn Broch Broch or Nuraghe (ND20415613)
 6.0km NNE 25° Ha' of Greenland Broch or Nuraghe (ND24906709)
 6.1km WSW 254° Torran Reitheach Cairn (ND1629160143)
 6.1km ESE 124° Gearsay Cairn Broch or Nuraghe (ND27265819)
 6.3km SSE 158° Loch Watten Crannog* Crannog (ND24435585)
 6.3km SSE 152° Tulach Gorm (Mains of Watten) Broch or Nuraghe (ND25105604)
 6.4km SE 135° Coghill* Broch or Nuraghe (ND26705708)
 6.5km W 271° Cnoc na Ciste Chambered Cairn (ND1572161989)
 6.8km W 275° Cnoc an Tailler Cairn (ND1545462477)
 6.8km W 267° Springfield Chambered Cairn Chambered Cairn (ND1533161521)
 6.9km E 82° Hill of Works* Broch or Nuraghe (ND29036255)
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Caithness Archaeology: Aspects of Prehistory

Caithness Archaeology: Aspects of Prehistory

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"The Stone Lud" | Login/Create an Account | 2 News and Comments
  
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Re: The Discovery of a Norse Witch Stele by Anonymous on Saturday, 01 June 2019
Ashley Cowies discovery is a modern fake produced by himself. With recent tool marks obvious in his photos. Anyone visiting the site will not find any site matching his description, about 4 feet West of the Stone Lud is a Dry Stone wall, which he doesn't mention crossing, and takes you into heather moorland the thin peat soil does not provide a habitat to moles.
[ Reply to This ]

The Discovery of a Norse Witch Stele by Andy B on Thursday, 11 August 2016
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Ashley Cowie writes: In the parish of Bower in Caithness, in the Highland region of Scotland, about four miles south of Castletown is a standing stone known as The Stone Lud. Located at the intersection of three ancient routes Stone Lud is one of the highest and most impressive of the remaining standing stones in the county, measuring 8’ 6” high, 3’ 8” broad and 1’9” thick. A second stone, similar in size, is prostrate about 96 feet to the SSE of Stone Lud, and this stone is encircled by a distinctive oval grass enclosure measuring 16’ 5” long by 13’ 1” broad. About 23 feet north-west of Stone Lud are the remains of a stone burial cairn measuring 26 feet in diameter and 1 foot in height.

Stone Lud is perched on the edge of a ridge in open moorland and it is visible from several miles distant. It was identified on the first Ordinance Survey maps of Caithness as a ‘Navigational Marker’ and in the seventeenth century it was used as a territorial boundary separating the adjoining estates of Bowermadden and Tister. Although this lonely menhir now fails to attract more than a handful of tourists each year, around five thousand years ago, it was a sentinel located at an important intersection at the heart of a productive farming landscape.

Before sunrise on the summer solstice in 2002, I ventured to Stone Lud and set up my equipment to photograph the solar event. Inspecting the surrounding area, about fifty feet to the west of Stone Lud a patch of whin bushes surrounded by dozens of molehills caught my eye. Molehills sometimes contain microliths (flint tools) from bygone ages. Crawling on my hands and knees along the edge of the thorn bushes my eyes were drawn to a symmetrical shape protruding from the roots of the bush.

I brushed away the topsoil and gently rocked it from side to side, and it began to move, slightly at first. And after wiping away the mud and roots three distinct letters incised within a rectangle were discovered - LUD. On the flip side a second set of incised letters spelled the word – ELSGOD. The stone tablet is very smooth along both edges and the stone appears to have been sawn because the edges are highly polished with vertical scoring. The stone has significant signs of weathering on both faces, but the edges of the letters are sharp.

Read more at
http://ashleycowie.com/the-witches-stone
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We would like to know more about this location. Please feel free to add a brief description and any relevant information in your own language.
Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
Quisieramos informarnos un poco más de las lugares. No dude en añadir una breve descripción y otros datos relevantes en su propio idioma.