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Stone Circle, Nine Stone Rig, Cranshaws. |
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Description
'The Nine Stones' comprises a group of only eight stones located
on the south-east facing slope of Ninestone Rig above the
Kingside Burn. The stones probably form the remains of a stone
circle, estimated at approx. 6.50m in diameter and the stones
are all irregular in shape and position.
Directions
Taking the B6355 east from Gifford stop near the electricity
pylons at the entrance to Mayshiel Farm. Follow the fence line
down to Kingside Burn then head east, keeping to the fence. Cross
Kingside Burn and head directly north towards Ninestone Rig. The
stones are fairly obvious. There are faint trails through the
heather leading to the stones.
Parking
On verge at roadside, beside pylons.
Folklore
It is believed that some treasure is hidden beneath
these stones and various attempts, all unsuccessful, have
been made to find it. The disturbed ground inside the circle
may be evidence of this.
Fieldnotes
The stone circle on Nine Stone Rig is not what you would expect,
being simply a small collection of irregular stones
forming a loose circle. You might be disappointed if you were
expecting more but in this neck of the woods, this is the best
you are going to find. To be honest, I found this quite an
exciting discovery but there's more to any stone circle than the
stones themselves. Ask yourself a few questions and think about
what the answers might be. Is this really a stone circle or the
remains of a burial cairn? What did the people who constructed
it do here?
While surfing the Internet one day, I happened to look at an
old map of the above area and was interested to see that the
area of moorland directly to the north of Ninestone Rig has a
couple of interesting place names. Both Tipperstone Rig and
Ragstone Rig can be seen. Could these names hint at further
possible stones in the area, perhaps now lost? A possible
explanation for "Ragstone" comes from geology and
refers to a type of rock used as a building material. As there
are a number of old quarries in the area, this may be relevant.
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