A megalith (from the Ancient Greek “megas” - large and “lithos“– stone) is a stone that has been used to build a structure, either alone or with other stones, without the use of mortar. The term Megalithic implies that such a structure is prehistoric or monumental.
Most Megalithic construction in Scotland took place in the Neolithic Age through the Chalcolithic (Copper) Age and into the Bronze Age and Iron Ages.
To complete this challenge, you must visit each of the ten regions to find and log a Megalithic cache. Each cache logged must be at the site of a megalith, artifact, or structure from the Neolithic through the Iron Age (4000 BC to 100AD).
Valid caches include all of the following: brochs, hill forts, duns, crannogs, chambered cairns, passage graves, burial chambers (dolmens), standing stones, stone circles, henges, stone rows, sculptured stones (before 100 AD), & cup and ring stones. If you are uncertain whether a find counts or not, email me and we’ll discuss it!
I will not accept glacial erratics, Pictish stones, Roman ruins, or much of anything beyond the Battle of Mons Graupius.
And, no, the Ruskie Stane does NOT count!
Here are the Ten Regions with some sample Megalithic caches. Most of them are rated 2/2, but a few are more difficult. There are more megalithic caches than these listed; please feel free to use the others to meet the challenge!
1. THE NORTHERN ISLES & OUTER HEBRIDES (The Shetlands, Orkney, Barra, Benbecula, Eriskay, Harris, Lewis, North Uist, Scalpay, South Uist, Vatersay):
• Standing Stones of Calanais virtual GC7B70E
• Scotland The Quest - Orkney Islands GC4R0E2 near the Staney Hill Standing Stone
• Dee Dah GC2CQHQ (Lewis- Callanish: Stone circles)
• GC4AYJG 'Brodick View' and GC7B70E the Standing Stones of Calanais
2. THE HIGHLANDS (Aviemore, the Cairngorms, Fort William & Lochaber, Inverness, Loch Ness, Nairn, Moray, Northern Highlands, Skye & Lochalsh):
• GC8KCK4 | Migdale Hoard
• GC6XJ9X | Skelbo Wood: Solitary Oak
• The Standing Stone of Rangag GCGRVF
• Dun Deardail GC2TP65 (thanks Uilebheist!)
• Tom an Uird Cairn GCZ5RT (Neolithic cairn)
• Historic Skye: Dun Beag Broch GC2VNFA
3. ABERDEEN CITY AND SHIRE (Banff, Buchan, the North East Coast, Royal Deeside, The Mearns):
• Scotland The Quest - Aberdeenshire GC4T5XV at Midmar Kirk recumbent stone circle
• Aikey Brae Stone Circle GC2Q8QC (Recumbent stone circle)
• Geohenge GC1XQEO - stone circle.
• The South Ythsie – Stone Circle GC1CDPX
• GC13609 Eslie the Greater; a recumbent stone circle
• Standing Stones II GC127D2
4. THE KINGDOM OF FIFE, ANGUS & DUNDEE (Angus Glens, Dunfermline, West Fife, East Neuk of Fife, Kirkcaldy, Leven & District, St Andrews, North Fife, and the Howe of Fife):
• Communications - Ancient and Modern GCQNVT (cup and ring stone)
• Dundee Law GC67F4
5. PERTHSHIRE (Perth, Aberfeldy, Loch Tay, Glen Lyon, Auchterarder, Gleneagles, The Ochils, Blairgowrie, East Perthshirre, Frieff, Comrie, Strathearn, Dunkeld, Birnam, Kinross Area, and Loch Leven):
• GC2T6FN | Moncreiffe Hill - Moredun Top
• Boat Stone GC1K4MR
• Harelaw Cairn GC12FD7 (80’ diameter cairn)
• A Drive in the Country - Dalchirla Standing Stones GC1P88Y
• A Drive in the Country - Craigneich Standing Stone GC1MQC4
• Melting Mouth ~ Crannog GC2TCQ0 (Loch Tay crannog)
• The Cairn GCRMQY
• Clunie Walk: Any Old Iron Age GC27ZVF
6. ARGYLL & THE ISLES (Isle of Bute, The Cowal Peninsula, Loch Lomond, Helensburgh, West Dunbartonshire, Mid Argyll, Kintyre & Islay, Oban, Mull and Lorn):
• GC4JN4G | Dunan Mor Cairn
• Kintraw Standing Stone GC10D3F
• Standing Stone GC27YJX
7. STIRLING & THE TROSSACHS (Falkirk, the Forth Valley, Stirling, Clackmannanshire, Strathallan, The Campsies, Trossachs, and Breadalbane):
• Cup and Rings GC1WYW4
• Ochils Pub Crawl - Wallace's Stone GC249F3
• Wallstale Dun GC1V619 (Iron Age dun)
• The Hill Fort: Gillies Hill 2 GC1EDNC (Iron Age hill fort)
8. EDINBURGH & THE LOTHIANS (East Lothian, Midlothian, and West Lothian):
• Buckstane GCX0W4
• The Lot Stane GCY3MW
• Standing Stone GC2750Z
•Tormain GC14T2A (Cup & rings)
• Big Breeze GC2X6AP (Riccarton Hill Bronze Age cairn)
9. GLASGOW, THE CLYDE VALLEY, AYSHIRE & ARRAN (East Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde, North and South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire; East, North and South Ayrshire):
• The Long Cairn Bridge GC218RF (Neolithic cairn)
• Crannog GCRE0G (Lochend Loch crannog)
• It’s a Cup and Ring thing GC2DWHF
• Eglinton Clearance Cairn GC1MB9Y
10. DUMFRIES, GALLOWAY, & SCOTTISH BORDERS (Central, East, and West Scottish Borders; Dumfries, East & West Dumfries, Galloway, and the Galloway Heartland):
• GC132F | Reivers Revenge (Scottish Borders)
• Dalarran Standing Stone GC1EQ6J
• Torwoodlee Broch GCZTY5
• Edin’s Hall GCZQEN (broch)
• Bow Castle Broch (GC15HD4)
The image above shows the geographical extent of each of the ten regions. The final cache will be found at the listed coordinates but it can only be logged after you successfully find a cache in each of the 10 regions.
In order to claim the final cache, you must include your regional finds in your log:
1. Enter the Cache code. eg. GC1WYW4
2. Enter the region name and number in which each cache is located
3. Enter the date you logged the find at each regional cache
The final find, which is located centrally, cannot be logged until the final physical container is found, the logbook inside is signed and the logging requirements are met.
Based on feedback from and incidents seen with other Challenges, some guidelines need to be laid out:
1. The posted coordinates, although shown as a Puzzle Cache, are the actual coordinates for this cache. It is an area which overlooks a Megalithic site in keeping with the cache title.
2. Generally accepted rules, guidelines and conditions for logging a cache find apply. These must be bona fide caches listed on Geocaching.com that you have personally (physically) found and logged. You may include caches found prior to the creation of Megalithic Scotland – A Challenge so long as they meet all other Challenge requirements.
3. All cache types count as finds or hides for Megalithic Scotland – A Challenge with the exception of events (CITO included) and locationless caches.
4. Multis and Puzzles will only have their initial (or starting) geocaching.com waypoint validated for qualification. It is conceivable that a cache can start in one region and end in another.
5. The Placement of a cache will not count towards the requirements of the challenge. The challenge is based on Geocaching Challenge guidelines which solely involves cache finds.
6. For ease of verification and to avoid arguments, please try not to use borderline caches in claiming the challenge.
7. While you may have others with you when you find the final cache, only those who have fulfilled ALL criteria for this cache will be allowed to log it as a find. Find logs by other cachers will be deleted.
8. When in doubt ask — we can discuss it or even seek guidance from others, but the final decision rests with the cache owner.
9. Remember that this is a game and is supposed to be fun!
The final cache is located 400’ due east of the Peterhead Farm Symbol Stone (N 56º 16.114 W 003º 44.307), a Neolithic standing stone possibly reused by the Picts and situated on top of a circular cairn. On the stone’s NNE face is a pictograph of “a very worn goose with its head turned back on itself and a better preserved rectangle symbol divided by two parallel lines. “ An archaeological excavation in 2008 determined that the stone was most likely situated on top of a cairn. Also found nearby were a circular enclosure visible on aerial photos and previously unknown features such as a small circular feature, possibly a building, and potential Pictish-type square burial monuments. The stone is grey igneous rock with large quartz inclusions set on a glacial gravel ridge that marks the beginning of the sweeping slope down to Gleneagles. Another uncarved standing stone can be found 366 meters to the southwest.
These stones and the Iron Age fort at Loaninghead have a strategic and commanding view of the mouth of Gleneagles which is the ‘easiest pass through the Ochils from Perth to Fife.’
Megalithic websites you might enjoy:
megalithic.co.uk
ancientstones.co.uk
ancient-scotland.co.uk
themodernantiquarian.com