The Johnny Moat stone on the shore at Prestonpans is an example of a glacial erratic - a rock that is not the same as the bedrock on which it sits. It has been carried from its original location by a glacier, and left here as the glacier has retreated. 
The stone has a place in local folklore as well, described by local storyteller Tim Porteus in the video on the related web page. It is named after a 17th century harbourmaster, said to be so huge that local boys named the large stone after him. It was said that if the stone ever fell so too would the prosperity of Prestonpans. A local saying is ‘As long as the Johnny Moat stands on its rocks, the town will flourish’. An flourish Prestonpans did, until the stone fell from its rock shelf in 1952. During the next forty years, before it was returned, the town saw the closure of the colliery, brickworks, potteries and brewery, as well as a decline in fishing and market gardening, with all the associated job losses.
Johnny Moat was returned to its original spot in 1992 by contractors working on the beach. Since then, new industries as well as Edinburgh commuters have come to the area, and Prestonpans is beginning to grow again.
BUT in February 2014, we went to look at the Stone to see if an earthcache here would be appropriate. To our horror we realised that Johnny Moat had toppled again due to the fierce storms. Being the first to notice, it made the newspapers! He no longer sits on the rock shelf, but a community effort is being made to reinstate the Stone.
Partly due to its new lower location, the Johnny Moat Stone can only be seen when the tide is low. Tide tables can be found here. The rocks can be slippery, please use caution and watch for the incoming tide.
To log this earthcache, please email the cache owner through the profile with answers to the following questions BEFORE logging the find. You do not need to wait for a reply, I will contact you if there is a problem with your answers.
- Describe two ways in which the Johnny Moat stone differs from the surrounding rock.
- What is the maximum height and width of the Stone?
- It has been suggested that this stone originated at Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh. How far was it carried by the ice?
- How far has the Stone fallen from the rock shelf?
- Do you think the Johnny Moat Stone should be returned to the rock shelf from which it fell?
- Optional Post a photo of you with Johnny Moat but make sure it's cropped to avoid spoiler pics