Ballymeanoch Holed Stone
Kilmartin, Argyll
Standing Stone (broken, fallen and moved) Canmore

This stone once stood about 20 metres northwest of the Ballymeanoch stone rows. It broke and fell sometime around 1880 and lay in place until 1977 when it was excavated and moved. It now lies, almost hidden, by the nearby kerb cairn.

The stone is decorated with many cup marks and, unusually, has a hole pierced right through it. Originally nearly three metres tall, it is now broken into at least three pieces. The only obvious section still remaining has the hole and over a dozen cup-marks visible.

There is a tradition that betrothals were made by holding hands through the hole in the stone. Deals were sealed in the same manner. And babies were cured of various diseases by passing them through the hole. Because of the size of the hole only people with small hands (or impossibly small babies!) would be able to utilise the stone. Doubtless the folklore tradition arose through trying to explain the archaic purpose of the holed-stone rather than from practical experience.

See also: Ballymeanoch stone rows, Ballymeanoch henge, Ballymeanoch kerb cairn, Dunchraigaig cairn.

Images ©2004 Martin McCarthy, Theasis Photography

Nearby Sites

0km Ballymeanoch Cairn Kerb Cairn
0km Ballymeanoch Henge Henge; Cist
0km Ballymeanoch Stone Rows Stone Rows
0km Dunchraigaig Cairn Chambered Cairn
1km Nether Largie Stone Setting Stone Setting
1km Temple Wood Stone Circle
2km Dunadd Fort; Rock Carving
2km Kilmartin Church And Graveyard Mediaeval Grave Slabs; Early Christian Crosses; Carved Slabs; Church
3km Kilmichael Glassary Decorated Rock Sheet Cup and Ring Marks
3km Torbhlaran Standing Stone
4km Carnassarie Cairn Cairn
4km Carnassarie Standing Stones Standing Stones
5km Cairnbaan Cup and Ring Marks
5km Creagantairbh Beag Monolith Standing Stone
5km Glennan Standing Stone
6km Achnabreck Carved Rocksheet Cup And Ring
6km Ormaig Rock Carvings Cup and Ring Marks
7km Salachary Stone Row Standing Stones
7km Stane Alane Standing Stone
8km Kilmory Oib Village Deserted Mediæval Village
8km Kintraw Standing Stone; Cairn
14km Barnashaig Standing Stone
14km Upper Fernoch Megalith Standing Stone
16km Dun Mhuirich Dun
17km Castle Lachlan Castle
19km Lochead Megalith Standing Stone
(NB: All distances are as-the-crow-flies. Lochs, mountains and beautiful winding roads will make it further. Sometimes much further.)