Ancient Stones
A Guide to Standing Stones & Stone Circles in the South of Scotland.


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018 Grey Mare, Wether Law, Longformacus.

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Description
The Grey Mare is a large, pock-marked glacial erratic and can be found, with some difficulty, on the north-west slope of Wether Law, to the south of Whiteadder Reservoir. The stone measures about 2.00m along it's longest axis and yet can still be hidden when viewed from only a few feet away as it sits just below the natural level of the surrounding heather. The surface of the stone has numerous "cup" type markings that have more than likely formed naturally through the processes of weathering. The term Grey Mare and other similar names are often given to large boulders such as this. A similarly named set of stones has been recorded near Dere Street, the Roman road near Hownam, although these are probably lost.

Directions
Wether Law can be found to the south west side of the road between Longformacus and Gifford. For reference, the hill is due south of Whiteadder Reservoir. The best way of finding the stone, without using a GPS device, is to align yourself with the stone-built grouse shooting butts to the south of the trig point on the Wether Law. The stone is slightly to your right if you walk towards them. Take care, the stone is still hidden even from 10m or so away.

Parking
There are a few small parking spaces along the roadside verge in the area.

Fieldnotes
I had yet to purchase a GPS receiver when I first sought out this stone and was only able to find it by taking a compass bearing and using some noticeable features in the locality as guidelines. I must have walked within a few metres of it more than once before finally stumbling upon it. This stone is not as easy to find at it would at first appear. If anything could be said about the stone it would have to be the feeling of peace and tranquillity I experienced while sitting there enjoying a welcome coffee and chocolate biscuit.

The area around the stone seemed to provide a little pocket of micro-climate, trapping the warmth of the sun and also providing shelter from the wind. The stone is presumably an erratic, left there after the glaciers and ice sheets receded after the last Ice Age, some 13,000 years ago. Another stone, the Grey Mare's Foal can be found 300m to the north west and although not marked on the O.S. Landranger maps of the area, one wonders if there are other similar stones in the vicinity. Some months later when driving through the area and approaching from the south, I noticed you can actually see the Grey Mare, just visible in the heather, if you know where to look.

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Quick Info
Type: Named Stone
Nearest Town: Duns
Nearest Village: Longformacus
O.S.
Landranger Sheet 67
O.S. Explorer Sheet 345
Grid Reference: NT 6543 6055
GPS Reference: GYMARE

Symbols Key | Stone Types

Other Sites Nearby
019 Grey Mare's Foal, Longformacus.
048 Chapel Stone, Penshiel, Cranshaws.

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