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Stone, Dreva Craig, Broughton. |
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Description
This single wedge-shaped boulder stands alone in the field to
the north west of the hill fort on Dreva Craig and measures over
1.00m high x 1.10m wide and 1.60m long. The top of the stone is
well fissured and also slopes at an slight angle. It's purpose
is unknown but it is likely to have been left as a rubbing stone
for livestock, as the churned up ground about it tends to
suggest. The stone is of the same type found around Dreva Craig
but lacks any lichen growth, possibly due to cattle rubbing or
licking the stone.
Directions
From the A701 Penicuik to Broughton road, turn right at Broughton
onto minor road leading to Dreva and Stobo. Follow the road until
adjacent to Dreva Craig. The stone can be seen in the field to the
north west of the hill fort.
Parking
There is space for 2 or 3 cars beside the field access gate
leading to Dreva Craig.
Fieldnotes
At every site I visit, I always make a habit of scanning the
surrounding countryside to see if there are any other
interesting or potential stones worth recording. From the fort
on Dreva Craig near Broughton, such a stone was obvious, even
without the aid of binoculars. This stone stands alone in a
large field devoid of any others and one question comes to mind,
why is it still there when all other boulders have been removed
through field clearance? Although old maps of the area do not
record anything which might otherwise indicate some antiquity,
there must be some reason why this stone remains. Is it just a
rubbing stone left by the farmer for his livestock or perhaps a
stone with some past ritual significance now long forgotten? It
does also seem to be of a different colour and type to other
stones near the fort. Is this significant? A friend pointed out
that the grooves on the upper surface might have been caused by
the knife used for ritual sacrifice. This cannot be true, can
it?
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