I Had No Idea These Prehistoric Treasures Were on My Doorstep
A Short Walk, 4,000 Years Back in Time: Cup and Ring Marks Near Plean. I was born in Plean, and I had no idea these cup and ring marks were right on my doorstep near Cowie. I came across them through Dr Murray Cook, and I was completely astounded. Using the coordinates he shared, I set off on a wee adventure and found them etched into natural rock outcrops. Standing there, looking at markings carved thousands of years ago, it honestly felt like discovering something hidden in plain sight.
Cowie: Where Prehistoric Scotland Still Lives in the Landscape
Most people drive straight past Cowie without a second thought. But this small place sits on raised ground above what was once an ancient inland sea, and its history stretches back thousands of years. Long before its industrial past, this was important farmland, and even earlier, a prehistoric landscape rich with activity.
Although quarrying has removed some of that past, a remarkable amount still survives. To the east of the village, around Castleton Farm, there is a dense cluster of prehistoric rock art, often described as some of the best in Stirlingshire.
Finding the Cup and Ring Marks
If it wasn’t for the other blogs mentioned below I wouldn’t have known where to start to find these hidden treasures. I start of from The Plean and head out over the station pad and instead of heading for Cowie I turn right. I walk past Gallowmuir Farm and keep going until I get to the cross roads for Cockabendes Castle. It is here that I turn left. I keep going up the cycle route until eventually, and helpfully I see a Historic Environment Scotland sign warning of the protected status of the site! Great I must be in the right place.
I carefully enter the field. The lambs are a good few weeks old and I am alone (not dogs or loud children), so I respectfully start my search for the treasures. I start to walk up the rocky outcrop and quickly realise that the co-ordinates I have plotted are not exact. Nevertheless within 10 minutes I have found the first amazing site!
Across this landscape, lie multiple carved panels. Some are easy to spot once you know what you are looking for, while others are faint, weathered, or hidden among vegetation. I am sure I probably miss some in this location but what I did find was well worth the effort and the avoidance of sheep poop! I am sure more are still waiting to be discovered.
What you are looking for are shallow circular depressions carved into the stone, sometimes surrounded by one or more rings.
The second site, required going back onto the cycle route and then after a short walk I turned left into another field. I knew I was heading towards the other rocky outcrop (if the last site was anything to go on). Eventually, again, I found the ring marks although, these were not as spectacular as the first site. Or if they were I didn’t find them.
I did leave feeling incredibly satisfied. Having found these rare marks, which I never knew existed after 58 years of being from The Plean.
What Are Cup and Ring Marks?
Cup and ring marks are a form of prehistoric rock art. People created them by pecking small hollows, known as cups, into the surface of the stone. These cups are often surrounded by concentric rings, and sometimes connected by channels or lines.
The process of making them was slow and deliberate. Repeated pounding with a harder stone gradually shaped the surface, leaving behind the rounded hollows and carved lines that are still visible today.
No two carvings are exactly the same. Some are simple single cups, while others are complex designs with multiple rings.
How Old Are They?
These carvings date to the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, roughly between 3800 BC and 1500 BC. That means they are around 4,000 to 5,000 years old.
Archaeologists estimate that many of the carvings in Cowie date to around 3,000 to 4,000 years old. They were already ancient long before written history began in Scotland.
Dating them precisely is difficult because they are rarely found alongside materials that can be scientifically dated. Instead, archaeologists work out their age by comparing them with other prehistoric features and landscapes.
What Were They For?
The truth is, no one knows for certain.
Researchers have suggested several ideas. Some believe they may have marked territories or boundaries. Others think they played a role in rituals or ceremonies. There are also theories that they represent maps, water flows, or even early symbolic communication.
More recent thinking focuses on their relationship with the landscape. Many carvings are placed on elevated ground with wide views, suggesting they were deliberately positioned where people could see them and experience them as part of the wider environment. What makes them so fascinating is that their meaning remains open. Even after more than a century of study, there is no single agreed explanation.
A Wider Prehistoric Tradition
Cup and ring marks are not unique to Cowie. You can find them across Britain and Ireland, with some of the most important concentrations in places like Northumberland, Yorkshire, and Argyll.
The carvings at Castleton form part of this wider Atlantic tradition of prehistoric rock art. Archaeologists have found similar markings in parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, showing how widespread this form of expression was in ancient times.
New Discoveries in Scotland
Archaeology continues to change what we know.
Recent discoveries reported by Historic Environment Scotland have revealed prehistoric animal carvings in Scotland for the first time. These include figures that appear to represent deer, challenging the long held belief that prehistoric rock art in Scotland was entirely abstract.
Other research has suggested links between Scottish rock art and wider European traditions, hinting at shared ideas or cultural connections across large distances in prehistory.
These new findings show that we are still learning. Even now, thousands of years later, these carvings still tell their story.
Visiting Responsibly
It is important to remember that these carvings sit on private land. Access is possible, but it comes with responsibility. Leave gates as you find them, keep dogs under control (I would suggest the sites are not suitable for dogs, I was in close proximity to sheep and distant proximity to cows), and take all litter away with you.
Most importantly, do not damage the carvings. They have survived for thousands of years, and we must protect them for the future.
References and Further Reading
- References and Further Reading
- Cowie: A Walk Through the Past (Stirling Archaeology)
Key local source on Cowie’s prehistoric landscape and Castleton carvings. - Castleton Cup and Ring Marks (The Modern Antiquarian)
Site records, grid references, and visitor observations of the Castleton carvings. - Castleton Rock Art (The Northern Antiquarian)
Additional archaeological notes on specific carved stones and their condition. - Cup and Ring Marks: Prehistoric Rock Carvings in Britain and Ireland (Eldon Threads)
Overview of what cup and ring marks are, how they were made, and their wider distribution. - Prehistoric Animal Carvings Discovered in Scotland (Historic Environment Scotland)
New discovery showing animal carvings from the same period, changing our understanding of rock art. - Cup and Ring Marks (Wikipedia Overview)
General background on form, distribution, and characteristics of cup and ring carvings. - Prehistoric Art in Scotland (Wikipedia)
Wider context of prehistoric carving traditions in Scotland.
A Short Walk, 4,000 Years Back in Time: Cup and Ring Marks Near Plean.
