Cup Marks Greenhall Estate

On a small range of brown/red sandstone cliffs in a secluded area of the former Greenhall Estate (now Greenhall Park, High Blantyre) is a selection of ancient cup markings. There size and position varies, but the most noticeable example is wider than the rest, and represents a shallow circle as opposed to a hemispherical cup mark. From studying extensive source materials from many libraries, archives, online resources etc, it would seem that their existence has not been previously recorded. However, it is mentioned in a few gazetteers and topographical dictionaries of the 1800s that ancient mounds containing cremation urns (Beaker People, Bronze Age) were found at Craigmuir and Greenhall Estate. I discovered them in 2007 and have not been able to trace anyone else who knows of them. They are very worn with time, and ivy and moss probably hide many other such markings at the site. From searching the surrounding rock faces, I have not yet found any more markings. Their location is on the northern bank trail after crossing the metal bridge below Greenhall House over the Rotten Calder Water.

In December 2008, local Blantyre resident, James Brown re-examined the rock face and discovered what is without doubt a cup & ring marking, thereby confirming my initial suspicions of the area.