BRUCE'S STONE AT UGADALE
Jon Hooper
When is an historic monument not an historic monument? The answer to this question, as I recently discovered, may be: when it is deemed not worthy of retaining its 'scheduled' status.
An ancient monument is, at its simplest, an historic structure passed any possible state of original use. However, to become 'scheduled' the monument is required to be considered of national importance, initially by recommendation from Historic Scotland's Inspectorate and then by ratification by the Board of Ancient Monuments of Scotland (an appointed group of eminent historians and archaeologists.)
This scheduling is a dynamic process, continually being undertaken region by region, there being many monuments undergoing appraisal, reappraisal or yet to be appraised. There is a detailed analysis and report produced for each monument, which is measured against a so-called 'scheduling standard'. Once scheduled, a monument is given strong and wide-ranging legal protection under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act, 1979.
In exceptional circumstances, a monument may be de-scheduled, i.e. removed from this protection, for example, when a vital new development is necessary at a site or, in the case of Bruce's Stone at Ugadale, East Kintyre, when the criteria for assessing the monument in the first place were mistaken.
An interesting aspect of this assessment is that the process is very much a 'behind doors' procedure by Historic Scotland, with little or no public contribution, although landowners, upon whose properties specific monuments occur, are notified.
However, although public interest is not particularly sought, I found that when I was visited recently by Dr Allan Rutherford, the inspector reporting on Bruce's Stone, he was more than sympathetic to the comments and feelings of interested local people whom I had invited along for a site visit with him.
The local issue is the proposed de-scheduling of Bruce's Stone. This stone was scheduled in 1936, when it was erroneously believed to be an example of prehistoric rock art, i.e. a cup-marked stone (a conclusion difficult to understand if one has ever examined the stone!) It is unequivocally, in fact, an incomplete and broken millstone (quernstone) of undetermined age, damaged, presumably while still being hewn directly from a boulder, and abandoned in situ.
The artefact itself is of no great significance - it is unimpressive - but the importance of the stone has, in tradition, always been its connection with Robert the Bruce, the Mackays (Macneals) of Ugadale, Arnicle and Lossit and the Ugadale Brooch. A number of versions of a convoluted folk-tale, involving the meeting and aiding of the fugitive Robert the Bruce by Gilchrist Mackay, emanate from the existence of this stone, which is known as the 'Barley Stone'.
See, for details, 'The Ugadale Brooch', by Col H Macneal, in The Kintyre Magazine No 3, 1978, 'The Brooch of Bruce', in Glencreggan, by Cuthbert Bede, 1861, and The Tales of the Century, by John Sobeiski and Charles E Stewart, 1847.
Monuments may be regarded as important nationally and therefore scheduled for a number of reasons, including historical connections and documentation of events at an archaeologically unimpressive site.
There can be little doubt that Bruce's Stone will be de-scheduled on its present mistaken basis, but the Inspectorate seemed surprisingly and intriguingly ignorant of its true - i.e., traditional and local - significance, so we should await the final decision of the Board with interest, while recognising that de-scheduling should not alter the value of our local history and monuments.
No 47 - Spring 2000
Wee Drams - E-mails, comments, queries and enlightenment from around the world.
Page 2: A History of the Gilchrists...............continued
Page 3: George Thomas Beatson, KCB, KBE, MD, DL
Page 4: Bruce's Stone at Ugadale
Page 6: Horn Spoon & Amber Beads / Rights of Way
Page 7: By Hill and Shore - Part 2 - Angus Martin