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Balnafoich cupmarks, located 320 metres south-south-west of the settlement, is a rock art site in Inverness-shire, northern Scotland. The monument consists of a series of cupmarks—small, roughly circular depressions pecked or ground into the bedrock surface. This form of rock art is characteristic of prehistoric Atlantic societies, with examples found across northern Britain and dating broadly to the Bronze Age, though some may be earlier or later.
The cupmarks are carved into the Moine Supergroup semipelite bedrock that underlies the site, a metamorphic rock formed during the Neoproterozoic era. The choice of this exposed rock surface for artistic expression indicates its prominence in the prehistoric landscape. The relative isolation of the site and its position within moorland terrain suggest it may have held significance as a territorial or ritual marker in the local topography.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM11557, reflecting its archaeological importance as evidence of prehistoric settlement and cultural practice in the Scottish Highlands. The cupmarks contribute to the broader distribution of rock art across the northern Highlands and remain an understudied aspect of the region's prehistoric heritage.
Balnafoich, cupmarks 320m SSW of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11557. View the official record →
Balnafoich cupmarks, located 320 metres south-south-west of the settlement, is a rock art site in Inverness-shire, northern Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11557.
Balnafoich, cupmarks 320m SSW of is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM11557.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Stonehenge House, chambered cairn 20m WNW of (1.9 km), Milton of Farr, cupmarks 110m SE of (2.5 km), Depopulated township, 400m SE of Balloan (2.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Balnafoich, cupmarks 320m SSW of's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Balnafoich, cupmarks 320m SSW of stands on Moine Supergroup, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is semipelite.