Scheduled MonumentsScotlandBlackhill,cup and ring marked rock 60m SE of
Cup and ring marked rock

Blackhill,cup and ring marked rock 60m SE of

Scotland
HES SM1003
Site type
Cup and ring marked rock
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Blackhill is a cup and ring marked rock located in Kirkcudbrightshire, south-western Scotland. The monument sits upon bedrock of the Hawick Group, a formation of wacke deposited during the Wenlock period of the Silurian epoch. This grey, fine-grained sedimentary stone has weathered to provide a suitable surface for the prehistoric carvings that distinguish the site.

The rock bears cup and ring markings—a form of Bronze Age rock art comprising shallow circular depressions surrounded by concentric grooves pecked into the stone surface. Such motifs are found across the British Isles and beyond, though their precise purpose remains uncertain; they may have held ritual, territorial or astronomical significance. The Kirkcudbrightshire landscape contains a notable concentration of cup and ring marked rocks, suggesting this area held particular importance during the Bronze Age.

The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the reference SM1003, recognising its archaeological significance as evidence of prehistoric settlement and cultural practice in the region. The persistence of these carved marks across millennia reflects both the durability of the local Hawick wacke and the enduring human impulse to mark and modify the natural landscape.

Blackhill,cup and ring marked rock 60m SE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1003. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Blackhill,cup and ring marked rock 60m SE of?

Blackhill is a cup and ring marked rock located in Kirkcudbrightshire, south-western Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1003.

Who is responsible for protecting Blackhill,cup and ring marked rock 60m SE of?

Blackhill,cup and ring marked rock 60m SE 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 SM1003.

What other scheduled monuments are near Blackhill,cup and ring marked rock 60m SE of?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cup marked rocks, 605m SSW, 555m S and 545m SSE of High Grange (0.5 km), Drummore Farm,stone circle (0.8 km), Dunrod, homestead moat, village & church site (0.9 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Blackhill,cup and ring marked rock 60m SE of

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Blackhill,cup and ring marked rock 60m SE of's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Blackhill,cup and ring marked rock 60m SE of report
Or see a real report first
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Blackhill,cup and ring marked rock 60m SE of

Blackhill,cup and ring marked rock 60m SE of stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.