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Bridge of Lyon, cairn and cup marked stone is a prehistoric monument in Perthshire, Scotland, comprising both a burial cairn and a decorated stone. The site lies 350 metres east-south-east of Bridge of Lyon itself, situated on bedrock of the Southern Highland Group, a sequence of psammite and pelite rocks that formed during the Middle Cambrian period. This geological foundation, with its combination of sandy and muddy sedimentary layers, is characteristic of the wider Perthshire landscape.
The cup marked stone represents an enduring tradition of symbolic rock art, the purpose of which remains enigmatic. The simple cup marks—small cupules pecked or ground into the stone surface—are found throughout prehistoric Britain and Ireland, most commonly dated to the Bronze Age, though their true chronology remains debated. Such decorated stones often occur in association with funerary monuments, as here, suggesting a ritual or commemorative function within burial practices.
The cairn itself testifies to the funerary practices of early prehistoric communities in this region. Constructed from stone gathered from the surrounding landscape, such monuments served as durable markers for the dead and may have been repositories for cremated remains or inhumations. The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1532, recognising its significance as evidence of Perthshire's early human settlement and ritual activity.
Bridge of Lyon,cairn & cup marked stone 350m ESE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1532. View the official record →
Bridge of Lyon, cairn and cup marked stone is a prehistoric monument in Perthshire, Scotland, comprising both a burial cairn and a decorated stone. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1532.
Bridge of Lyon,cairn & cup marked stone 350m ESE 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 SM1532.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bridge of Lyon, standing stone 340m SE of (0.2 km), Bridge of Lyon,long cairn 180m E of (0.2 km), Praetorium,homestead moat (0.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Bridge of Lyon,cairn & cup marked stone 350m ESE 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.
Bridge of Lyon,cairn & cup marked stone 350m ESE of stands on Southern Highland Group, bedrock that formed in the Middle Cambrian. The rock here is psammite and pelite.