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Clachmhor is a cup-marked stone located in Inverness-shire, Scotland. The monument consists of a natural stone surface decorated with a series of shallow, rounded cup-shaped depressions carved into its face. Such cup marks are among Scotland's earliest rock art, typically created during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods by pecking or grinding the stone surface with stone tools. The purpose of these markings remains unclear, though they may have held ritual, territorial or symbolic significance for the prehistoric communities who created them.
The stone sits upon bedrock of the Glenfinnan Group, a Neoproterozoic formation composed of psammite and pelite—metamorphic rocks formed from ancient sandstones and mudstones. This geological setting is characteristic of the Highlands' complex terrain, where such hard, resistant stone surfaces provided suitable canvases for early artistic expression and were likely accessible to mobile prehistoric populations exploiting the upland landscape.
Clachmhor is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under the reference SM11435. Cup-marked stones of this type are found scattered across northern Britain, with concentrations in upland areas, though their original distribution and the full extent of decorated examples remain incompletely understood. The monument contributes to understanding prehistoric artistic traditions and land use patterns in the Highlands.
Clachmhor, cup-marked stone is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11435. View the official record →
Clachmhor is a cup-marked stone located in Inverness-shire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11435.
Clachmhor, cup-marked stone 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 SM11435.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Culnakirk Burn, burnt mounds 540m NNW of Garbeg Cottage (0.9 km), Garbeg, settlement 1160m NNW of Garbeg Cottage (1.3 km), Loch nam Faoileag, hut circles 730m NNW of Wester Balnagrantach (1.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Clachmhor, cup-marked stone'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.
Clachmhor, cup-marked stone stands on Glenfinnan Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite and pelite.