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The Gowk Stane is a standing stone situated on moorland 730 metres east-north-east of Auchencorth in Midlothian, Scotland. The monument is protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Historic Environment Scotland reference SM1157. Standing stones of this type are among Scotland's most enigmatic prehistoric monuments, typically erected during the Bronze Age or Iron Age, though their exact chronology and purpose remain subject to scholarly debate.
The stone rises from moorland founded on the Clackmannan Group, a Westphalian sedimentary formation. This geology underpins the landscape character of the surrounding area, with its distinctive layered sandstones and siltstones. The exposure of such bedrock across this moorland terrain would have been visible to the communities who quarried and transported stone to erect monuments such as this, suggesting their choice of location was informed by the practical geology of their environment.
The Gowk Stane's isolated position on the moors, away from settlement concentrations, follows the typical siting pattern for standing stones in this region. Whether it served as a territorial marker, a ritual focal point, or a commemoration of significant individuals or events, the stone would have remained a prominent landmark in the landscape for millennia, surviving changes in land use and settlement patterns to remain visible on Midlothian's moorlands today.
The Gowk Stane,730m ENE of Auchencorth is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1157. View the official record →
The Gowk Stane is a standing stone situated on moorland 730 metres east-north-east of Auchencorth in Midlothian, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1157.
The Gowk Stane,730m ENE of Auchencorth 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 SM1157.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Brunston Castle (0.6 km), Ravensneuk Castle (2.3 km), Old Deepsykehead,long cairn 910m NE of (3.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The Gowk Stane,730m ENE of Auchencorth'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.
The Gowk Stane,730m ENE of Auchencorth stands on Clackmannan Group, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is sedimentary rock cycles, clackmannan group type.