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Tordarroch is a cupmarks site located in Inverness-shire, approximately 220 metres north-east of the settlement of Tordarroch. The monument comprises a series of cup-shaped depressions pecked and ground into the bedrock surface, representing a form of rock art created during the Neolithic or Bronze Age. Cupmarks are among Scotland's earliest monumental expressions, yet their precise purpose remains uncertain; interpretations range from territorial markers and ritual sites to astronomical observatories or shamanic locations.
The rock art sits upon bedrock of the Moine Supergroup, a semipelite formation dating to the Neoproterozoic era. This metamorphic stone provided a suitable surface for prehistoric carving, though the exposed hillside location would have required considerable labour to create and maintain these markings. The Highland landscape around Tordarroch, with its moorland and rocky terrain, contains numerous such sites, suggesting a concentrated focus of Neolithic and Bronze Age activity across the region.
The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM11558, recognising its archaeological significance and cultural heritage value. Like many cupmark sites in the Scottish Highlands, Tordarroch remains incompletely understood, though its preservation allows continued study of this enigmatic form of prehistoric artistic expression.
Tordarroch, cupmarks 220m NE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11558. View the official record →
Tordarroch is a cupmarks site located in Inverness-shire, approximately 220 metres north-east of the settlement of Tordarroch. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11558.
Tordarroch, cupmarks 220m NE 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 SM11558.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Depopulated township, 400m SE of Balloan (1.2 km), Milton of Tordarroch, fort 800m S of (2.1 km), Glen Nairn, hut circle 270m ENE of (2.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Tordarroch, cupmarks 220m NE 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.
Tordarroch, cupmarks 220m NE of stands on Moine Supergroup, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is semipelite.