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Tulloch cupmarks, situated 335 metres south-west of Tulloch in Aberdeenshire, is a Bronze Age rock art site comprising a series of cup marks pecked into the local bedrock. The monument lies upon an Ordovician to Silurian igneous intrusion of mafic composition, characteristic of the geological formations that underlie much of Aberdeenshire. This dark, dense volcanic rock provided a suitable surface for the creation of cup-marked panels, a practice widespread across northern Britain during the Bronze Age.
Cup marks were produced by repeated percussion with a stone hammer or anvil, creating shallow hemispherical depressions typically measuring between 2 and 5 centimetres in diameter. The function of such rock art remains debated amongst archaeologists, with interpretations ranging from territorial markers and ritual sites to tally systems or astronomical indicators. The clustering of cupmarks at this location suggests a place of particular significance to Bronze Age communities.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11397, reflecting its archaeological importance as a record of prehistoric artistic and possibly ritual practice. The survival of cup-marked rocks across the Aberdeenshire landscape provides valuable evidence for Bronze Age settlement patterns and cultural practices in north-east Scotland.
Tulloch, cupmarks 335m SW of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11397. View the official record →
Tulloch cupmarks, situated 335 metres south-west of Tulloch in Aberdeenshire, is a Bronze Age rock art site comprising a series of cup marks pecked into the local bedrock. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11397.
Tulloch, cupmarks 335m SW 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 SM11397.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Badnagoach, shieling group 1km SSE of (3.7 km), Balgrennie, hut circle and field system 3170m WNW of (3.9 km), Burn of Badanseaneach, shieling group 2140m WNW of Balronald (4.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Tulloch, cupmarks 335m SW 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.
Tulloch, cupmarks 335m SW of stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.