Drumtroddan standing stones
Historic site
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Drumtroddan standing stones (grid reference NX 36449 44300) are a small Neolithic or Bronze Age stone alignment in the parish of Mochrum, Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway.[1]
| Drumtroddan standing stones | |
|---|---|
The site in 2005 before the second stone fell. | |
| Coordinates | 54.766910°N 4.5437526°W |
| Designated | 31 December 1921 |
| Reference no. | SM90102 |
  Location of Drumtroddan standing stones in Dumfries and Galloway | |
Etymology
Composition
The monument comprises three stones, only one of which is now standing, aligned northeast-southwest.[4][5] The two end stones are 3m in length; the middle stone is roughly 2.7m long.[5] The stones were likely set up in the 3rd or 2nd millennium BCE but sites of this type are difficult to date.[4] Short stone row alignments are considered to be relatively late constructions; however, the height of the stones in this monument may indicate that it dates from an earlier period.[4]
Purpose
The original purpose of the monument is unclear. It has been suggested that it may have been used in observations of the sun or moon.[4]
Location
Monuments of this type are found in concentrations in south-west Ireland, south-west Scotland, and the western seaboards of Scotland.[4] The standing stones are part of larger landscape of prehistoric sites which includes the nearby Drumtroddan cup and ring marked rocks and the Big Balcraig cup and ring marked rocks.[4]