Ballochmyle, near the village of Catrine on the banks of the River Ayr is one of the most spectacular prehistoric rock art sites in North-west Europe. Amazingly, it was only discovered and recorded properly for the first time in the 1980s following an episode of woodland clearance. This led to identification of rock art symbols by a local heritage enthusiast, and soon archaeologists from the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland (now Historic Environment Scotland) were on site carrying out excavation and survey.
This led to the production of amazing drawings on the site undertaken by Jack Scott, who at the time was more used to drawing Pictish and early medieval carved stones and crosses. His work captures the extent and complexity of the carvings and would have been the work of many days.
It was painstaking work like this that revealed the true extent of this site, which is one of the few Neolithic rock art sites in Britain where the symbols are carved into a vertical cliff face, in this instance a red sandstone outcrop. Typically rock art of this type is found on flatter outcrops, glacial boulders and standing stones, making this a very special site.
The range and density of symbols carved onto this cliff are staggering, with score of cupmarks (simple circular depressions up to 5cm diameter and depth) and many examples of what are known as cup-and-ring marks. These are cupmarks with one or more concentric circles carved around them. These are classic ‘Atlantic rockart’ symbols, found in various places across Britain and western Europe, probably dating to the period 3000 to 2000 BC (the Neolithic and early BronzeAge). The density and overlapping nature of these carvings suggests that they were carved obsessively over a period of many decades, perhaps longer.
A range of other symbols have also been identified, including some possible deer forms, which would be one of only a handful of such images found in Scotland. There are also ‘spoked wheel’ motifs, which may have represented the sun. Archaeologist Richard Bradley has argued that the Ballochmyle carving would have been illuminated by the rising of the solstice sun each year, suggesting this was a place of ritual and ceremony.
Other motifs are probably not prehistoric, such as a series of unusually formed letters which have been regarded as being ‘Lombardian’ in nature, that is, medieval. These appear to spell ASAID and some other less clear letters. More recently carved names, initials and dates indicate ongoing marking of this rock, some of which has the lazy character of vandalism.
The meaning and purpose of the dozens of prehistoric carvings on this cliff remains unknown and, probably, unknowable. There are many different theories as to what cup-and-ring marks and their variants meant, with everything from maps to constellations, to secret codes and territorial markers suggested. One theory – that cupmarks held liquid such as blood or milk– seems unlikely given the vertical nature of the carvings here!
Bradley’s idea, that this site was a ‘solar panel’ gaining power from the sun hints at the potential ceremonial significance of the site. We know from other rock art sites that deposition and rituals happened around them, and this was probably the case at Ballochmyle. The repeated nature of the carvings, and location on what would have been a key routeway in prehistory, suggests that this was a much-visited place that retained widely known importance. It may have been a place of pilgrimage from far and wide.
The site can be visited today although there are no signs where it is, and getting there involves crossing a fence and small stream. There are good online resources available for this site so that one can enjoy its detail without getting one’s feet wet!
Kenny Brophy, University of Glasgow
I first heard about the Rock Art site from Marcia Cook, Archaeologist, who was part of a walking group with Gillian's Walks. We were following the River Ayr path from source to sea and on the section of the walk near Catrine, Marcia gave us all a tour of this prehistoric site. It's an amazing discovery and I knew we had to include this in our mural and raise awareness of this historical place in our community. It's amazing the things you learn when you go an a guided tour with Gillian!
Thanks to Kenny Brophy from the University of Glasgow for writing this blog for us to help us understand the significance of the site.
Shelagh McLachlan, ART Trustee
