Cups, rings and a long wavering groove transform a sloping gritstone outcrop into a rare surviving surface of prehistoric mark-making.
Quick facts
- Date
- Probably about 2000–1600 BC
- Architect / designer
- Prehistoric makers unknown
- Type
- Prehistoric rock-art panel
- Designation
- Scheduled monument (SM6005)
- OS grid reference
- NS 43611 61688
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
The exposed rock slopes steeply and carries at least five complete cup-and-ring designs alongside further cup marks. One motif extends into a long groove running down the slope. The scheduled area includes surrounding ground where evidence connected with making or using the carvings may survive.
Its story
Rock art of this type is generally associated with later Neolithic or Early Bronze Age activity, and the official assessment suggests a date around 2000–1600 BC. Its precise meaning is unknown, but repeated motifs imply deliberate engagement with this particular stone and landscape.
Why it is included
Scheduling recognises a well-preserved rock-art panel with national research value, adding a prehistoric dimension to the architectural history of the Elderslie area.
What to notice
- Concentric rings surrounding individual cup hollows.
- The long wavy groove descending from one marked group.
- The angle of the outcrop and views across the surrounding ground.
Reading the surroundings
No public route is assumed. Do not cross fields without permission, clean or wet the surface, chalk the grooves, make rubbings, stand on the carvings or disturb the surrounding soil.
Timeline
- c. 2000–1600 BC People carved repeated cups, rings and a trailing groove into the gritstone.
- 1991 The outcrop was scheduled for its national archaeological importance.
- 2026 Historic Environment Scotland continues to record the monument as designated.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
Neither the makers nor the meaning of the symbols is known. The broad prehistoric date is comparative, and this record does not claim a lawful public approach.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: High Craigenfeoch Cup-and-Ring-Marked Rock, SM6005 — Current designation status, official mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove designation: SM6005 — Parallel national record identity and archival context.
- Renfrewshire Council: landscape assessment — Wider landscape context for the rural ground south of Elderslie; it does not establish public access to the monument.
Location
OS grid reference NS 43611 61688 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; public text separately states access and current-use uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
Suggest a marker correction
Suggest a more accurate position
The teal marker is the current published position. The orange marker starts slightly to its right so both remain visible; this is only a visual starting position. Tap the correct place on the map or drag the orange marker. Sending this form creates a private review entry only; it does not move the published marker.
Check this area in Google Maps Choose the Satellite layer there if useful.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. You can also enter checked coordinates below.