Ballochmyle Cup and Ring marks

The Ballochmyle cup and ring marks were first recorded at Ballochmyle, Mauchline, East Ayrshire, Scotland in 1986, very unusually carved on a vertical red sandstone cliff face, forming one of the most extensive areas of such carvings as yet found in Britain [1]. They have been designated a scheduled monument [1]. The cup and ring marks are composed of two 'panels' with several hundred 'cup and ring' and other glyphs or carvings in a range of styles [1]. Less common, but unique in the Scottish context are ‘square with cup’ carvings; ‘ringed stars’ are also present [1]. The soft nature of the stone at Ballochmyle gives insights into how the glyphs were created with many small holes that could not have been formed by a hammering action [1].