Ballochmyle Rock Art

When on holiday in Ayrshire, way back in September 2020 we took a walk to the Ballochmyle Viaduct near Mauchline, hoping to see the cup-and ring marks said to be nearby. Even the view of the viaduct was obscured by the trees which were in full leaf. Sadly, although we found a suitable rock-face, and admired the cross-bedding, we could not see these features and resolved to return after leaf-fall and try harder.

Today was that day, forecast to be sunny and clear and definitely free of leaves: furthermore, research had provided a route to the precise spot. We made one error, parking further south on the other side of the River Ayr from our destination but this was easily overcome by a fine bridge and a longer walk.

The access was less straightforward, involving crossing a minor burn, slippery climb down and up through scrub but this provided an instant view of the most amazing rock art, unusually created on a vertical surface. There are two significant panels, heavily carved with cup and ring marks of varying sizes (main picture), part obscured by the growth of algae but well-lit from sunshine filtered by twiggy growth. Evidence suggests that cup and ring art was created from the Neolithic through to the Bronze Age, that is approximately 4000 BC to 1500 BC,  but these are one of the most extensive areas of such carvings as yet found in Britain. First recorded (though not necessarily discovered) as late as 1986, the Ballochmyle Cup and Ring Marks have been designated a scheduled monument.


We then climbed along the side, finding a large quarry, from which the stone for the viaduct was taken. But more interesting were the marks on the rock faces here, dating to the C19, from the tools of the quarriers. It is possible to make out individual stones cut, by the change in direction of these marks. See extra and look in large, if possible, particularly over the streak of water.

We followed a narrow informal way down to the path to the viaduct, also much clearer in the absence of tree canopy, and pottered there a while as a train sped across, then returned on that path, crossing a rustic bridge back over the wee burn to the designated starting point, on the road that we ought to have taken originally, back across the stone bridge to the car..

After a picnic lunch we drove home the pretty way (by A-roads rather than motorway) with the sun behind us developing into a beautiful sunset.