Maarten van Hoek The Geography of Cup-and-Ring ... - StoneWatch

Achnabreck is a complex of nine widely scattered sites of which No. 1
is one of the most profusely decorated rocks of the British Isles. This
extensive outcrop occupies a prominent position and it has been
suggested that it had been selected also for its reddish colour
(Frodsham 1996: 115). However, only 250 metres down the slope and to
the south is a huge grey outcrop knoll (marked X in Fig. 14) with
surfaces most suitable for decoration. There is, however, not a single
cupmark on this knoll. The reason for this may have been the fact that
the view to the NW from this knoll is blocked by a hillock, 75 m high
Dun na Maraig (marked with F/). From Achnabreck 1 there is, however,
a fine view to the WNW towards the sites at Cairnbaan, and possibly
Dunamuck (5) and the visibility of the initial landing area and its
ritual sites may have been the main reason for selecting the outcrops
at Achnabreck. This preference clearly must have developed in the very
first stage of exploration of the area.
One could easily have taken a shorter route from Achnabreck to
Torbhlaran by crossing a low hill-crest (marked P). One would then
travel via Black Hill where very extensive outcrop plates are found on
the hill slope. Black Hill can easily be viewed from Kilmichael Glassary
and would have been a perfect spot for petroglyphs if indeed rock art
guided people towards the Kilmartin valley. They are visible for miles
and represent one of the few places in the Add valley with an excellent
view of the southern part of the Kilmartin valley (Crinan Moss). But the
outcrops at Black Hill are not visible from Achnabreck and Cairnbaan
and perhaps for that reason remained undecorated.
* 1.2.1.2.4.2 This seems to confirm the view that, as claimed
above, one landed near Cairnbaan and travelled to the NE (via the low
watershed at 18 m) and that initially movement was focussed on the
valley of the river Add and Loch Awe beyond, not on the Kilmartin
valley and its monuments.
The petroglyph sites at Cairnbaan are again not exactly on this route
but instead are found a little off-side at a prominent place which
overlooks the route and includes views of two major rock art locations
up and down the route.
But the situation is more complicated than suggested by Bradley (1997:
122). There are two major sites at Cairnbaan, and only the lower site
No. 1, at 60 m (4 on Fig. 14), has a fine view of both Achnabreck, 1600
m to the ESE, and of Kilmichael Glassary (6), 2200 m to the NE. Site 1
comprises a wide scatter of cups with up to two rings and must be
classified as simple. The higher outcrop however, at 68 m and 100 m to
the west (4A), bears a thick cluster of cups with up to four rings
connected by grooves and clearly is a complex site. It is now
significant that especially from this complex site there are no views of
Cairnbaan 1, nor of Kilmichael Glassary or Dunamuck. Only the former
sea-loch and possibly Achnabreck are visible to the SE. The complex
M. van HOEK: 27
GEOGRAPHY