Ballochmyle lies just a few miles south of Kilmarnock. The River Ayr has cut an impressive gorge through the sandstone bedrock.
On a pair of vertical cliff faces a huge number of cup-and-ring marks (and a few other wierdoes) have been carved. There are squiggles and boxes, stars and spotty rings.
Some of the marks have clearly been added over older marks, but when the marks date to and whether they are all contemporary with each other is much harder to tell.
The sandstone is very soft and very weathered. The puzzling habit of some people of chalking or painting some of these marks serves only to hasten their loss as they are abraded away.
1/28 The right-hand face at Ballochmyle with dozens of cup and ring marks.
2/28 Close up of a cup mark with five rings and some additional linear marks.
3/28 Many of the marks are shallow and weathering away. This cup is rather deep.
4/28 Spots, snake-like squiggles and loops - some of the stranger marks.
5/28 A spotty circle - another unusual mark.
6/28 A wider view of the right-hand wall - several of the rings overlap.
7/28 Three overlapping patterns.
8/28 More overlapping patterns.
9/28 A view of the left-hand face showing rows of cups and unusual rectangular marks.
10/28 Another view of the left-hand face showing rows of cups and unusual rectangular marks.
11/28 A cup and ring with radial markings.
12/28 Back along the left-hand face.
13/28 Another view of the right-hand face.
14/28 Still more unusual marks.
15/28 Rows of cups and rectangular marks.
16/28 Wide view of the left-hand face.
17/28 Another view of some of the "weirdo" marks.
18/28 Note a faint ring with radial marks to the lower left of the three overlapping rings.
19/28 Wide view of the wall
20/28 Wide view of the wall
21/28 It is clearly seen that some of the marks are carved over other, older marks.
22/28 Another view of some of the more unusual marks.
23/28 Detail of some of the stranger carvings.
24/28 Detail of some of the stranger carvings.
25/28 Rectilinear marks on the south wall.
26/28 Close view of the deer carving on the south wall. The compass measures 45x90 mm. If you're interested, the deer is facing south!
27/28 Slightly wider view - the deer is in the center.
28/28 Still wider view - the deer is in the centre.