On the outskirts of Auchterarder, at the junction of two minor roads, are three megaliths right by the roadside. Well, two are at the roadside and one is in the middle of the road. Paint marks, scrapes and scratches, and the fact that the stone has obviously been poorly reseated in its socket after a collision bears testament to the fact that the person planning the layout of roads must have been taking far too many of the wrong kinds of drugs.
Of the two stones that are on a bank at the side of the road, one has deep pits on one side that may not be natural, and a carving of a hand on the other.
1/5 Looking south-west towards Muirton; Auchterarder is behind the camera. The near stone is on a bank by the road. The stone in the middle distance really is in the middle of the junction. Makes a lot of sense to design the road like that, don't you think?
2/5 Looking from the opposite direction. The middle stone is carved.
3/5 If you're driving down this road and you don't bear left or turn right at this junction, this is the part of the megalith that your bumper would connect with. Which might explain all those scratches and why the stone is at such an odd angle.
4/5 On the lower edge of this stone is a carving of a hand.
5/5 An enhanced close-up of the hand.
Nearby Sites
2km Peterhead Farm Standing Stone; Pictish Class I Stone
9km Ardoch Roman Fort Roman Fort
9km Dunning Standing Stone
11km Crofthead Farm Standing Stones
11km Ferntower Stone Circle Stone Circle; Cup Mark
11km Fowlis Wester Pictish Stones Pictish Stones
12km Fowlis Wester Stone Circles Stone Circles; Standing Stone; Cairn
12km Monzie Cairn Circle
13km Buchanty Hill Cup Marks
13km Dupplin Cross Pictish Free-Standing Cross
14km Sherrifmuir Stone Row
19km Airthrey Castle Stone Standing Stone
19km University of Stirling Standing Stone
(NB: All distances are as-the-crow-flies. Lochs, mountains and beautiful winding roads will make it further. Sometimes much further.)