How many monks and soldiers passed by here?

The Peace Stone

I took another long walk this week and again in glorious sunshine (and the odd shower) from the bridge at Cobleland, Gartmore (which used to be a ford) to the Lake of Menteith.

This goes along the northern edge of Flanders Moss and there are some really incredible views across the bog to the Gargunnock Hills.

In the medieval period there were always more ways across and around the bog than most people think, but it certainly funnelled people along specific routes.

Anyway, my destination at the western edge of the lake was the site of a Roman fort (now ploughed flat), built by General Agricola in the late 1st century AD to prevent raids from barbaric tribes to the north and west. There is a similar fort at Callander which is upstanding. Both forts were only occupied for a 10-20 years before Rome retreated south. There is an incredible contrast between the flat land of the bog and then the near vertical hills - those Romans really must have thought they were at the edge of the world.

The ruins of the fort were crossed by a missionary from Iona around 600-700 AD to set up a religious community on what was to become

Inchmahome (Isle of the Beloved St Columba).

Both the Romans and the missionary crossed ground that had been fertile for millennia. We know this because of a 3000-4000 year old cup and ring marked stone, called The Peace Stone (it doesn’t photograph very well so you’ll have to Google it!), which lies to the side of the field on the edge of a dyke.

All of those unknown and

forgotten soldiers and monks must have looked at the stone, presumably thinking it was a mysterious pagan shrine they’re all gone but it’s still there and it’s keeping its secrets.