Ring of confidence

The report of graffiti on one of the standing stones of the Ring of Brodgar would no doubt have been a shock to Peter Hill, the Inspector of Monuments, but to refer to “the damage in monetary terms which cannot be valued” is a mistake.

There is no danger to the megalith involved and the seven letters can be erased. It is a large piece of rock with a rough surface by nature. Neither will its importance as a Neolithic monument be diminished. The damage is a cultural one; that a person should seek to ruin a World Heritage site.

Scotland has hundreds of megaliths arranged in many configurations. The ring of Brodgar is the largest we have, with 36 of the original 60 stones. Many feature carvings of battles, people, activities, symbols, patterns and other marks as yet mysterious. Perhaps they are the work of Pictish vandals!

These were not all done at the same time but by various tribes throughout the ages. The monuments are a visible record of life over the centuries and the graffiti a contribution from the present tribe.

JM CARDER East Forth Street, Anstruther