Introduction

Achnabreck prehistoric rock carvings can be found at a remote site located at the southern tip of Kilmartin Glen in the west of Scotland. Kilmartin Glen is heavily populated with prehistoric monuments.

Achnabreck can be accessed from Oban (north) or Lochgilphead (south).

Information on the Achnabreck Prehistoric Rock Carvings

The motifs at Achnabreck were picked out of exposed sheets of metamorphic rock (tremolite-chlorite-schist) which had been rendered smooth by the movements of ice sheets.  

It is not possible to date the carvings with certainty . Howevert, an assumption that they date from around the period 3000 BC to 1000 BC. ( Late Neolithic to Middle Bronze Ages) is not unreasonable.The underlying theme of the carvings is one of concentric rings at the centre of which sits a ‘cup’. There are variations on this theme with motifs featuring spirals, cups with ducts and ringed enclosures. All these were laboriously pecked out of the hard rock with stone tools.

There is no consensus as to the interpretation of the carvings.However, clearly, one of more skilled people had the luxury of sufficient time to spend many hours formulating the designs at a time when most of the population would be engaged in a daily survival exercise. Maybe they represent an early form of specialisation in a primitive economy? 

A feature of the carvings-whether by happenstance or design-is that visibility of the carvings diminishes at midday but radically improves in low sunlight and wet conditions. This video clip below demonstrates the latter demonstrates the latter. 

Access to the Achnabreck Site

Achnabreck is accessible via a ten minute walk along a forest trail and is worthy of a visit for those interested in (and wish to ponder further) Scotland’s prehistoric past. The site open 24/7 and access is free. A visit to Achnabreck can be incorporated into a tour of the wider Kilmartin Glen site.

More information

For more information on aspects of Scottish history and touring the country please refer to Visitors’ Guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4