* Astronomy

Plans for a major housing development in an Easter Ross village have been changed to preserve the line of sight linking two ancient monuments with the setting sun on certain ancient Celtic festivals.

Earlier plans for the proposed development at Balblair Farm, Station Road, Edderton, by Tain, showed homes close to the village's prehistoric standing stone and between the stone and the hills beyond.
The community council objected, and had an archaeological survey prepared which showed that a clear view should be left between the hill, where the sun sets, and the stone, which also lines up with the remains of a bronze age stone circle on the other side of Station Road.
The developer Caledonian Forestry, has changed the plans accordingly.
Archaeo-astronomer Douglas Scott, a Tain silversmith who has written a booklet entitled The Stones of the Pictish Peninsulas, said the Edderton standing stone, known locally as Clach Biorach meaning pointed stone, and the stone circle were at least 4,000 years old, with the Pictish symbols on the stone being carved 1,500 to 1,800 years ago.
Mr Scott explained that archaeo-astronomy was the study of the orientation of standing stones and stone circles to coincide with the rising and setting of the sun and moon at certain times of the year.
And he said the line for the Clach Biorach from the circle pointed towards the hill of Tor Leathan, where the sun sets on November 5 and February 4 - the Celtic festivals of Samhain and Bride.

"I'd rather not see any development in the field around the Edderton Stone as it creates potential for the monument to be damaged, but I'm glad they have made provisions for the sight line to be kept. The stone is already leaning and any vibration from construction work could cause damage to the stone or the burial site" Douglas Scott.

The standing stone was believed to be on a Pictish burial site.
Inverness solicitor Jonathan Wotherspoon, who is a partner in Caledonian Forestry, said the partnership planned to make a feature of the standing stone.

"The first plan had houses which conflicted with the sight line from the cairn to the monument and up to the hills. There will now be an area of open amenity ground around the standing stone and the houses have been moved to leave a clear area between the stone and the hills" - Jonathan Wotherspoon.

He added that paths, car parking and interpretive material were to be included in the proposed development of 40 houses - 10 low cost and 30 private properties.


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Latitude: 57.836744N Longitude: 4.17604W

Source P&J