On the coast of Tiree due north of Kirkipol lies the ruined broch of Dun Mor Vaul. Its circular foundation, thirty-five feet in diameter, stands six feet tall, and when originally built it had been about thirty feet high. On the inside of the wall sit the base of the stairs that once wound all the way to the top of the tower (second photo). Many features of the defensive nature of the building are still evident: holes for the bar that held the door closed, and a guard chamber next to the entrance.
A mile SW of the broch you will find Clach a Choire, the Kettle Stone, better known as the Ringing Stone. When I tapped on it with a beach pebble it sang out a high pitched metallic chime. The Tiree stone is not alone, as there are other Ringing Stones in Scotland, for example this one in Aberdeenshire. The Tiree stone has over 50 of the mysterious cup markings that no one knows the meaning of, but there are some fascinating theories. My favorite involves the cup-carver's intentionally directing earth energies. If you want to read more on this there is an interesting book on the subject called Ley Lines and Earth Energies.
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