Strathpeffer, Highland - Eagle Stone - postcard, 1990

• Postcard

   

• Picture / Image:  The Eagle Stone [or Clach an Tuindain], Strathpeffer
• Publisher: Catherine R. McLeod, Strathpeffer, 1990
• Postally used: no
• Stamp:  n/a
• Postmark(s): n/a
• Sent to:  n/a
• Notes / condition: 

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Text from the free encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA may appear below to give a little background information (internal links may not  work) :

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The Clach an Tiompain (in English, the "Sounding Stone") or The Eagle Stone is a small Class I Pictish stone^[1] located on a hill on the northern outskirts of Strathpeffer in Easter Ross, Scotland

The stone is made of blue gneiss and is 32 inches (81 cm) high, 24 inches (61 cm) wide, and 10 inches (25 cm) thick.^[1] Carved on the southeast side are two images, a horse shoe-like arc symbol above an eagle.

The stone was originally located further down the hill, towards Dingwall, but was moved to its current site in 1411.^[2] One old tradition is that the stone marks the site of a Scottish clan battle that took place in 1411 between the Clan Munro and a branch of the Clan MacDonald, and that the stone commemorates a Munro victory as it is marked with their symbol, an eagle.^[3]

The stone is associated with the prophecies of the 16th century Brahan Seer (Scottish Gaelic: Coinneach Odhar). He predicted that if the stone fell three times, the surrounding valley would be flooded, and the stone used as an anchor.

It has since fallen twice, and is now set in concrete.

Strathpeffer (Scottish Gaelic: Srath Pheofhair) is a village and spa town in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland, with a population of 1,469.

It lies in a glen five miles west of Dingwall, with varying elevation from 200 to 400 feet above sea level. Sheltered on the west and north, it has a comparatively dry and warm climate.

The strategic location of the village has led to several battles being fought in the area :

Blar Nan Ceann, battle (field) of the heads, lies at the western end of the modern village (grid reference NH47625773^[1]). Very little is known about the battle there, not even its date, other than the MacKenzies of Seaforth defeated the MacDonells of Glengarry and some incident took place at a well near the battlefield, subsequently called Tobar a' Chinn (well of the head).

The Battle of Blar Na Pairce, battle (field) of the park, in approximately 1486 saw the local MacKenzies, under their chief Kenneth MacKenzie, defeat a large invading force of MacDonalds. The battlefield lies south-west of the modern village, on the banks of Loch Kinellan. The loch contains a crannog, which remained a hunting seat of the Earls of Ross until the late medieval period and was reportedly visited by Robert The Bruce during his reign. It was from this crannog that Kenneth MacKenzie went out to meet the MacDonalds.

The Battle of Drumchatt took place in 1497 on Drumchatt (Druimchat) or "the Cat's Back", a ridge to the southeast of Strathpeffer. The Clan Mackenzie and Clan Munrodefeated the invading Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh.

In the Victorian era Strathpeffer was popular as a spa resort, owing to the discovery of sulphurous springs in the 18th century. The pump-room in the middle of the village dates from 1819. Soon after that, a hospital and a hotel were also built. In 1942 the Spa hospital was destroyed by fire.^[2] The Strathpeffer Pavilion dates from 1880, and was built to provide a venue for entertainment of the visitors. It fell into disuse and disrepair towards the end of last century, but has now been restored as a new venue for the arts, weddings, other functions, and events of all kinds.

Coal like material was found near Castle Leod in the 1700s and was worked for a short time. The material was evaluated by well known Mining Engineer John Geddes in the mid 1800s but it is not known if his suggestion that it should be further evaluated was implemented.