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From: Memoir of the
Families of M'Combie and Thoms
by William M'Combie Smith.
Chapter II.
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After obtaining the wadset of the
barony of Forter, and building the mansion-house at Crandart,
M’Comie Mor left Finnegand and resided at Crandart, the house
of which was built in 1660. By the time he came to reside
there he was past his prime, and had become less desirous of
exerting his personal strength, it
is therefore probable that his famous feat with the stone,
which since then has been known as M’Comie Mor’s
putting-stone, was performed while he was yet a young
man at Finnegand. The place where the feat was performed, and
the stone itself, and the stance, are all remarkable. The
source of the Prosen, a right-bank tributary of the South Esk,
is at the west end of the slope that reaches back from the
summit of the Mayar, 3043 feet, whose eastern side rises
abruptly over Glen Prosen. At the west end of this slope, in
two slight depressions which spread out like a V, are gathered
the head-waters of the Prosen, a short distance from the
source of the Cally, a left-bank tributary of the Isla.
Between the two depressions is a comparatively level meadow of
short benty grass, and from the surface of this meadow the
upper edge of an earthfast stone, about 4 or 5 feet long,
projects for about 6 inches above the surface. This projecting
edge of the boulder forms the stance, and about 26 feet beyond
this stance is embedded, in a round hole in the ground, a
round -shaped rough -surfaced stone of about 35 lb. in weight,
and local tradition for over two hundred years has handed down
the hole, in which the stone lies embedded to about half its
diameter, as the mark to which M'Comie Mor putted the stone
from the stone stance. On many of the surrounding heights,
pieces of ground as smooth and level may be got ; but so good
a natural stance and natural putting-stone is extremely rare,
if not altogether unique, on a mountain-top. It is easy to
understand that all the conditions and materials being found
so handy, for such a national pastime as putting the stone, by
the young men of the surrounding glens, when on hunting
expeditions or looking after their flocks, the place would
soon become well known ; the marks of noted throwers would be
pointed out, and every noted putter would be anxious to put a
best on record down if possible. There is nothing improbable,
therefore, in believing that the mark put in over two hundred
years ago by admiring contemporaries, and kept fresh by
succeeding generations, points out the exact spot to which
M'Comie Mor putted the present stone from the present stance.
Many athletes of the present day have made a pilgrimage to it
when passing between Clova and Glenisla, and to both them and
their forefathers stance, stone, and mark have ever remained
the same. What renders it still more probable is, that the
same stone could be putted the same distance by one or two of
the leading athletes of the present time. Most traditionary
putting-stones of bygone heroes are of a weight, or have been
putted a distance, that at once stamps the accounts given as
absurd nonsense.
****
On the west side of
the westmost arm of the V, the strongest spring that there
gushes out is known as M'Comie Mor's well.
....................
This extract is presented
verbatim. At the end of the 19th century sentences and
paragraphs tended to be long.
Wm.
A full version of the first edition of the book can be
found on line. Please click here. Please be warned that there are errors in
transposition. The above extract has been fully checked
against a printed copy of the
book. |
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