Caiy Stane
The Caiy Stane is a massive red sandstone slab standing incongruously in a semicircular recess in the garden wall of a suburban house on the south side of Edinburgh. The stone is believed to be a prehistoric monument. It was donated to the Trust in 1936.
The stone is known also as the 'Caiy Stone', the 'Key Stone' or even 'General Kay’s Monument'. It stands nine feet tall and five feet thick. It bears six prehistoric cup-marks near the base.
It is said that the stone marks the site of an ancient battle, possibly between the Romans and the Picts. There were once other stones nearby: a pair of large cairns known as the Cat Stanes, and a standing stone known as the Camus Stone (now gone) stood a further 300 yards east of the Cat Stanes. In the surrounding area hundreds of skeletons were found during road-building in the early 19th century.
Outside links
- National Trust for Scotland – Little Gems
- The Caiy Stane on Stravaiging
- Photograph of the Caiy Stane on Canmore
