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East Ayrshire Image March 13, 2012
1. The Standing Stones of dael meallain tuinn , Dalmellington
Photograph: 2008
©JSL595
The Standing Stones of dael meallain tuinn (The Meeting Place at The Mound With A Motte), Dalmellington
The Seven Standing Stones of Dalmellington. Pennyvenie coal bing visible to the left and Dalmellington itself to the right.
18th December 1999 saw Dalmellington's flag bearing the new Coat of Arms paraded for the first time, when it was given into the safe keeping of Dalmellington Parish Church.
The assembly that day was to dedicate seven standing stones to the memory of the settlements and peoples of the area.
For over 6,000 years there had been settlements in and around the Doon Valley. Over recent years the settlements at Benquhat, Craigmark and to a lesser degree Pennyvenie had been lost and further losses seemed inevitable. The standing stones were erected to symbolise the seven settlements of Dalmellington, Bellsbank, Burnton, Pennyvenie, Benquhat, Craigmark, and Waterside.
Local stone mason Kevin Roberts worked the centre stone, which not only bears the Dalmellington Coat of Arms, but also "The Eternal Flame" of Scottish Coal symbolising, this area's long and cultural connection with the mining industry. The project was supported by Scottish Coal, Cumnock and Doon Valley Minerals Trust and Dalmellington Community Council
During the ceremony, Reverend Yorke and Monsignor Boyd dedicated the stones to the memory of the seven settlements. Then seven senior members of the community came forward with seven younger members. The senior members handed a rose to the children, symbolising the handing over of their past to their future, their past in the last millennium to their future in the next millennium. The children then placed their flowers at the foot of the stones.
Information based on description by Councillor Robert Taylor.
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