Ballochroy is amegalithic site inKintyre on theArgyll peninsula inScotland.[1] It consists of three verticalstones, side by side, aligned with various land features 7–19 miles (11–31 km) away.
Alexander Thom, known for his work onStonehenge, maintained that the great length between the stones and the features of distant landscape lent precision to pinpointing themidsummer andwintersolstices for ancient observers.
These three stones are considered the most spectacular set of megalithic monuments that cluster around south Argyll. The three mica schist stones were measured at 11 ft 6 in, 9 ft 10 in and 6 ft 7 in (3.5, 3.0 and 2.0 m) in height. It is possible that this last, smallest, stone may have been broken off at the top. The line of stones is orientated north-east to south-west.
The flat face of the central stone (at right angles to the alignment) indicates the mountain ofCora Bheinn, on theisland of Jura, which is 19 miles (30 km) away. The shortest stone also faces across the alignment, and points toBeinn a' Chaolais, the southernmost of the threePaps of Jura. The sun setting here would have given warning of the approach of the solstice.
As with many megalithic sites, the current theories concerning the exact use of the stones at Ballochroy are somewhat controversial.
55°42′35″N5°37′11″W / 55.70979°N 5.61978°W /55.70979; -5.61978
