BGCP_35: Widow of Rob Roy

Site co-ordinates: 49.00/27.50

This slab, to the immediate N of Rob Roy’s grave, is the northern of three graves within the iron railing surrounding the Rob Roy family graves, and is marked on the railing as:

(HELEN) MARY, WIDOW

OF ROB ROY, DATE

OF DEATH UNKNOWN

The slab is a well-dressed rectangular sandstone slab 1.85 m long (W–E) and 0.54 m wide, with a sculpted moulding, 50 mm wide, around its edge (the upper surface of the slab measures 1.75 m by 0.54 m). 

At its head the slab bears a shield-shaped motif in 50 mm wide raised relief, measuring 0.34 m wide (N–S) by 0.41 m deep, representing the MacGregor coat of arms – a shield with uprooted tree crossing a dagger with a crown at its point. 

Although no inscription was noted in the field, photogrammetry has revealed two lines of very worn inscription above the shield, and at least one (but possibly up to four) below it. The first two lines appears to read:

THIS STONE WAS ERECTED / BY [?]LEST…. MACGREGOR[S?] / 

Below this, at the SW corner of the shield (in a larger script), is the number:

17

This it presumed to be the first half of the date, but no digits remain visible on the N side of the shield. 

The inscription below the shield in very worn, but appears to start: 

HERE LIES ….THE ...

There is also inscription around the raised border of the shield, but this too is not legible. It may be the clan motto, E’EN DO BUT SPARE NOCHT, as partly visible on the similar shields on slabs BGCP_06 and BGCP_08.

For further information on sources see BGCP Bibliographic References after the last entry