Geograph - photograph every grid square

The Lochmaben Stone, Gretna.

This is a granite boulder, eroded by glacial action and by the weather, that is 2.4m high and 5.7m in circumference. Its weight has been estimated to be 10t. For centuries it was the rendezvous for Scottish raiders before crossing the Solway, and also where the Scottish armies assembled. In 1390 it was recorded as the meeting place for the commissioners of England and Scotland, and in 1398 prisoners of war were exchanged here. In October 1448 there was a battle here between the forces of Percy of Northumberland and Douglas of Scotland. [Charles R Denton, Cumbria Aug69]