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The Caiy Stane is a single upright sandstone monolith over nine feet in height which lies just North of the Lothianburn Junction on the City Bypass, off Oxgangs Road on the Southside of Edinburgh. It currently sits in an alcove at the side of the pavement on Caiystane View, on top of Caiystane Hill.
The name of the Caiy Stane (pron. "Kay") is ambiguous, not least given that it has also been known variously as the Kel Stane, the Cat Stane, and the Camus Stane. The first version, Kel, might suggest the Celtic cal (caleto = "hard") element known in placenames such as Calder, Callander, Caledonia, and so forth. The second possibility suggests the Celtic cath ("battle") element witnessed in names such as Cathcart, Cath Law, or Cat Craig, but also raises an intriguing connection with The Cat Stane per se in Midlothian. However, in thinking of the etymological space between the cal and cath derivations, it should also be borne in mind that locally, evidence exists of the interchangeability of these elements in the Calder Wood in West Lothian, also known as the Cather or Cauther Wood. The third possibility, camus, might suggest a tenuous connection with Camilty, a few miles to the West, which is often derived from the name of Camulos, the ancient Celtic war-god remembered in various placenames and often linked with the Roman Mars. No doubt Arthurian enthusiasts could also find some intrigues in the Caiy element!
According to the National Trust for Scotland, the stone may be as old as 3000BC, in the Neolithic era, and various cairns, cists and urns were discovered in the immediate area, presumably at the time of building the 1930s housing estate which now occupies the hill. In 1903, the stone attracted the attentions of the archaeologist Fred Coles, who wrote of it as follows:
The Kel Stane is set up on the level and broad summit of the ground here, which is a very gently rising eminence. Its longer axis is set practically due north; for I found by compass that it pointed 10 points to the E. of N., and the variation for Edinburgh being at present 18' brings the edge of the stone within 8 points of due north. The east and west sides, taken at the ground, measure respectively 4 feet 1 inch and 4 feet 5 inches in breadth, the north edge 1 foot, and the south edge 1 foot 3 inches. It is of very roughly granulated sandstone. Its greates height is 9 feet 7 inches, and its greatest girth, which occurs at the height of about 5 feet, is 12 feet 9 inches. Its weight may therefore be computed at considerably over a couple of tons.
The most distinct cup-marks - on its east face - are six in number, of equal size and depth, and arranged in a very slightly curving slope (fig 14), the highest, near the south edge of the stone, being 1 foot 6 inches above the ground. Just to the right of the deep fissure, and near the north edge of the stone, are several more very much worn-out cups, clustered pretty close together. I do not think these have hitherto been noticed.
With regard to the site of the cairns above noticed, we have in a brief paragraph by the Rev. T. White, the following notice:-
'"In the neighbourhood of this [i.e. Morton Hall], but further southwest, on the grounds of Comiston, were found, in forming the public road, under large heaps of stones, various sepulchral stone enclosures, in which were deposited urns with dead men's ashes, and divers warlike weapons.' And again, when speaking of the levelling of a part of the ground close to the old (so-called Roman) road, by Sir John Clerk of Pennycuick, the same writer adds, there " were discovered several stone coffins with human bones."
As can be seen below, the cup-marks on the Eastern (rear-facing) side are more numerous thatn those sketched by Coles, going about half-way up the full height of the stone. However, when the following photographs were taken, many of them were defaced by modern graffiti:
Cup-marks are also evident, although less numerous, on the Western (front) side of the Caiy Stane:
Hopefully, we will soon be able to research further information on the digs which uncovered evidence of burials in the immediate area of the Caiy Stane, but our first impressions are that this may be yet another possible connection with The Cat Stane in Midlothian!