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The Loth Stane is situated just to the South-west of Traprain Law, the assumed ancient capital of the Brythonic kingdom of Gododdin, and just to the North of another stone site at Standingstone Farm.
The Loth Stane derives its name from local legend which associates it with King Loth, who, according to Jocelyn's Life of St. Kentigern, was the grandfather of Kentigern. However, "Loth" derives from the original Brythonic Lleu, and early medieval Welsh spellings of "Lothian" generally come along the lines of Lleuddiniawn, or the "Land of Lleu". Lleu also appears in Y Mabinogi as Llew Llaw Gyffes, the son of Arianrhod. In deeper Brythonic mythology, Arianrhod is the pagan Moon-goddess (her name literally means "Silver Circle"), and Lleu is the Sun-god. Hence, in pagan terms, Lothian (Lleuddiniawn), is the "Land of the Sun-god". Loth also has legendary associations with King Arthur, allegedly being Arthur's second son. Clearly, the figure of Loth/Lleu has become embroiled in a series of legendary and mythical associations throughout the ages.
The Loth Stane is the most famous of the standing stones associated with the Traprain area, and is situated to the law's South-west, although in recent years it has been moved from its original position in the middle of a crop field to its current location at the field's edge, beside a hawthorn hedge which obscures its North side.
The Loth Stane is a solitary, four-sided stone around 8-9 feet in height and vaguely reminiscent in shape of the jagged, pointed stones of Callanish. As far as one can tell, there are no remains suggestive of a circle in the immediate vicinity, and the archaeological finds around the stone are reported to be disappointingly meagre.
Perhaps the only real reason for this stone's comparative fame derives from its traditional association with the mythical King Loth, chieftain of Traprain, founder of the Lothians and/or pagan grandfather of St. Kentigern. Little of the stone's folklore has been made public beyond these loose associations.
One way or another, though, the Loth Stane is clearly part of what must once have been a much more extensive system of stones surrounding the law, which today only appears to include the stones at Standingstone Farm, Pencraig and Kirklandhill, all of which share similar constructional features.