This single standing stone is located at Williamcraigs Farm to the north of Cockleroy Hill, south-west of Linlithgow, just off a dirt-track road off the A706 from Linlithgow to Torphichen.

This stone goes by the alternative names of the Witches Stane and the Deil's Stane ("Devil's Stone"), clearly indicating the position it holds in local lore. Other similar placenames in the locale include the Witchcraig just to the South, and the two Witches' Stanes at Ratho, on Platt Hill and Tormain.

Some sources suggest that the Witches Stane is a natural boulder, but several factors seem to strongly suggest that it is indeed not only a prominent stone in local lore, but an entirely authentic standing stone.

Firstly, the stone has clearly been placed in its current position, and while some small rocks around its base are evidently modern field clearance, the slight circular ridge around its base indicates that its foundations are packed with smaller stones.

Secondly, although of an apparently natural, undressed form, the stone has been approximately aligned with the points of the compass.

Thirdly, it is situated squarely at the centre of the top of a small ridge - this again suggests significance, and thus human intervention, in its placing.

Fourthly, prior to 1927, two other stones were in the vicinity, clearly indicating human intervention in its positioning. Perhaps the reason why some sources claim the Witches Stone as a natural erratic is due to its unusual, undressed form, but this alone is not uncommon, and cannot prove it to be non-architectural. The likely explanation is that it began its life as a natural erratic in its approximate location, but was subsequently deliberately raised into its current position.

Warning: this stone may be very well-named as the Deil's Stane - shortly after taking the above photographs, we found our car entirely stuck in a mud ditch, which took us two hours to escape from...