Tourist attraction on a Scottish council estate is nearly as old as the Pyramids

SCOTLAND is home to some amazing sites of natural beauty, but there’s one that few people know about in the middle of a council estate – and it’s nearly as old as the pyramids.

Millions of tourists visit Scotland every year for its lochs, mountains and amazing cities.

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However, some have a trip to a cul-de-sac in Edinburgh is on their bucket list, to see one of the oldest stone monuments on the planet.

The Ravenswood Avenue ‘standing stone’ can be found on an unassuming street in the Scottish capital, protected by iron fencing.

While the big lump of rock may not look that impressive, the fact that it’s around 5,000 years old might change a few minds.

The 1.85m monument was believed to have been first erected 4,000 years ago.

It was originally kept in a field until 1971 when a it was moved for a new housing scheme.

It has been in its current place, on Ravenswood Avenue in Midlothian, ever since.

Drawings of the stone block from the 1800s show it on its own in a field.

A spokesperson for Historic Environment Scotland told Metro that it was an important monument for the country.

They said: “The monument is of national importance as an icon of prehistoric ritual, albeit in a modern urban setting.

“Although the stone no longer has any archaeological potential, it is a monument with cultural significance, capable of speaking to a modern urban population, and worthy of legal protection in its present setting.”

Very little is known about the stone and its history, although it is thought that another much smaller standing stone nearby at Inch, which now stands in the grounds of a school, may be linked.

Ancient Stones point out that Inch may be a corruption of “Innes”, a Gaelic word meaning “place enclosed by water, land, a fence or hills”, which may give a slight hint as to the stones’ purpose.

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However, there are few other clues that provide any insight into what the rock could’ve been used for.

Some suggest it may have been used to commemorate a battle, of which many took place in the surrounding area throughout history.

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