ROUND ABOUT FALKIRK: ROBERT GILLESPIE (1879) | CALEDONIA ROMANA: STUART (1845) | MAPS | INVENTORY OF ANCIENT MONUMENTS | HISTORY OF STIRLINGSHIRE: WILLIAM NIMMO (1880)
ARTHUR'S O'ON

Arthur's O'on

Arthur's O'on

JK GILLON

Arthur's O'on was a remarkable beehive shaped building dating from the Roman occupation of Scotland. It was situated on the north side of the road from Carron to Stenhousemuir in Stirlingshire.

Its date and purpose have been the object of much conjecture in the past. There is little doubt that it was some form of Roman temple or shrine, and it appears to have been deliberately sited to be visible from the Antonine Wall. There has also been speculation over the years that it had associations with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

The O'on survived until 1743, when the local landowner had it demolished to build a dam, which apparently was swept away soon after its construction. The deliberate destruction of Arthur's O'on so appalled Sir John Clerk of Penicuik that he decided to have a dovecote built, as an exact replica of the temple, on his estate.

Life in Roman Britain
Life in Roman Britain

This site includes transcripts of a number of accounts of Arthur's O'on (Click on one of the above links to navigate the site). Maps pinpointing the location of the monument are also included.

O'on Dovecote

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Celtic Myth and Legend: From King Arthur and the Round Table to Gaelic Gods and the Giants They Battled... the Celebrated Comprehensive Treasu
Celtic Myth and Legend: From King Arthur and the Round Table to Gaelic Gods and the Giants They Battled... the Celebrated Comprehensive Treasu