Perth drain stones may offer clues to a lost monastery
Archaeologists suspect stones reused in an eighteenth-century drain came from Perth’s Charterhouse. Specialist dating and further analysis are still needed.
In this article
Key points
- A September dig uncovered a later drain with worked stones.
- A medieval origin is suspected and remains provisional.
- Specialist dating and further archive work are needed.
Archaeologists investigating Perth’s lost Charterhouse believe stones found in an old drain may be reused medieval masonry. BBC Scotland’s 11 October report describes a September excavation near the former King James VI Hospital, but the identification remains provisional while specialists examine the finds. BBC Scotland
A clue in a later structure
The BBC reports that an eighteenth-century culvert was partly covered with carefully worked stones. Archaeologist Gavin Lindsay pointed to chisel marks and workmanship as reasons to suspect an earlier origin. Fragments of pottery were also recovered. Neither their age nor a connection with specific historical people has been established by the evidence opened for this report. BBC Scotland
The project’s own account places the Carthusian priory’s foundation in the 1420s and explains that it was plundered for stone after the Reformation. Its research combines archive work, archaeology and public participation. This provides context for possible reuse, rather than proof that every stone in the drain belongs to the monastery. Perthshire Society of Natural Science
What analysis needs to establish
Specialists will examine the masonry and pottery, while further archive study and community engagement are planned, according to the BBC. The useful distinction is between a promising find and a confirmed identification: the drain is documented, but the suggested medieval origin still needs analysis. No claim that a royal figure walked on these exact slabs is treated here as fact. BBC Scotland
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Photo credit: Grievous Angel — CC0. Illustration and composition by report.red; source photograph released under CC0. Archive photograph: King James VI Hospital clock tower, June 2025; the drawn stones are illustrations, not photographs of the finds.
