Just north of Torryburn in Fife, standing in a field next to the A985 (at map ref. NT029866) are the Tuilyies Standing Stones. The largest of these, which is closest to the road, stands 2.4m/8 ft. high and features vertical grooves (that are a result of weathering) and a number of cup-marks.
As with most standing stones, not much is known about these. One explanation is that Tuilyies is a corruption of tulzie and signifies a fight in the area; according to the RCAHMS Canmore Database the stones are said to mark the graves of chiefs who fell in an alleged battle here.
I don't believe there is any real evidence to back up this theory, but I decided to look for details of a possible battle in the area. The only one I could find was the alleged 11th century battle between the Danes and the Scots at Bordie Moor and marked by the Standard Stone 8km/5 miles to the west (just east of Kincardine at map ref. NS954871). While this battle might not have taken place, the fact is the site of the Tuilyies stones probably did have some historic significance... possibly even one involving burials of important people!
