Gazing out of the window during departure or arrival is one of the best bits about flying. That’s if you are lucky enough to get the window seat, of course.
We know the Forth bridges can be the first or last thing people see – but have you ever spotted the strange stone in the middle of our airfield?
Eagle-eyed passengers may have done but if not, read on to find out more about the Cat Stane – a Scheduled Monument which bears an inscription in Roman capitals!
It’s a rounded boulder that sits near the end of the runway and is thought to have been erected in the Bronze Age.
Experts think the standing stone may originally have formed part of a burial site dating to around 2000 BC.
And historians say that at that time the area around what is modern Edinburgh was controlled by the nation known as the Votadini or the Gododdin.
It’s believed the inscription is a dedication to a deceased woman (not aviation related! 😊 ) whose remains were interred near the stone.
The inscription dates to the 5th or 6th century AD and reads:
IN OC T / MVLO IAC T / VETTA F / VICTR
This has been translated as: 'In this tomb lies Vetta, daughter of Victricus'.
On the airfield! It’s towards the railway end of the runway and sits within the grass area between the runway and the taxiway.
It’s obviously not possible to visit it but keep your eyes peeled if you are cruising by!
