William Clark

Scottish Sphinx: Did This Cliff Face Inspire the Ancient Egyptians? William Clark

Silver seahorses surge majestically across golden sands. With a final, soothing sigh they swish the shingle fringes of a massive rocky outcrop. As they have done for millennia.


High on its heather-clad summit, summer breezes caress your forehead. Lingering scents of sea and wild-flowers enchant. Lower your gaze from blue skies and misty mountains. Focus on the stones of ancient Berigon scattered at your feet. Mysterious... magical... mythical?


Legends proclaim this site as the home of the Stone of Destiny and ancient capital of Scottish royalty. Their noble descendants still grace the throne of Britain. A magnificent setting. A stunning view. But was this the scene of bloody battles, cannibalism, and dark, lustful deeds?


A History of the Scottish People by Hector Boece, appeared in 1527. This learned scholar described a fierce people warring with Picts, Romans, and Britons. Sometimes up, sometimes down. But ... did these exciting events happen in quiet, remote Benderloch, Argyll.


Was Hector mistaken - or even making it up?
Were Ancient Egyptian ambassadors visitors to Berigon?
Did the locals worship Isis and the bull god Apis of Ancient Egypt?
Why has the origin of Berigon's name created so many heated disputes?
How and why was it vitrified - the stones burned to glass?


Until recently, scholars tended to dismiss Boece's history as fable. But it long influenced how Scots saw themselves and others saw them. In this book, the author reveals the amazing discovery of the head of a giant sphinx in a towering rock face. Known long ago as Cragan Righ - The King's Rock - it rises seawards, close to Berigon.


Did ancient Egyptian visitors shape it?
Or is the cliff a remarkable work of Nature?
Could there be a connection with the Great Sphinx of Giza?
Does it mean our Hector wasn't havering, after all?


Follow William Clark as he explores the facts, fancies, and fictions to find answers - serious, and amusing.