Can anyone read this, please?

[Shona]

Any thoughts on what is on this headstone?

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u654/shonamcisaac/PossMillystone_zpsee9ab51a.jpg

[kiterunner]

Does it start with "This is the Burial place of"? Not very helpful, I know.

[kiterunner]

I think the name after that bit is something like Dougan? Dougal? Douglas?

[Shona]

I thought it might be Duncan McM.........

Do you think the date is 1779?

All the other stones in this row commemorate people who are in my family tree. My sister and her family and my mum are spending Easter in Argyllshire, so I'm going to try to persuade them to pop into the burying ground and to take some better pics of this stone.

[kiterunner]

Yes, Duncan Mc something. I can't even see where the date is at the moment!

[Janet]

Shona, presumably you have a physical piece of media in your hands, or can print one out. Try this.

1. Tip the bottom of the page up toward your nose so that you are sighting down the length of the characters. At the same time, align the long vertical strokes to point in a straight line directly forward from your nose. In other words you will rotate the photo slightly counterclockwise. This foreshortens the characters. Something may jump out at you that was not visible before.

2. Turn the paper upside down so that the tops of the characters are pointed toward you and the descenders are pointing away. You can also tip it up, as above, and align it so that the strokes point directly away from you. Even when #1 fails, amazingly #2 sometimes works.

[Shona]

I've never printed the image, Janet. Will give your technique a go tomorrow. Thanks for the tip.

[kiterunner]

Oh, I see where the 1779 is now! Or could be 1772 or 1773?