Megalithic

Elliptical Recumbent Stone Circle; Widest diameter 16.6 metres, narrowest diameter 12.8 metres five erect stones including recumbent and E pillar, five prostrate stones including W pillar. They are set upon a bank of small stones and earth 1.92m x 0.76m. c14.4 m in diameter, with kerbs formed by slab-like stones on the inner and outer faces, it appears flat, however below the surface, the interior is made up, at least partially, of a mass of small boulders. It was a considerable feat to haul all the great stones of the ring, including the massive, whale-like recumbent (weighing 21 tons), into position on this bank. Such banks are a particular feature of recumbent Stone circles in Buchan.

An arc of monoliths runs out from the fallen west flanker; the southern and central ones were perhaps selected for their distinctly phallic shape. These stones are exceptionally tall: the cast flanker stands 2.23 m high and its fallen partner on the west is 2.86 m long. Clear signs that the seven stones of the ring were graded in height can still be seen.
Most of the stones are of granite, but the fallen west flanker and the recumbent are of whinstone. The latter, 4.6 m long is rather uneven over its upper surface, yet overall quite level; it is beaked at the west end for ease of levering into position, but very straight at the east.

A very atmospheric site.

An inspired contemporary gravestone, by Helen Denerley, with a brass and copper relief appliqué in the form of the tree of life in a sinuous style. A mouse and a lizard are nestled among the tree's roots.

A roughly cut granite menhir with an inscription cut in relief. The Gaelic inscription reads: "Cuimhnichibh La Coire Fraoichidh" or "Remember the day of Corrichie". The battlefield is now mainly covered by commercial forest.

A class I Pictish symbol stone that may re-use a megalith from the stone circle that once stood here. 3 feet 6 inches high by 4 feet 2 inches wide by about 3 feet thick. It is re-assembled from fragments found in a dyke and some missing parts are substituted with cement. The south-east face bears the crescent and V rod and serpent and z rod symbols to the left of the symbols is an ogam inscription which reads IRATADDOARENS some part of which may be a version of the name Ethernan (as in St.Ethernan).
The stone circle was partially excavated by I A G Shepherd and Bill Sievewright (of Ellon Plant) in January 1983. Basically the top soil was removed revealing five stone-holes and evidence of the deliberate destruction of the circle. The deduced outline of the original circle is now indicated by the modern hard landscaping of the site.

A class I Pictish Symbol stone located in the remains of a class II henge monument (a henge is defined by having a bank and ditch class II henges are those with two opposed entrances). The symbol stone was originally located on a bank 50 yards to the north-east and was moved when this bank was utilised as ballast during the construction of the adjacent railway line. It was probably a Pictish reuse of one of the megaliths that formed the avenue and the other stone circle mentioned below. It bears a 'Pictish Beast' symbol over a crescent and V rod.

A large very phallic standing stone 3.1 m high located just below a low summit, on a slope which shelves gently to the SE.

A large granite menhir inscribed "in sun rain sleet or snow" the quarry drill marks left as a feature. The sculpture contains a couple of monocular telescopic lenses that gives the viewer a close-up look of the surrounding countryside and Corgarff castle.

Also known as Devil's Hoofmarks, from some probable cup marks on the outer face of the recumbent The circle stones are of red granite.
The huge basalt recumbent is 4.2m long and it weighs more than 20 tons. The two flankers are 2.7m and 2.9m high with rectangular and triangular cross-sections.
Imposing despite most of the east side being destroyed. Another RSC Old Keig, is 1.5 miles away to the West.

A modern stone menhir with bronze plaque commemorating a 14th century battle.

In a fairly low-lying location, this circle consists of 8 rough boulders set in a circle 10.1 m in diameter. The circle contains eight small cairns, that showed signs of cremations, in some of the cairns were found burnt bone, charcoal, flint tools and a fragment of pottery.

A setting of three stones, older reports describe a fourth fallen stone. Variously described as standing stones or the remains of a circle. It appears to have been too small to be a Recumbent Stone Circle.

An impressive recumbent stone circle, 19.5 m in diameter, consisting of nine erect stones, the recumbent, two flankers and, in addition, two massive blocks which form a reserved area in front of the recumbent The circle is located near the crest of a hill shoulder, at 175 m OD. The characteristic differentiation between the recumbent with its flankers and the other circle stones can be seen vividly, both in terms of height of stones and their geological origin. The stones are graded in height from the 2.25 m tall flankers to the 1.7 m high stones on the circumference opposite, and, while the nine circle stones are of rough pinkish porphyry or (in the case of the second stone to the east of the flanker) a glowing red jasper, the flankers are of grey granite and the recumbent of reddish granite from near Bennachie. The outer face of the 3.8 m long recumbent has been smoothed carefully. The circle stones are set in a low bank. The very slight rise in the interior and a 1934 reference to a cist suggest the existence of a later ring cairn, now extremely vestigial. Its almost perfectly circular plan places this circle early in the series of recumbent stone circles

Remains of recumbent stone circle; one remaining stone, impossible to say whether in situ or has fallen and been re-erected. The area of the circle, complete until about 1844, may have extended to the E of the stone. Apart from the stone, there is no trace of the other remains of the circle.
It is said to have been intentionally destroyed with explosives but I do not know how reliable this is.

A roughly cut small sandstone menhir with an inset bronze plaque and Rotary Club insignia.

Remains of a stone circle; five stones altogether, two standing and three lying in an arc. Surrounded by a distinct stone mound which may be the result of ploughing. One stone has fallen since 1961.

Sculpture using engraved granite one large and three smaller stones, that clearly references local precedents particularly from the neolithic and megalithic periods in both the style and decoration of the piece and, of course, the title.

The Kincardine o'Neil war memorial stands on the main street in the village near the old church. It commemorates the dead of both World War I & II. It is a rough hewn standing stone onto which is carved a sword pointing downwards. This stone surmounts a rectangular base with inset plaques on the face. On either side are piled loose boulders. It was unveiled September 12th 1920.

The remains of this recumbent stone circle are situated in a cultivated field and comprise the recumbent, the E flanker, and two stones on the W arc. All the stones are of granite, the recumbent measuring 5.1m in length by 1.9m in height and 1.7m in thickness. The E flanker measures 2.9m in height by 1.45m in breadth and 1m in thickness. A large void beneath the E end of the recumbent has been filled in antiquity with a large boulder. The erect stones on the WSW and WNW of the circle measure 1.7m and 2.2m in height respectively. RCAHMS
Remains of a stone circle; consisting of the recumbent, now broken, the east flanker and two other stones. The recumbent lies on a definite mound and at one time the circle was -rudely paved-. The area has been used as a dump for field clearance & has been ploughed. Now there is no trace of paving or any internal features. SMR
While the circle itself is fragmentary, it has perhaps the largest recumbent stone known, the setting makes it worth a visit and the nearby occurrence of 3 early carved stones (although not in situ, they have probably not travelled far) suggests an important site with a long continuity of respect.

Recumbent stone circle containing a ring cairn with adjacent cremation cemetery. One of the stones, next to the flanker to the east of the recumbent, bears 12 cup marks. The stone circle precedes, in time, the cairn which covers cremations and the scattering of bone, flint and pottery. Excavation of the cairn showed use from the second to the first half of the first millenium B. C. . The adjacent Bronze Age cremation cemetry dates from circa 3500 years ago. At least 31 cremations and burials occured around a central pit, 8 of them children between 3 and 6. 11 deposits in urns have been found and 9 in pits some deposits containing several individuals. This place was used as a sacred site over an extended period of several thousands of years.

The kirk yard contains a recumbent stone circle; This is a landscaped and slightly re-arranged recumbent stone circle, 17.3m in diameter; it consists of the recumbent, two flankers and five others. The two flankers, each c2.5m high (matched and shaped into two enormous canine teeth), flank a massive recumbent 4.5 m long which weighs some 20 tons it has some markings on the top. The present church was built in 1797 when the old church near Midmar was pulled down . The old graveyard continued in use until 1914 when the new one was laid out around the stone circle. It is likely that the ring cairn was tidied away, probably when the graveyard was laid out around the circle in 1914. Very well maintained
The old kirk yard is nearby at NJ 702 059 called the old church of St Nidan or St Nidian's, it has a good collection of gravestones from the 16thC onwards, including that of George Bell, master mason of Midmar & Craigievar castles.

Dedicated on 1st January 2000 with nearly 300 people from local communities of Finzean, Ballogie and Birse in attendance. Anointed with waters from the boundary rivers of the community. The stone came from Craig of Woodend, near the Finzean quarry that was the source of the Birse War Memorial stones, stone donated by the Farquarsons of Finzean estate.

Carved words "THE TRAMPLING TO INVERURIE" and "THE TRUNDLING TO INSCH" on each side of a large granite stone next to the path just above the Bennachie Centre. In addition there is a hole drilled through the stone providing a sight line along the path.

Class 1 Grey Whinstone Pictish Symbol Stone, 201cm x 102cm x 60cm. Three carved symbols on the south face, from top: Double Disc and Z-rod; Snake and Z-rod and a mirror. The stone stands on its original site, a low cairn, which is in a fenced enclosure, in front of the stone was a grave, this association makes this stone important to those who support the theory of symbol stones as memorials to dead individuals.

Two stones surviving from a stone circle

Two small standing stones that may once have formed part of a stone circle. One of them has been used as a Pictish symbol stone marked with the 'horseshoe' and 'double-disc' symbols, these are no longer legible.

Stone of Morphie: This standing stone (measuring 1m by 0.7m at the base and 3.4m in height) is immediately S of the public road in the stackyard of Stone of Morphie farm. Traditionally said (New Statistical Account [NSA] 1845) to mark the grave of a son of Camus, killed in a battle between the Scots and the Danes, it was knocked down shortly before 1856. Digging prior to re-erection revealed part of a human skeleton, buried in black unctuous earth. The stone is freestone, and is uninscribed. as ref RCAHMS 1982; J Stuart 1856; Name Book 1863

An atmospheric, restored, Buchan recumbent stone circle 13.5 meteres in diameter. The site has good views to the North-East of Mormond and Waughton Hill, and the White Horse, also overlooks the ruins of Strichen House. Currently (2005) a little overgrown with gorse

The monument is very well preserved recumbent stone circle, 25m - 26.7 in diameter, lying in an area bounded by a 19th-century plantation wall. The circle comprises 11 standing stones and the recumbent. The recumbent and one of the uprights bear cupmarks. Within the circle is a raised platform measuring some 7m across, probably the remains of a ring cairn. The circle is on a hilltop surrounded by trees above Sunhoney farm.
The unusualy large, 5.3 m long grey granite recumbent stone has fallen inwards. On its (currently) upper surface, originally the stone's outer face are over thirty cup marks (some sources give 7 as now visible) . Its colour contrasts stongly with the red rock (granite and gneiss) of the other stones in the circle. The tall stones flanking the recumbent stone are about six and a half and seven and a half feet tall.

The Goukstane ("Cuckoo stone"), which is signposted just off the walk to the summit. Is a large boulder. According to legend it is said to be visited by the first cuckoo to return to Bennachie after spending winter in Africa. Other people believe that this large stone was thrown down the hill by the mythical giant Jock O' Bennachie.
The name and similar stories are applied to several Scottish megaliths one of them only about 3 miles north west at NJ 676 257 (the last surviving stone of a stone circle at the village of Oyne). Next to the Gouk Stone, is a contemporary work consisting of Carved words "THE CALLING OF THE CUCKOO IS THE OTHER SIDE OF SPRING" on a low dyke. In addition there is a carved 'egg' with an incised crack.

The recumbent stone circle is a form unique to North East Scotland.
This site was in a ruinous condition as a result of instabilities caused by an adjacent quarry but was restored and excavated in 2000.
The recumbent and its flankers are situated at the South West of the circles and often appears to have been carefully levelled. It has been speculated that they provided artificial horizons for the observation of the moon and other astronomical bodies.
Of 175 Aberdeenshire circles recorded as existing in 1911, only about 74 remain. A fact that is a depressing testimony to the 20th century's attitudes.
The photographs were taken shortly after an extensive excavation and restoration of the site, this is the reason for the bare earth.
An interactive map of all British stone circles and links to other pages relating to stone circles can be found at www.megalith.ukf.net/