8 48 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 190210 H .

II. REPOR N STONO T E CIRCLE N I ABERDEENSHIRS E (, EASTERN PARISHES, AND DISTRICTS), WITH MEASURED PLAN D DRAWINGSAN S , OBTAINED UNDE E GUNNINTH R G FELLOWSHIP Y FREDB . . R COLES. , ASSISTANT-KEEPEE TH F O R MUSEUM.

e Repore seasoth Th r fo nt just passed includes notice f megalithio s c remains scattered ove n are ra f considerablo a y greater extent thay an n hitherto examined. This has hecome necessary through several causes, such as: my own oversight in missing remains not easily recognised on mapse th , difficultie f acceso s otheo st r sites, and, lastly e ascertaininth , g of precise localities of others only through the verbal direction of persons intimately acquainted with the special district in days so long ago, that, but for the retentive memories of such aged residents, all knowledge of such and such a Circle would ere this have perished. It is always a peculiar pleasure to meet with tenants to whom the Standing Stones are really objects of some regard and importance ; and this distinct pleasure we several times experienced during our recent survey. It did much to counterbalance feeling f quito s e another kind, whico hto swelle e th t a d frequent sight of rows of split boulders, coping stones of dikes, or lintels of barn-doors that bore sad testimony to the manner in which the ancient Standing Stones had been transformed into the mere building material of modern needs. That better feelings do now prevail is generally admitted; and, on most estates, the laird lays a restraining hand upo tenante nth . e remainTh s investigated durin e surveth g f 190o y 1 fall naturally into three large divisions. In the first, which is geographically the same area as that partially surveyed in 1900, there are nineteen additional site o report s t upon. Manmarkew a no f thes o yy e b dar e monolit e seconhth only n I d . division, which comprise e extensivth s e knoww areno a n as-the parishe f Belhelvieo s , Kinkell, Fintray, New Machar, , Udny, , Bourtie, Daviot, Eaynpd an l lyinal , g EEPOET ON STONE CIRCLES IN . 489

east of the rivers Don and Ury, this Beport notices seventeen sites, a few of these being now marked by monoliths only, but the majority having remain greaf so t interest thire Th d. division lies entirele th o t y west of the Ury and mainly in the district called Stratlibogie. Here remaine th vere sar y numerous thed an ,y number, inclusiv monolithsf eo , over thirty. This Eeport, therefore dealo t f necessits o , ha , y briefln i y many instances, with no fewer than seventy sites, of greatly varying interest, and about many of which it is to be regretted that so very little can now be confidently affirmed.

SCALE OF MILES

Pig. 1. Map of the District surveyed. The ground-plans for the most part are shown, as before, on the scale of 20 feet to the inch, with a few exceptions which will be noted n theii r proper places d referenc e e circlestonean ; th th n s o i i st e made befores a , naminy b , firse gth e Pilla t e wes. th ston th f No ro tn eo n I man . I y example •s beeha nt i s found simple d e clearean us r o t r letterin stonese th r gfo . DIVISION I. INVEEUBIE DISTRICT. In the accompanying Map (fig. 1) the lower section shows the same area as that visited in 1900; but the sites now noticed are additional to those marked in the previous one. 490 PKOCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 1902H10 . moste Th southerly sits ei No. Drum/ours,1 . Cushnie.— Ata poin t mid-way between South Fowlis and Drumfours farms, about four miles S.S.W. of Alford, the Ordnance Map shows five stones arranged in a rude oval. All that now remains in situ is one tallish monolith (see A, fig. 2), set with its longer axis easd wes an n at, o t flattish piec f groundo e , havins it n o g west and north a rather deep natural hollow crescentic in form. The

A

37EET

Fig . Drumfours2 . , Cushnie. Fig. 3. Cup-marked Boulder. height above sea-level is considerably above 600 feet. Going due east from this monolith for a distance of 84 feet, we strike a wooden paling, within which, on the edge of a quarry, lie several large stones. The neares d largesan t s i (set e B a rounde, ) fig3 . d mas f whinstoneo s , havin smoots it n nearld go han y level tippe r n cup-marksurfacte e th e s showdrawingy m largee n ni Th .r cup 2e ^sar inche sinche 2 wid d ean s deep. Under the very favourable light of a clear noon-day, it was just possibl deteco et e slighth t t depression f tool-marko s n somi s f theso e e cups. REPORT ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 491

From wha I tsubsequentl y learn n conversatioi t n wit e farmerth h , this stone for years lay against the monolith A, but was removed by an old quarryman to its present position and there left for preservation. othee Th r fou r fivo r e stones recorde e Ordnancth n do p mus Ma et have been removed long prio o thit r s tenant's occupanc e farth f o mf o y Drumfours. The next illustration (fig. 4) shows the Standing Stone from the east. No . Howemill,2 . Tough.— e Ordnanc th date Onf th o et a wha s e wa t Survey the wooded summit of a hill 616 feet above sea-level, the Map

Fig. 4. Drumfours; remains of Circle.

show grousa fouf po r large stones site s 1ei Th | . mile almos ease du tt of the Drumfours Circle ; but it is not visible from it. On the occasion r visit oe ou encounteref w , d numerouw fe s a stump t no f tree o sd an s bushy obstacles, before e erectfindinon e , gth massiv e stone (see figs5 . an, whicd6) h alone has n thii , s brief laps f timeo e , been sparee th d applicatio e quarryman'th f o n s "jumper d powder o otheran " Tw s. lie split and shattered, and the place of the fourth knows it no more. Tha e north-wes t stooth i t n n plando o s probableB ,i ( tfig ) 5 . ; there t wouli d form wit n diameteri othere hth 3 2 n ellips 0 feesa y 3 b ,tf o e and there, as if in indication of a quondam monolith, still remain firmly set the three stones shown shaded in the plan. At a distance of 39 492 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 190210 H . feet S.W. from the base of the Standing Stone A, is a fallen stone, 6 fee inche4 t lengtn breadth n si i fee3 5 y th b . When erect t wouli , d

Fig. 5. Howemill, Tough ; Plan.

Fig. 6. Howemill; View from the South. probably have stood exactl n linyi e wit e centre th handjDA f d o s an , if so, also in line, as they are, with the Mither Tap of . The smaller par f thio t s last-mentione n edgedo Stons i , seemD e s quite REPOR STONN O T E CIRCLE N ABERDEENSHIREI S . 493

earth-fast, and stands about 22 inches above the-ground. Its larger portion has been split away and left lying flat. The three large pieces a litte s f i smalleo r betweestone d A parte d an t on C rar a ef ; an so nB fragments which I take to be pieces of the fourth stone thrown aside as useless. o

o

Fig. 7. North Strone, Alford; Plan. No. 3. North Strone, Alford.—This circle is in a larch wood, a quarter a halo mila f e mil d f on efarme an sout S.W d th f f Alfordan ,ho o . , and must once have been visible fro e Drumfourmth s Circle, from which it is three miles distant. The site is 850 feet above sea-level. Several features present themselve r notice e stonet ou onca s Th o t e.s com- posin Circle g th seventee e ear numben ni r (see plan, . figThe7) . e yar 494 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902.

all short and not conspicuous for breadth; indeed, the Recumbent Stone Pillard an chiefle sar y remarkabl r theifo e r extreme smallness; thirdly, I show on the plan five stones in line only, to distinguish them from the nine in black. The reason for this difference in representation is that the five outlined stones on the N.W. arc were quite recently raised from a prostrate position and erected at intervals believed to be in keeping wit e spaceth h s betwee e undisturbeth n d e easstoneth tn o s and south-west, by the order of the proprietrix of Haughton, Miss Farquharson, who had also directed some excavation to be made within the area enclosed by the stones. On communicating to Miss Farquharson my desire to know if any relics had been found, I was informed that, " on the east side of the Circle some human bones, and chips of what must have been an urn because of the marks of ornamentation on them, were found. The ground must have been gone over at some previous time; there were marks of three or four graves with nothing in them." A rather more detailed account may be consulted in Scottish Notes an d;8 1897froy Queries17 m. Ma p , r whicfo leare hw n thawhole th t e space enclose stonee th originalls y dsb wa y paved with rough stonet se s close together; that seven ancient graves were found lying nearly east wesand t withi circlenthe , all previously opened containeOne . d some bones and part of a clay urn with incised decoration; another had several pieces of bone, a tooth, and two bits of flint; and in the rest, onl outlinee yth f skeletonso s coul tracede db . The heights of the stones are :— Stone I. . . . . 2 feet 5 inches ; grey granite. d re 0 1 2 „„ . . . . . II „ (Stones III. to VII. are omitted, not being in their original settings). Stone VIII. . 2 feet 8 inches ; red granite. IX. . 2 „ 10 „ white „ (like ). , , gre 0 y1 2 » . . X „ XL 2 „ 7 „ red „ , , , , ,, „ 2 3 „XII . . ., XIII XIVd an . . (fallen ; abou fee4 t t long). KEPOE STONN O T E CIRCLE N ABERDEENSHIREI S . 495

East Pillar . 2 feet 8 inches. Recumbent Stone, fallen forward fee2 , t high. Wes fee2 inches9 t Pilla . . r The interspaces between all the original Stones, beginning at the;north with Stone VIII., are :— Stone VIII. to IX., .... fee4 1 inches0 t .

,, IX. ,, X., .... 12 )j 8 IJ 8 , X....XL „ . 12 5J )»

„ XL „ XII., .... 15 » 3 ))

XII. „ East Pillar . 30 JJ 0 ))

East to West Pillar . 11 )J 0 )I

West Pilla Stono . t r . eI 9 J) 3 )J

, i, n.. , .... 12 )J 3 )) givin approximatn ga e circumferenc feet0 17 .f eo

Fig. 8. North Strone ; View of Recumbent Stone, etc. The diameters may be stated as 67 feet by 62. The Recumbent Stone, whose extreme dimensions are, length 4 feet 8 inches, present breadth (originall heighte yth fee2 ) inches4 t thicknesd an , foo1 s inches7 t , has been pushed over from its original position between the two Pillars. It still lies almost in the same line of axis, however, and this is W.N.W. by E.S.E. Its weight is 1£ tons. If the two fallen stones (in outline on plan) on the S.E. are parts of e originath l arrangemen d wer t upan t se e, theyp woulga e dth filn i l 6 49 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARCH 10, 1902.

her t abouea same th t e relativ estoneo distancetw e s th stil s sa l ereco t t the e Pillars' th wes n f ordeI o te mor . th r e clearl shoo t ye ver wth y smal stonee l th siz f thien o si s circle I ,hav e give na drawin gf o (fig) 8 . Becunibene th t Ston Stond sees ea an . neI fro e S.S.Emth f .o neae on r fallee th n stones.

MA .•*f

^:;y> D

"" O

c. 0 5 LO 15 20 23

Fig . Sout9 . h Fornet, Sken e; Plan . No . South4 . Fornet, Skene. —Th e O.M. shows altitudn herea t a , e of 600 feet, in a wood, a good-sized area dotted off in the shape of a heart, with the point to the south, and the plans of several stones within this strangely-outlined space. All -that now can be asserted is, that the wood is still there ; two tall and massive Standing Stones (see REPORT ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABEKDEENSHIRE. 497

Plan, fig. 9) still remain on either side of a space doubtless once filled by the Recumbent Stone, and five other stones of varying size, one alone over 5 feet in length, lie prone, scattered over a grassy, uneven ground, which rises in front of the Pillars into a bank of uncertain dimensions about four feet higher than their bases. Evidenc furthef eo r disturbance meets the eye in a sort of oblong trench on the eastern side, near to the point where this bank "runs e largout. d thicTh an e" k fallen stonn eo the N.E. (A, fig. 9), may mark the limit of the original Circle; its centre is 87 feet 6 inches distant from the base of the "West Pillar.

Fig. 10. South Fornet ; the two Pillars.

Pillaro tw f blueise o s Th e (sear h e ) whinstonfig10 . e richly veined with quartz Wese e standTh on t. fee6 sinche0 1 t s n heighti sit d an , outer surfac s perfectli e yfee6 smoothinche6 s ti e Ease n Th i son t. height, and both are pointed. The site of the Recumbent Stone is 6 feet 8 inches in length, and trends "W.KW. 60 degs. There is now no trace whateve continuatioy an f o r e banth f kno f showe plano th r o n ,n o any other ridg trencr eo h externa thiso t l . . Standing7 d an , 6 Nbs. , Stones5 t Blackchambers.—a In dealing with these separate t thoughmonolithsno s wa t t necessari , affio yt a x ground-plan to each; every stone was accurately measured at its base, VOL. xxxvi. .32 498 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902. an heighs dit t taken I her d e an ;giv e drawing thef so m place orden di s a r we saw them, working from the most southerly one on this farm to the Camiestane, near Inverurie. No smala . 5 s .Thi i , fig l) s(A bloc. 11 f porphyryko , girthing ove7 r feet, and standing 4 feet 6 inches in height, its longer axis pointing to the north. nexte graniteTh f No ,o . fee 3 B6 .s inche i ,9 s t i t i ;heightn si , girths 5 feet 8 inches at the ground, and stands east and' w.est.

A. B. C. Fig. 11. Standing Stones at Blaokchambers.

No. 1. The third, C, is also 3 feet 9 inches in height, girths 4 feet 2 inche standd san s nort southd han . Thi markee son lase dth t t stonno s ei e O.Mo nth e farm-hous wess th a . f o t Blackchambersf o e ; thamuse on t t have been removed, as we could not find it. The stone shown in my drawing stand slopina n si e steadingge jST.Eth th fiel f n o . do aboud san t a furlong from them. nexe Inth t illustratio showe nar n drawingf so Nos. 8, 9, and 10. Standing Stones at Strathray, Burnside, and Craighead Wood.—There was also one at Aquherton, for which we made long search withou y result e Strathraan t Th . f o y s stoni , fig) e(A 12 . blue whinstone, stand fees5 inche2 t s quite erect d girthan , fee6 s0 1 t KEPOET ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 499

inches at the ground. Off its west side a piece lias been blasted, a quite recent fracture being here visible. Its longer axis is 1ST. and S. No. 9. The Burnside Stone, B, is a broad, very massive block of whin- stone, much out of plumb towards the west. Its vertical height is 4 feet 7 inches girts it ,fee 0 h1 inchesmais 3 t it d n axian , s N.W S.Ed an .. No. 10. Craighead Wood.—This block of very quartzitic whinstone is but a portion of what I took to have been a boulder; the whole of its south surface being recently blasted fro t m(shadei d portio o rightt n n i ,

A. B. C. Fig. 12. Standing Stones at Strathray, Burnside, and Craighead Wood.

C, fig. 12). Its present height is 4 feet 8 inches, and its girth 7 feet, and its longer axis N.N.E. Of this stone, as the probable relic of a Circle, spean ca kI with some confidence a vas r tfo ; quantit f greayo t split-up masses of stone, mostly of whinstone, lie about, gathered together at the edgplantatioa f eo n some sixty years old ,e monolith—iclosth o t e l al n likelihood the remnants of the former Standing Stones. In the case of the other monoliths above described, all that can be said is that their appearance is as aged and time-worn as that of any stones in actual Circles e Governmen d th that an ,n i , t Note-booke e th dat th f o e f o s 500 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902.

• Ordnance Survey s recorded-thai t i , t the d alwayyha s heen considered "Druidical." No. 11. South Ley Lodge.—In a field a score of yards north of the road, the O.M. places three marks and gives the name, Standing Stones, at

Q

5 v _y Fig. 13. South Ley Lodge ; Plan.

this nearin n sitewere O w . e, git delighte o findt da Recumben t Stone and its two Pillars (see figs. 13 and 14).

. FigSout 14 Lodg.y hLe e; Recumben t Ston Pillarsd ean .

site leves ei Th l ground, abou fee0 30 t abov seae distand eth an , t from the farm about a furlong. The group is composed of ponderous blocks of grey granite, the Pillars erect, the Eecumbent Stone, as in most cases, fallen considerably inwards. The ground at their bases is slightly higher KEPOKT ON STONE CIKCLES IN ABERDEBNSHIRE. 501

on the north, that is, the interior of the Circle, than on the outside. Structurally noticese on ,glance a t a , e unusuallth , y wide space between each end of the Recumbent Stone and its Pillars ; beyond this, there is little calling for remark. The height of the East Pillar is 5 feet 7 inches, of the West 5 feet 2 inches, and of the Recumbent Stone, which is broad uneve d e topan th t ,feen4 a inches7 t s e stateweighb It y . n di ma t round number tons4 s sa . No. 12. Standing Stone, on the West of South Ley Lodge.—This stone (fig. 15) measures 4 feet 10 inches in height, and stands on an almost square base 5 feet 10 inches in girth. One of its sides trends N.N.E.

Fig. 15. West of South Ley Lodge.

. Standing13 . No e NorthStoneth f n Southo o y Lodge.—Le Very much higher up and due north of the last monolith, we found the great pyramidal bloc f greo k y granite next notice d s 17)dIt an (figs. 6 1 . longest side measure fee7 s inches4 t , and, wit irregulae hth re lineth f so contours resit f o t , help brino t se bas s girtth considerablgo it t e t ha y s full i ove inche6 feet1 2 t yI 1 r s .vertica it se topd thicth an t ,a lk height 5 feet 7 inches. The two broadest faces look north and south (Magnetic), respectively smalleThe . r stone svie the seew are in n clearings off the field. 2 50 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 190210 H .

Fig. 16. North of South Ley Lodge ; view of Stone.

32 O 1 3. 3 4- 1———I———I———I———\———I

Fig . Nort17 . Soutf ho Lodg y hLe e; Plan . REPORT ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 503

No. 14. Cairntradlin Standing Stones.—This well set-up pillar of whiustone fiel(fig w ) standlo d .18 a slopin n si g gently down towarde sth Skare Moss, through which one of Wade's military roads was made, amids a plethort f Cairnso a , Tumuli d so-callean , d Camps stone Th e. is 6 feet in height, and girths at the base close upon 7 feet; its longest side lying W.N.W. and E.S.E.

. FigCairntradlin18 . . Fig. Scottsmill19 . .

15. Scottsmill Standing Stone.—This stone (fig. 19) is noticeable from e perfecth t flatnes s summitit f o s , whic rudely-triangulaa s hha r outline, inche3 2 . anwidth S n n oblonsi base a dd s Th i emeasurean .g. N e sdu of 21 inches by 13, and girths 5 feet 8 inches. The stone is quite vertical, and 4 feet 4 inches in height. At Ferneybrae, the O.M. shows a Standing Stone; but the only one discoverable nowe intendeds on wa , e seemed th an ,e o sligh b to d o t t therefore passed over. . NoKinellar16 . Kirkyard.—At thip records ma e plac th e s th e remains of a . Searching in the Kirkyard itself, however, 504 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902.

availed nothing; but reachinn ,o fiele gth d belo Soute wth h wall, which is of red granite, we at once recognised two great, fairly straight-edged blocks of whinstone lying as shown in the drawing (fig. 20), evidently Pillaro e Circletw th f e so , wit,th madof littls ha e eus effor t removaa t l as might he, to eke out the wall. These stones are over 9 feet in length along their upper edges, and close upon the same at the ground; their thickness varies fro foo 1 illustrationfeee m 2 inches9 o th t t t n I . e th , dotted line sI hav show ew ho venture restoro dt e the whamo t t were their probable original positions, which would leave space for a Recumbent Stone about 13 feet long. The horizontal breadth of these stone s unascertainablei s , becaus e ground-surfacth e e Kirkyardth f o e ,

Fig. Kinella20 . r Kirkyard.

e wallnortth vers f i ,o h y much higher tha fiele e leveth n th df o lwher e the stones rest. No. 17. Camiestone, near Inverurie.—On this farm are several remains of interest d througan , e readth h y courtess WilsoMr e f wero yw n e without los timf so e conducte themo dt I ma. y just note passingn i , e th , existence of a huge circular Cairn, the summit of it visible to the left of e Camiestonth e (fig. 22 )e remain th itself cisd a f an ts,o cover wite hon s supportoit f s partla s y e showpla th f Camies o nn i n Grave (fig 21). e CairTh n seems totally undisturbed s denseli d an y, overgrown with broom-plants f giano e tgrave th size. f historo n O , ' y appear o havt s e been handed dowo formet s a n r conditio r associationso n e CamieTh . Stone fina s ei 1 grey granite monolith (fig. 22), seamed with white quartz;

1 Compare Camus Stone, Comiston, Cambus O'May, Cambuskenneth, Cambuslang. KEPOR STONN O T E CIRCLE N ABERDEENSHIREI S , 505

its base is a rough oblong, measuring in girth about 7 feet 3 inches. In height it stands 4 feet 8 inches, and its longer side trends East and West.1' othew fe ra t monolithTherye lowee e ear th n rsi par f thio t s district, hernot e noticed site at accessibl, snot shorthe tein hour Septembea sof r

M- A

Fig. 21. Camies Grave. Tig. 22. Camie Stone.

rambl r driveo e t enougbu ; h have been recorde rat y o shot dan e t wa how extraordinarily abundan thin i t s portio Aberdeenshirf no e prehistoric remains must once have been.

1 Some little distance to the south, there is a great boulder called Cloven Stone. Earlye Th n I History f Kintore,o y Alexandeb r Watt (1865), ther recora s i e f do "This Cour t e Burgoth f Kintorf ho e holde Clovee y t na n Stane, upo ellevente ny h •day March MCVJ nyiitie fyve years." 506 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902.

DIVISION . II " EASTERN PARISHES. No. 18. Mimrikin's Clump.—Such is the name accorded on the O.M. to three rings, one very large, and two small, on a site buried in woodland hundrea d yardnortfarm-house o s th r f sho o Ease Logif eo th tn ebano k rivee oth f rfee 0 Don30 t abovt ,a e sea-level jusd an t, opposite Station on the Great North of Railway. I visited the site on e 10tth f hSeptembero ; but, excepveritabla r fo t e jungl f treeeo d san their roots, and bracken rising fully six feet in height, there is nothing to record comparativelo aboutw r t o thie son spot yn I clea. r spacey la s biggish boulder partialln i s y circular lines, suggestiv e more th m f eo o et rim-stones of cairns than anything else. Unless the wood and under- growth were systematically cleared result0 11 , f archseologicao s l value coul e seeme e obtainedon e b dfarm th o dn t , A abl .o impar t e y an t information regardin e curiouth g s nam f thio e s wooded summit; there- y concludma fore w e that Mimrikin's Clum a place-nam s a p e has. dropped out of living memory. No. 19. Oothill, Fintray.—I might describe my investigation of this sit n almosi e e samth t e term thoss sa e just used regardin previoue gth s one. The map shows two dotted rings as Stone Circles, close to the south edge of the wood at Cothill, and on the east of the road, one in an ope feeheighe 0 nth 35 t field t f woode abova othee o t th th d , n an ri e, sea-level. The field is now absolutely bare of stones; and in the adjacent woo heapdw lo therf stone o se ar e t mana s y spots. Nonf eo these stone e verar s y largy whateve r an ponderouso ee ar rr sno o, groupe o suggest s a e dhandiwor th t f mano k . . PeatMll,20 . No Kinkell.—This ston s alreadha e y been briefl- re y corded 1 as follows:—"In Monkeizie [now Keith-hall or Kinkell] the e Druidicaplacth f o e l Templ f laseo tthad centuren t e stooth yn i d is - now unmarked, wit e exceptionhon , wher singlea e stone remains, nearly two and a half feet square and seven feet high. It is remarkable that

e corth n grows very luxuriantly around this solitary pilla distanca o t r e 1 Old Stat. Account, vol. xxxix. p. 744. REPORT ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 507

of 15 yards, and has always been eighteen inches higher than the crop immediately beside it." The O.M. also record founs site s ei wa Th dsn . closur thait n o a et a fiel dlone westh gf o tstri f fir-plantatiopo n below Kinkell Post Office; its height above the sea 400 feet. This shapely, straight-sided monolith (fig. 23) stands 6 feet 7 inches above ground, and girths at the shoulder

Fig. 23. Peathill, Kinkell.

over 10 feet. It is of grey granite. Its longest and straightest edge, 2 fee inchegrounde 8 t th t sa , trends "W.N.W. If the words of the writer of the Statistical Account be taken as literally descriptive, this monolith must have stood in the centre of a Circl fee0 5 diametern i et o t fro 5 m4 . Statisticaw Ne e Th l Account record e findinth s f threo g e urna n si barrow or tumulus about 80 yards distant; and so recently as in 508 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARCH 10, 3902.

December 1893 an urn was found, which, in 'part, is figured and . RdescribeD . r Thorn.M y db 1 Monykebbvck, New Maclar.—We are now well into the heart of the richest agricultural district of Aberdeenshire, and need not be dis- appointe f locadi betweenr fa ld antiquitiean .w fe Tha e ar st o this s si a glance at the Map (fig. 1) will prove ; for a distance of nearly five miles

Fig. 21. Moneykebbuck, New Machar. separates this monolith fro lase mth t noticed; and manr fo , y square miles around, only hal dozea f n vestige seene b w f .Circleso no n sca This monolith (fig. 24) stands on a small, flat, oblong space, which is partly a natural and partly an artificial break in the northern slope of e hilth l here, abou a quartet mila f o re farmhousee westh f o t . Above • it, the height is considerable, shutting off all prospect southwards ; below it, the slope'continues very steeply northwards, and on the west there Scottishn I 1 Notes Queriesd an Aprir fo l 1894 . 166,p . SEPOET ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABEEDEENSHIKE. 509

is a less steep incline. To the north and east the prospect is very extensive, though the actual height above sea-level, of 300 feet, is not remarkable. Aroun e Ston e th base manth df ar e o e y smallish stones, som l appearancf theal o e o mt e firmly sete StonTh . s ruggei e d re d granite, so chafed and ridged on the north side into horizontal grooves, as at a little distance almost to suggest Ogams. Its base, nearly square, measured 7 feet in girth. The height of the Stone is 6 feet 10 inches. In a roundel of fir trees, about two hundred yards to the north, is a distinct grassy mound l likelihooal n i , dCairfarthea d an n; r e awath n yi same direction another fir plantation encloses an irregular mound, said to e remainbth e a chapel f o sfielA .s stild i t closi l calleo t e d Chapel Croft. . Wester22 . No Craigie-croft.—A very dubiou se O.Mth entr n . o y led me to examine this remote site, which is there marked at a point a little east of the main road between and the village of TJdny, and almost equi-distant from those places. The words on the map are " Cromlech, supposed Remains of a Stone Circle "; and the site is in a mossy ground. On reaching the moss we saw many huge rocky out- cropa spo t a st correspondin o that g t n indicateo e map t th Bu n .o d examination I satisfied myself that all of these, and some adjacent boulders, were purely natural, that none could be a Cromlech, and that certainly none coul portione db Stona f so e Circle. No. 23. Hill of Fiddes.—A wide stretch of country intervenes betwee lase pooe nth th t rsit d remnan ean e oncth ef o tnobl e specimen of Stone Circl t a thie s far-easterly far n mFoverani . There exists, fortunately for antiquaries, a ground planl of it, taken so long ago as r JameM 177 y b s7 Anderson. Thi I sher e reproduca en o (fig ) .25 somewhat reduced e scalepla , perhapsTh is n . a trifl, e diagrammatic; indeed, Mr Anderson speaks of it rather as a specimen of the type of Circle with Recumbent Stone, so prevalent in Aberdeenshire, than as actualln a y measured ground-plan f thio , s Circl n particulari e . Neither doe state sh whao et t scal drawine eth mades gwa . Fro statements mhi , 1 Archceologia, vol. v. p. 246. 510 PROCEEDINGS.OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902. however, tha e Recumbenth t 2 feet 1 Ston n computts ca long wa ee w , e the over-all diameter of the Circle to be about 46 feet, and the circum- ference taken through the" centree stones th e ver8 feet f Th 13 o ys, . well-defined platform in front of the Recumbent Stone was about 20 feet by 6 feet; its height is not stated. The ten stones stood, evidently,

Fig. 25. Hill of I'iddes; Plan by Anderson in Archceologia. oequalln na y well-denned ridg f eart o einterioe d stones th han d s an ri , shown undisturbedd flaan t . Fro ma late r very brief notic . TempleS . eC byr n 1863e i 1.M w , gather tha l thaal t t then remaine stoneso f tw thes dO r o . wer ee on e 1 Proceedings,. 66 , 65 . pp . voliv . .REPOR STONN O T E CIRCLE N ABERDEENSHIREI S . 511

two stones I now give a ground-plan and illustration (figs. 26 and 27). dikee th ,n I whic bees hha n buil againsp u t weste Pillae d th th t an n , o r e Kecumbenth f o ease d th en t t Stone, there stand several great stones ;

Fig. 26. Hill of Fiddes ; remains of Circle.

two of these are within a few feet of the Pillar ; the others on the east are both more massive and more numerous, so that the common fate has befallen the Standing Stones of this Circle. The Pillar is a squarish-based

. FigHil 27 Fiddef . o l s; Vie remainf wo Circlef so .

upward-tapering block of whinstone, 6 feet 6 inches in height. The Eecumbent Stone, of the same material, is ponderous and unshapely in its'irregular contourse inneth n r O fac. t measurei e fees4 inche3 t n si 512 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902. outsidee th heightn o ,t fulls extrembu ,it feet6 yd an ;e lengt fee9 s hi t 8 inches. It lies due east and west by compass; its weight, roughly computed s rathei , r ove e tonssit x f thisi o eTh r s. fee0 Circl26 t s i e above sea-level. . Shelden,24 . No Bourtie.— 0 feeheighe At50 th t f abovo t e sea-level on this farm ther showe e O.Mth ear n .no seven stone broaa n si d oval, and the record of the finding of a cist here is also printed. After over-

a a> A%

o

. SheldenFig28 . , Bourti e; Plan .

coming many difficulties in reaching this hill, in a district abounding in similar heights, fresh obstacles met us at the site itself, in the shape of utten a r wildernes f broom-busheso d bramblesan s roughnesa d an , f o s stony interior, secone siteth l snono dt al examine f eo countye th n di n i , additio whico nt ha ver y high wind rendere r workou d f exhilaratingi , , also somewhat capricious e ground-plan,Th . 1 therefore, show n fig(i n . 1 This ground-pla showinchs n1 i fee 2 scal a o 3 t tn f . neo o REPOR STONN O T E CIRCLE ABERDEENSHIREN I S 3 51 .

28), must be consulted as the best possible result of measures taken in most unfavourable conditions r exampleFo . , evee greath n t square monolith , oveD , fee8 r t visiblt no high s e wa ,fro m eithe , owinB r r Co g to the great height and density of the broom. In front of H and in lin a large s witi e B hflattis h 8 inchestone1 , G s, above groundd an , •earth-fast. Another earth-fast stone is 10 feet west of F, and four •others are to the north of A. The interior, speaking generally, is free froy verman y marke cairn-likw dlo ris r o e e feature t irregularlbu , y stony all over it. e heighte StandinTh th f o s g Stones f graniteo , l whical e , ar hare : A, 5 feet 10 inches (but 3 feot out of plumb); B, 5 feet 9 inches, pointed;

. SheldeFig29 . n; Vie w fro Southe mth .

•C feet6 , , pointed fee8 , inches2 t D ; , pointed feet5 , ,E ; flat-topped5 , F ; feet 10 inches, pointed; and H, 5 feet 10 inches, pyramidal. This last ston vers ei y conspicuou reasoy s b taperinsit f no suddenlo gs y froma base of great breadth. The illustration (fig. 29) taken a few feet from the south, is " constructed " from our measurements and plan. It shows e relativth e height positiond san stonese th t doef t pretenso bu , no s o t d accurac f shapeyo , since alreads a , y an yt possibl e statedno se s i o t t ei , three of these stones simultaneously from a point advantageous for making a sketch. . Kirldon25 . No of Bourtie.—The remains here, still e extantth e ar , same in number as those shown in the O.M., in the second field west of the Manse, at a height of 525 feet above sea-level. They consist of a VOL. xxxvi. 33 514 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 190210 H .

Recumbent Stone of uncommon bulk, the East Pillar, and two tall and massive stones on the S.W. arc (see fig. 30). With, these three definite points, we can accurately determine the diameter of the Circle to have been 60 feet. I have no record of the date at which, or the reason why, stonee th rese f th o ts were removed presene th , t tenant knowing nothing of this. The Recumbent Stone group stands on a very definite mound (see viewsth e d 32), an figs ;1 partl3 . n thiyo s mound e outsideth t a , , lies a large fragment of stone, with a second close to it. In front of the Pillar are two biggish stones on edge (shaded in the plan), rising a few

SECTIO F KECUMBtNiSlMNO E

. FigKirkto30 . Bourtif no e; Plan .

inches above ground. Between the Pillar and the end of the Recumbent Stone lies a large fragment split off the under side of the latter; when whole, this Recumbent Stone must have measured quite 16 feet in extreme length (fig. 31) s measurebasw it ; no e fee3 s inche4 t n i s breadth, its height is 6 feet 4 inches on the outside (see sectional view within the plan), and 5 feet 6 inches on the inside; and its weight, therefore, must be about 17 tons. It is of grey granite. The dimensions of the Pillar are : height, 9 feet 10 inches, and greatest girth about 10 feet. The other two Standing Stones are also very broad and massive, REPORT ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 515

Fig. Kirkto31 . Bourtif no e; Recumben t Stone Group from withi Circlee nth .

Fig. Kirkto32 . Bourtif no e; Grou p from outside. 516 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902.

as well as tall; the height of A is 6 feet, and its girth over 13 feet; B is 7 feet 9 inches high, and in girth nearly 14 feet. In the next illustration (fig. 32) is a view of this fine group from the outside on the south-west. . Balhaggardy.—26 . No placep Thema s her a econventiona l dotted ring to indicate the remains of this Circle, in combination with a triangle and hench-mark, giving the altitude as 310 feet. This survey mark of course implies a stone, and this stone we found to he a great monolith

FigBalhaggard33. . y; fro mthe Fig. 34. Balhaggardy ; from the North. East.

set upon an oblong base trending east and west, and presenting, when seen respectively e eastfroo suc th norte tw mth ,hd hveran y dissimilar faces, tha I thav e appended illustration f bote o s 34)d Th h .an (figs 3 3 . crowe sitth hila s f ei nlo one-thir mila f do e nort Balhaggardf ho y farm house. On its comparatively smooth northern side, this block of whin- stone bears three distinct cup-marks more artificia n appearanci l e than hollowe mosth f o t s observe e stoneth n megalithif o dso c Circles during r previouou s surveys e easterTh . n sid s extremeli e y jagged d proban , - ably fractured within recent times e stone heigh fee6 th Th s 7 f ei t. o t inches, and at its greatest girth close upon 14 feet. REPOR STONN O T E CIRCLE ABERDEENSHIREN I S 7 51 .

No. 27. Liggars Stane, Harlaw. —Under this title, there is shown 1 positioe th a stonp f no Ma e e somth n e o seventy N.Ee yardth f o o .s t the farm-steadings at Harlaw. I can find 110 tradition, concerning the stone or its name. s sit It markes ei ver e almosroad w th ol ydn no d o n edg ta f disusedeo , s quiti an t di e probahle that when othe d bettean r r roads were made the stone became an encumbrance to the ploughman and was removed. The same negative result attended our search for the sites of two Cairns once existent on this route between Balhaggardy and Inveramsay Mill;. one of these, near the former place,- being called Provost Davidson's e otherCairnth e Drud th , an ,m e PleyfauldCairnth n o , e scenth ,f o e the . . Daviot28 . No KirJcyard.—It is on record2 that "the remaina f o s Circle seee werb no et withi e lasnth t twenty years [tha , circais t 1817] in the churchyard; but the stones were some time ago removed and employed as materials in building the walls of a dwelling-house." o tracN f thio e s Circl 0 remainsfeew 40 no te sit s i aboveTh . e sea-level. No. 29. Loarihead, Daviot.—In this sequestered and umbrageous t nooklasa e t w mee, t wit ha fin e exampl e Stonth f eo Circle, properly so-called. The gratitude of the antiquary is due to the proprietor who so judiciously planted this hill with tree f variouo s s species t lefa ye ,t wide margin clear of the Circle, and meddled not with its interior. As we thrust aside the thick branches of the spruce-firs, and emerge into this enclosure, mossyt onca s i e ,e arreste coolsilentd ey an e ,y db th , novelte th doubla f yo e Eecumbent Ston extreme eth (sed an e fig) 35 . shortnes wese th tf so Pillar ease tTh .Pilla r lies pronee righth n i to t , the illustration t firsA . .t glance e notioth , s i almosn t unavoidable

Liggars Stan probabls A e: y having some bearin this n followine go th , g references 1 may be acceptable: a Liquor Stone, near Falkland in , on which funeral com- panies place e coffidth n [Hist. Antiq. f Fife,o Taylor . 217]p , ; Lackerstonee th , nam a barro f eo Kettlen wi , Fifeshire Lecturestaned an ; , used suppora als s oa r fo t the coffin, in Cleish [New St. Account, vol. ix. pp. 106 and 41 (Kinross). 2 New Slat. Account, vol. xii. p. 822. 8 51 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F O S , MARC , 190210 H .

that thes paralleo tw e l stone e merelsar Recumbene halvee yth on f so t Stone, splintered by frost or forced asunder by artificial agency. But this is not so. The space between these two great Stones, set edge- ways, is broad enough to admit of a man's easily walking there, as I n didordei , o examint r e their vertical faces carefully. These inner side , sfirsI foun f allbe o t o ,t dalmos t precisely vertical e widtth , f o h the space at the top tallying exactly with that at the base; next, the two surfaces do not present any of that correspondence of form in detail as if they could be fitted into one another; and, lastly, down to the very ground e growtth , f greho y saxicolouI s f lichens heavy(i a s d an swa ,

Fig. 35. Loanhead, Daviot, showing Double Recumbent Stone and West Pillar.

may use the expression) as closely woven into the grain of the stones s everywherwa t theri s a e e else upon their sides, summits edgesd an , . The conclusion, therefore, is inevitable, that in this circle at Loanhead we have the new and distinctive feature of double Recumbent Stones. orden I mako t r e this quite clear I mad, a carefue l drawing froe mth east end of the Stones (see fig. 36), to supplement the view from the opposite end. These Recumbent Stones are set W.iST.W. and E.S.E., and weigh 7 tons and 5 tons respectively. Turning our attention to the ground-plan (fig. 37), we see at once that originae th l arrangemen f theso t e Standing nearls Stonee a th s n yi s wa fora perfec f mo t circl Circly s thaan a e f eo t investigated during these REPOR STONN O T E CIRCLE N ABERDEENSHIREI S . 519

surveyse fouth rf prostratO . e e nortstoneth n hso arc, Stone eth Ds i e circumference onlmuce th f yon hof ; diametee t isevei th , s a n r taken fro e middl e spacmth th f eeo Recumbenbetweeo tw e th n t Stonee th o st edg f Stons o eexactli D e ye diameteequath o t l r frome W o BG-t . furthe almose ar r noticE td ean tha D spacee d th t an s betweeD d an nC exactly equal to the corresponding spaces on the south arc, A to P (west) same th eo T exten balancF . (eastpositionP e d H th td an o et )an E f so those of C and B, thus leaving a much wider space between the two

Fig. 36. Loanhead ; the Double Recumbent Stones from the east.

middle stones on each side. The distances between the centres of the stones are:— Stone A to B, 23 feet 9 inches. , 21G Ston feeo t inches0 teF .

„ B to C, 17 „ 0 „ „ GtoH;23 „ 9 „ „ C to D, 24 „ 6 „ „ HtoP,22 6 „„ 4 6 „2 „ , E o t D „ „ P to P, 15 „ 6 „ „ E to F, 14 „ 6 „ » P to A, 21 „ 6 „ Giving a total circumference of 212 feet 3 inches. 520 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, .MARCH 10, 1902.

M.

I

VI H

S 0 S 10 I!! iV> o p I | i I I I i————I————I————I——--i Fig. 37. Loanhead ; Plan.

heighte e StoneTh th f :e —so sar Stone A ... 5 feet 6 inches. „ B . . (fallen 8 „ 0 „ long). ii C . ,, 3 ,, 0 ,, ,, - >! -D >. , , 8 „ 1 „ » E . „ i 7 „ 2 „ „ • 3 3 „• • . , F REPOR STONN O T E CIRCLE N ABERDEENSHIREI S . 521

Stone G ... 4 feet 0 inches. „ H . . . 5 „ 9 „ Eas . (fallet Pilla3 7 n. ,, r long). Recumbent Ston5 e (inner) , , 3 . North side 5 0 5) J) JJ '' )> U South „ „ (outer) . 4 „ 5 1 2 1 Wese „ . Th t Pilla . r (inner side). 0 4 „ . . (outer „ ) flat-topped.

interiore Oth f , \vhic s grassi h unevenld yan y stony, ther s littli e e to- record; there is an entire absence of a rise in the middle, but a more or less regular ridge can be traced running in line with the eight small stones (shown shade Plan)e th n d i , e fully-exposewhicth e ar h d portions concentrie oth f c settin ofteo gs n found withi e greanth t Standing Stones- of Circle f thiso s type. These smal t stonese l s var heighn yi t from about 14 to 20 inches. Measured from the previous site, this Circle is about half a mile to the north at a height of 531 feet above sea-level. The Map records that, at a few score yards to the east there were found in 1832, " a brass dirk and a stone cist"; at about the same radius 011 the S.E., urns were found in 1817 interioe Circle th th , southf n e anothei eo r d itselfdu an n , ur r, ". a stone ladle." Kb. 30. New Oraig, Daviot.—A bare half mile to the north of the- Loanhead Circl foune ear megalithie dth c remain f anotherso , whichn o , principle th f judgine o e whol parta th y f b ge,o must havf eo beee on n the most imposing Circles ever constructed. The site, 400 feet above- sea-level, crowns a steepish slope commanding an extensive prospect in all directions ; but, at the present date, a long strip of woodland enclosed ba diky e south-west th hidee north-east t e th viea th sn s wi o -t I . extremity of this wood that there stand the three enormous stones, two Pillars with Eecumbent Stone, shown in my illustration (fig. 38). The enclosing dike touches these stone t eithea s r e f grousideo Th s i .p whinstone.. Beginnin e righth t ta g hand e easth , t Pillar, wit a basah l •522 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 190210 H .

girth of nearly 11 feet, measures 011 the outside 9 feet in height, and on the inside 7 feet 8 inches. It stands slightly within the base-line of the Kecunibeiit Stone, which here measure 1 fee1 s inche 4 t lengtn si d han is 5 feet 8 inches in height at its present highest point. The jagged ttnevennes f wantoo t s summiac it e resulnf n th so a mischie f s i to t n o f the part of a vandal who shot at the stone1 some years ago. The entire length of the Recumbent Stone is 13 feet 8 inches, and its inside heigh fee4 4 inchess ti t . Ther markea s ei d difference between e relativth e position e pillarth f s connecteo a ss d wit e Recumbenhth t

Graigw Ne Fig,. Daviot38 . ; View fro e southmth . Stone; the East Pillar all but touches it, while there is a gap of nearly 2 fee Weste Recumbene e Pillatth th Th betwee n .d r o an t i nt Stone fee 3 n breadt i e summits ti th I hav t d a he an , compute s weighit d t e ratheb o t r over 12J e tonsWesTh . t Pillar, whose rhomboidal "base measures in girth nearly 14 feet, stands 8 feet 9 inches in height e outsideoth n d abouan , 7 feet e insideinche6 tth n o s. Projecting inwards from the face of the Recumbent Stone (see Plan, fig. 39) is an earth-fast block 1 foot 10 inches in height and 3 feet broad. This is analogous in size and position to the projecting stones at Auchquhorthies, 1 This I was assured of as a fact by the present tenant, Mr Anderson, whose fore- tears have occupie Craiw upwardr dNe g hundrefo o tw f so d years. DEPORT ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDBENSHIEE. 523

Manar, e shalandw s l,a presently see, als t Ardlaioa Kennethmontn i r . Almost touchin outee th g r edg f thio e s Pillar ,e mor theron es i elarg e stone apparentl situ,n yi ove fee3 r heightn i tline f axieTh o f thi.so s grand group calls for special notice, as on testing it by magnetic compass I foun Recumbene th d t Stone lying N.W 0 degsS.Ed 5 . an .degs0 .5 .

0 0 0 2 1 2I55S -H———h———1———+———J———1 Fig. 39. New Craig ; Plan.

This means thainnee th t e Recumbenr th fac f o e t Stone- looksto t no , wards the Polar North, but fully N.E. With regarthree th eo dt other stones show outlinen ni l prostrateal , : a ilinef , bisectin e circlgth e fro Recumbene e centrmth th f o e t Stone, wer e distance th 0 fee carrie6 o t t f t eo nort ou d h eastwards t i woul, d touch the farther end of the middle stone of these three. This is not therefore necessarily the diameter of the original Circle. 524 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 190210 H .

Rambling down throug wooe hth d here, very dense with undergrowth, I found, at a distance (afterwards measured) of 84 feet east by compass from the point S on the Plan, a huge boulder of whinstone over 9 feet in length, 4 feet broad, and 3 feet 6 inches high. On the semicircular edglarga f eo e hollow, scoope flaker do d s uppeofit f f o r surfacew ro a s i , seven very distinct cup-marks. As this stone cannot be said to bear any clear relation to the Circle, it need not here be further alluded to.

Fig. Sout40 . h Ythsie, Tarve sPlan; . . NoSouth31 . Ythsie, Tarves.—The Ordnanc placep eMa sa Standin g Stone here, a furlong south of the farm-house, on the Chapel Fauld, and records the findin a cis . f d it westo Thig f an closo ts o t eston e has been removede smal th t perfec t ye l Bu .t circl f exceptionao s ei l interest. wels i t l I e mapshowe siteth Th n ,. o n thoug h fairly highfee0 20 t, above sea-level n realiti s i , a ylowl y one, beina lon n gi g trougf o h arable land quite surrounde slopey d b eminences d san mighe On t. walk alon e higgth he wes th roaf Ythsie o to t d altogethed an 1 r miss this- group of megaliths. The next fact to be noticed is the absence of a 1 Pronounced Icy. EEPOET ON STONE CIECLES IN ABERDEENSHIEE. 525

Recumbent Stone, and the remarkable bulkiness of all the stones. (See the plan, fig. 40). That they are all vertically set upon a very clearly defined moun s anothedi r feature. This mound, very stony throughout its level and its slopes, is raised nearly three feet above the surrounding hugx si groundee blockth d an ;s stan d diametere s edgeclosit Th n e.o s are A to D (centres), 27 feet, and Fto C27 feet. The distances between the stones, centre to centre, are :— Stone A to B, 13 feet 6 inches. Stone 1) to E, 14 feet 6 inches. „ BtoC, 16 „ 3 „ ,, EtoF 0 1 „1 ,„ „ C to D, U „ 6 „ „ F to A, 13 „ 3 „ giving a circumference of 83 feet.

. SoutFig41 . h Ythsi e; Vie w fro S.We mth .

The heights of the stones are :— Stone A, 5 feet 7 inches, whinstone ; split. B 4 ,,, , 3, porphyr 3 y richly seamed with quartz. C, 2 ,,6 D 6 5 ,„ grey granite, E, 4 „ 4 whinstone plus quartz. F, 2 „ 8 No two of these stones, it will be noticed, are either precisely due nort soutd han eacf ho h ease westd otherdu an t r .o , In the interior, 10 feet from Stone F, is a biggish lumpy stone, which 526 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902.

from a distance appears like a central monolith; it is, however, but a. loosd easily-movean e d stone. Farther within, nearl 1 fee1 y t from e founStonw , singlda eE e earth-fast narrow n edge o ston t . se e This seeme are th face a poino f st th o havin timte o t ton e t gbee a oveg ndu r and disturbed, as this stone lies in a position suggestive of its being a part of a central setting of about 6 feet in diameter. In the view f thio s) (fig circl41 . e fro e S.W.m th e relativ th , e proportione th f o s stones, and the height of the mound, are shown.

. SheithenFig42 . , Tarve s; Plan .

. Sheithen,32 . No near Baxton Wood, Tarves.— Ina field , locally know Fountais na n s saidPari t k,(i fro driedw existence mth no -a f o e up spring), we found another still smaller circle. It is shown, with utter lack of definition, on the O.M. as a conventional dotted ring. The site is a level field, 230 feet above sea-level, nearly half a mile H".E. of the farm-steadings of Kaxton. The diameter from south to nort s onlhi fee6 y1 t (fig. 42)t shortese recordecircly th ye , an s a ef o td n Aberdeenshirei l conspicuoual . e stonet th a Non f s i o r se fo s height. Takeusuae th n lni order e respectivth , e heighte stoneth f o s :e —ar EBPOE STONN O T E CIRCLE N ABERDEENSHIKEI S . 527

Stone A 2 fee inches0 t , whinstone. 5 pure white quartz, 6 whins tone, 3 red granite, 4 whins tone. F 0 G 6 granite. Several stones are wanting on the east arc, as may be seen by referring; viee th wo t (fig ) fro easte .43 m th .

Fig. 43. Sheithen ; View from the East.

. Candle33 . No Hill, .—The site here fee5 41 t, above the- sea, close to Broombrae farm, and distant from Old Rayne village not half a mile to the S.E., used also to be known under the name of Tap o' Mast. The O.M. correctly shows the number of the stones, but in too oval a contour. Only one is now erect (see Plan, fig. 44). A great deal of disturbance has occurred among these stones, some of it attributable- to a definite cause, to which reference will later on be made. But taken as they are, we can approximate the main diameters to be, at present, e contrarth 5 N.E0 fee 7 n 7 y o S.W.b t .yd e stonesan axis, Th . - themselves are not strikingly large. Ease Th t Pilla s beeha rn broken t leasa s extremr it o t, e angularity suggests this; as it lies, it measures 9 feet by 7 feet 6 inches. 8 52 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 190210 H .

Recumbent Stone, also quite flat, and in part overgrown by the turf, measures 13 fee n lengthi t fee7 , breadtn i t h (its original height)d an , its northern edge stands above ground about 16 inches. This edge was probabl e Wes s summiTh it y' t . Pillarup t t whe ,se e ston s th n wa e falle a nlony inwards wa g , measure 5 feet 1 feey 1 s.b t Ston, A e considerabl f placeo t ,ou ymeasure e th 3 feetd 8 feey san b ; t dimensions of the others are:— fee7 inche0 t fee 3 . inchessx 0 t . . Ston . eC 0 3 „ „ x 6 6 „„ . , . D „ 0 „ , . 3 x 6 6 „„ . . . F „ 6 2 „ „ x 0 5 „„ . . . G „

And H, the one stone left standing, is 8 feet in height and girths at the base 14 feet. It is a block of very rough whinstone. At the point E, •on the ISLE, arc, lies a stone buried out of sight but responsive to the thul stonestickwhinstonese a al f dTh o e .s ar . On the assumption of nearly equi-distant spacing, I should place A fee2 1 t1r 0o farthe r west e lonwitfild p betweeC th lan ,ga gd h an nA a stone at B, thus completing a circle of 12 stones. tenane Th f Middletoo t n happenin o comt g p whil u er measure ou e - ments were being taken, I took the opportunity to ask him concerning the fallen condition of so many of the stones. His reply was : "They were left just sae after Mr Dalrymple's diggings." To this I refer presently. About five years ago, continue ploughins farmere dth wa e h , g near one of the three stones on the south [the Eecumbent Stone .group], and found there what he described as a stone cup minus the1 handle; and in a little hollow close to the wood on the E.S.E. he had, dayw •onlfe s ya previousl r visitou ,o whic t yn foun s brokeur n wa hda n by his spade. In the urn was "whiteish stuff," which from his description I took to mean burnt bones mixed with earth. Fro e notemth s made r DalrymplbM y e durin e excavationth g s •conducted by him on this site in 1856—57, we learn that the original Pillarso tw ;2 numbee Eecumben 1 e stonethae th ,th s th tf wa so r t KEPOET ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABEKDEENSHIRE. 529

Stone, and a fourth, which must have stood near to them, were arranged so as to form two sides of a parallelogram, and that old people remembered when the other two sides were completed by dry- stone building. This curious arrangemen y havma te been made during

•-'v/

w.

Fig. 44. Candle Hill, Old Rayne ; Plan. the mediaeval period ; for it is on record l that the Head Courts of the

district were held at the Standing Stones of Eayne. As there is no Stuart'1 s Sculptured Stones, . volxxi.p . .i , App y Prefaceo .t Ma d . 2n n "O 1349 William Bishop of Aberdeen held a Court at the Standing Stones of Eayne at which the King's Justicia present.s rwa " VOL. xxxvi. 34 530 PKOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MAKCH 10, 1902.

other grou f monolithpo o whict s h that appellatio e givenb s i n t i n,ca faia r inference that thi sscene Circlth thesf s eo ewa e meetings. The stones were from 5 to 6 feet in height, each being wedged up with smaller stones sunk into the ground. In the centre of the circle was an oblong deposit of stones, 19 feet long by 10 feet broad; see the dotted contoue Plath nn o (figr . 44). This layer f stone"o s went down a dept o f t '1\o h feet, below th ee centrsurfaceth f thin o eI s. accumulatio a circula s t wa witnpi r h built sides 2 fee,n diametei t r and 2J feet in depth, narrowing somewhat to the bottom. In this pit was a quantity of incinerated bones, charcoal, and pieces of an urn of reddish colour, and in this deposit was found the fragment of a bracer or wrist-guard of polished stone, now in the Museum. It resembles fig. 45, whic founs h wa t G-lenforsada , Mull.

Fig. Ston45 . e Bracer found wit hdrinking-cua t Glenforsaa n pur , Mull. (§).

Outside this central depositt irregulaa d an , r distances t withibu , n tw o, wer it fee f eo t small deposit f similao s r e a poinbonesth t n A i t . circumference e ofcircleth ' , betwee e falleth nw no Easwha s i tt t pi a e e nearesplan) s th th Pilla n wa d ,o te an eas rston th H ( t n o e 5 feet deep. It measured 3J feet wide at the mouth, and kept that breadt fee2 inche3 r t fo h s belo e surfacewth , whe t i nnarrowe o t d 2 feet in diameter for the rest of the depth, the last foot and a half n rocki bein g ydu gsubsoil s .fille wa dThi t witpi s h yellow sandy loam, very light, mixed with a small quantity of black mould and some boulder stones marked by fire. This las tinvestigatioe iteth mn i f greao s i nt importance t showi s a , s that sepulchra contoue th le looken b wels o deposita r r s o t a l fo d e ar s withi aree nth a enclose y Standinb d g Stones. Regardin e diameteth g r circlee oth fr Dalrympl M , e definitely states nearla e t 0 feeti s6 yTh . EEPORT ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 531

disturbanc stonee th s thereforf eha o s e been even greater tha were nw e at first led to suppose. A view from the north (fig. 46) here follows.

Tig. 46. Candle Hill, Old Eayne ; View from the North.

DIVISION III. SITES WES THF O TE EIVER UBY.

As previously hinted, this westerly portion of North Aberdeenshire contains abundant objects of interest to archaeology; and though many are but the merest vestiges of Circles of the first magnitude, others still possess a goodly portion of their old estate, and will add substantially to the value of this record. The first Standing Stone here is— . Mill 34 f Garden,o . No n .—i At0 feea heigh 29 t f abovo t e sea-level, about one mile east of Oyne, on a rising ground S.E. of the mill. This striking monolith of vivid red granite rests on an oblong base just ove feebreadth 5 n r i lengtn s beddei i t1 d y witp b han ,u d h many smal t le i fro viee eas stonesth f th mwo t n I (fig. . 47)e ,th narrowness of its edge and the remarkable straightness of-its height ofee9 e shownf ar t ; whilea contraste nexs th a , tn i ,illustratio n (fig. 48), I have shown the stone as seen from the north, with the Mithef Bennachio p distancee Ta rth n ei . . Gowk35 . No Stane, Oyne.—Whether this name, like some others, b erecena bestowee on t y locab d l observer o havwh se seee cuckoth n o select its summit as a song-perch, or whether it may not be the corrupted form of an ancient name, we shall not pause to inquire. Neither at present is there any direct evidence producible in favour of the stone being the remnant. of a circle. It is conspicuous enough by its size 532 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1'902.

. MilFig 47 Gardef o l. n; fro Easte mth .

. MilFig Gardef 48 o l. n; fro Northe mth . EEPOR STONN O T E CIRCLE N ABERDEENSHIREI S . 533

and its proximity to the public road, to attract notice from the least observant wayfarer. (See fig. 49.) The Gowk Stane1 occupies the crown of a gentle eminence, called Ma xe Fre th e wesHill0 fee eth f n heighti e fielo 40 t,n th o d n i , Church t unshapelMans heavno a t s t i Oynea ebu y t I y . blocf o k wliinstone, resting on a rhoniboidal base which girths almost 12 feet. The longest side, 4 feet 4 inches, trends W.N.W. and E.S.E. The summit is somewhat flat, and the over-all height is 6 feet 5 inches.2

. GowFig49 . k Stane, Oyne.

. Westerton36 . No f o Pitmathen.— This' site also0 fee50 ,t above sea-level e Standinon s t marke i ,a megalitbu gs i y Stoneb dt i ht bu ; indeed—probabl e weightiestth y certainld an , e e grandestth th y l al f o , erect stones yet examined. The site is a sheltered corner of a field almost surrounded by the plantations of Pitmathen policies, and is distant fro farm-house mth Westertof eo n abou yards0 50 t .

There are two farms in called Gowkstone ; but I have no record of any 1 Standing Ston thin ei s association name frequenf o Th s ei . t occurrenc Scotlandn ei . These notes were taken and a pencil sketch made (to furnish the illustration) by 2 Cecilmn yso whoo t , m I depute d this piec f 'prentice-workeo , when broken weather rendered ha divisioda r surveying-partou f no y advisable. 534 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902.

This strikingly grand whinstone.monolith measure basee th t , a salon g longeo tw s r it edges fee4 , inche3 fee4 t inc1 d t shan respectivelye th , other edges bein fee3 g inche3 2 fee t inches7 d t an s , thus givinga groune girtfee4 th 1 inches2 n t f ho do . But thers ,a considerabl a s ei e amount.of stone overhangin e illustratione righth th n i o t g(t , fig. 50),

. FigWesterto50 . Pitmathenf no . the lower part would there girth over 20 feet; and about midway up the stone the girth is 16 feet 4 inches. These dimensions, although considerably below those represented by the enormous Kecumbent Stone, d ,Ol e.g. t 1a entitle this absolutely vertically-set monolith to be ranked as a veritable triumph of the science of mechanics.

See Report in Proceedings, vol. xxxv. p. 241. 1 REPORT ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 535

The Circle at Old Eayne is visible from this secluded site; but the much nearer Circle on the Currachs of Ardoyne,1 just over the hill to the North, canno seene b t . . NoWanton37 . Wells.— ramblu steee Asth yo pp e u roa d from Insch towards Leslie Castle, you are presently brought to a pause by the two huge stones shown in the illustration (fig. 51); the Pillar Stone on the East, for all the world like a colossal petrified pear, and, next it, a vast jagged, quartz-seamed, and storm-battered mass of whinstone leaning over northwards e Recumbenth , t e otherwisStonth f o e e obliterated

Fig. 51. Wauton Wells; from the IST.K

Circle. This sit abous i efee0 60 tt above sea-level frod an t msevera;i l Circles, about to be described, can be seen. The deep hollow on the north, through which road railwaan d n sid sidy ru b eo Huntlyt e s i , called the Dead Man's Ho we. This massive East Pillar stand fee9 s heightn i t , measuring roune dth basmiddle fee3 th 1 einchest 9 ta ed abouan , t 1 7three feetTh e. small Recumbene th f o d stonean tt n fron i i sSton f ) (figo t 52 e. are I think, , quite earth-fas e origina pard th f an to t l setting. Recumbene Th t Stonbasa s ee ha measurin fee 4 fee 0 inchesgy 6 1 t b t ,

Repore Se Proceedings,n i t vol. xxxv . 241p . . 1 536 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 190210 H .

but its extreme length, about half way up, is close upon 11 feet. On the south side (see fig. 53), which is smooth, it measures 6 feet 9 inches in extreme height. It trends N.W. and S.E. The computed weight of this stone is nearly 14 tons.1 No. 38. Standing Stone, Wanton Wells.—On the map there is shown, in addition to the two stones just noticed, a third close to the road, and abou a hundret fortd dan y yards distan weste searchinn th O n . o t r gfo this e founw , d only great masse f split-uo s p whinstone lyin ruda n gi e

Fig. 52. Wanton Wells ; Plan.

fence betwee fieldso tw n . Subsequently n tali , k wite tenantth h I , learn farme tentrs th thathi o y,n t o som, e twenty-three years ago, there was a very large stone, more massive than either of the two now remain- ing considere,e b lyin o e t roa o closth s gs a d o t de dangerou traffico st .

poina t A t abourecordquartea p mil S.S.We e d th sitma e on t an f e o seth t o r th . 1 a Stone Circle within the graveyard of the ruined chapel of St James ; and, a third omila f e N.E thisf o .site anothef th ,eo r Stone Circl Ardlown eo . Hal f milfa o . eS e latterth a thir, d Stone Circle sit s markedei , betwee e Bluth n ee Buttth d an s

Curracks; at this site a stone cist was found. Nothing now remains at any vof these sites. REPORT OX STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 537

He accordingly caused it to be blasted, using a portion of it for coping over fifty yards of a dike close to the steadings. . NoDunnideer.—39 . A Kecumbent Stone, stil largo l tw erecte d an , fallen pillars (see fig. 54) remain here, on the upland slopes of the Hill of Dunnideer heighfeea 0 t 75 ta , f abovo t sea-levele eth groue Th s p.i much disfigured by an accumulation of weeds and rubbish having been carte p againsu d e soutth t e hKecumben th fac f o e t Stone, muct i f ho being piled up also over the Pillars. The ground is newly-planted with

Fig. Wanto53 . n Well s; fro m outsid Southe th n eo . seedling-firs o thats , n anothei , r decad , thiso s r eprehistorio c relic will he quite lost to sight. The group rests upon a mound of stone and earth, about 18 to 20 inches high. The East Pillar, so far as it is measurable, is 8 feet in lengt fee4 inche6 ty hb breadthn si s eas it td edgfeean 2 , inche2 s eti s thicknessn i Wese Th t. Pillafee0 1 inche6 t s ri s long, ove fee3 r t wide, and 15 to 20 inches thick. The Piecumbent Stone, still quite vertical, measures in over-all length 9 feet 4 inches, and stands 5 feet 8 inches in heighs nortit n ho rubbish-hea te levee sideth th f o lo . t p Froto ps mit 538 PBOCEEDING F THO S E SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902. s back it heighe t a th , onls i tadvantag e feey2 on inches6 t e e b Th o t e. gained from this rubbish-hea s thati p ,e coul w standin , dit take1 01 g , first, an exact median line for the bearings by compass, which we ascertained to be W.N.W. 60 degs., and then could examine the top of e stonth e with som quite e b e carefouno et W narrowt .i d , archeo dt

Fig. 54. Dunnideer ; Plan.

right and left (see fig. 55), as well as gable-shaped on the transverse axis, d comparativelan y smoot d unweatheredan h e e weighth Th f .o t Eecumbent Stone is over six tons. In the view (fig. 55) the ruins of Dunnideer Castle are to be seen. . NoStonehead.—40 . similaHere,a feeta 0 heighn t 70 o ,a f ro t site, only hal a milf e distant froe Dunnideemth r Circle a ver s i y, similar grou f remainso p , containing five stone alln si shows grounde ,a th n ni - REPORT ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 539

plan (fig e principa. 56)Th . l grou s jussame ha pth t e inward leaning- over so prevalent in these stones; and, as before, the stones are so set

Fig. 55. Dunnideer ; View from the West.

is o 10 111111 Fig. 56. Stonehead ; Plan. upo a nmouno makt s a de their outed innean r r heights markedly different. For instance e Easth , t Pillar stande sth fiele clean th o df o r souta heigh fee8 o t hs northerinches8 f tit o t t bu , n face measure6 s 540 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902. fee inches4 te KecunibenTh . t Stone, measurin fuln gi l lengt fee3 h1 t 4 inches, is very thin in proportion. On its outer face the vertical heigh fee7 inche6 extreme s ti tth t s innea sit en ro ; fac t measureei s 5 fee inchemiddle3 e t th n si fee3 , inche8 ease t th feet 4 t endsa d t an , at the west end. The summit is a narrow ridge barely 12 inches wide and very simila Dunnideee th o t r r Eecumbent Stone (see fig. 57)'. No. 41. Candle Hill, Insch.—It is worth noting that there are at least four sites bearin e namth g e Candle Hill, each wit hStona e Circle in this central portion of the northern division of Aberdeenshire. The Candle Hill at Old Rayne and that at Hatton of Ardoyne have been

Fig. 57. Stonehead ; View from the S.W. outside. already described Candle th d ean , Hil Ellon noticecome i ly b o nma et d hereafter f thiO s. sit n Insci es probabli t hi y saf o statt e e thas it t association e distinctlar s e mosth y tthree e peculia th reasonr l fo ,al f o rs that will be shown. The wood-crowned hill here is very conspicuous for several miles in all directions, not so much on account of its individual height above sea- level, whic t risei s onl feeti h2 rathet p su 87 y bu , r e solitarilth f o t you gentle undulations of the strath, and is in a sense the centre of this portion of its area. Whether its topographical characteristics attracted the notice of the Circle builders, and led them to select this site as one of special importance, we cannot of course allege; but the peculiarities REPORT ON STONE CIECLES IN ABEEDEENSHIEE. 541

e environmenoth f t would see suggesmo t t curiosity thisM .lons ywa g ago arousee pla th f thi o ny dsb Circle O.Me give th inc5 2 n .n o h scale, which addition i , severalo nt stones, show largsa e trenc r ramparho r (o t both trenc d ramparthan ) curving roun e westerth d n boundare th f o y

&;: '..•:<••':'<^^^^:

Fig. Candl58 . e Hill, Insc h; Genera l Plan Sitee ofth .

Circle. And this curiosity was more than satisfied when, on approach- e woodeth g in d summi f Candlo t e Hill r progresou , s abruptlwa s y checked by the almost precipitous rocky declivities of an enormous trench (see fig) severa58 . l hundred fee n lengthi t , anda guess t a , , fifty feet 542 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 190210 H .

wide from brink to brink. Proceeding, we found, on the higher level of the actual summit, the six great prostrate stones with a seventh still

Fig. 59. Candle Hill; Plan of the Circle.

erect, set near the base of a very well-defined central cairn, as shown on e ground-plath n (fig. 59) l oveAl . r this area, fro e e vergth mth f o e trench at the point E eastwards, and from the fallen east Pillar north- REPOR STONN O T E CIRCLE ABERDEENSHIREN I S 3 54 .

wards stone th , y natursite verth s ei f eo y perceptibl feete th , o et thoug h vegetatio mosf o n t luxuriant growth conceal e actuasth l stone mord san e than once rendere measurine dth g difficult. In my general plan of the site (fig. 58), which it is pleasant to record as being almost the precise equivalent of the plan on the O.M., the trench, the cairn, and the sites of the seven stones are shown on the scale of 32 feet to 1 inch. The trench is marked by a dotted ground, and where e dote thickesth ar s e trencth t e norts deepest i hd th sout t an h A h . ends, it practically "runs out," after slowly rising to very nearly the Circle-plateae leveth f o l u fro s deepesmit s verticait , t portioE) l E t n(a depth there, measured as from the level of the eastern slope, being 18 feet 6 inches. The surface of the slope, from the edge of the plateau on which the stones stand to the base of the trench, is smooth and regular, if composefeel and as s stoneof d s nowcourseof , , well hiddethe nby grasse oppositTh . e trenc th sid f s o eroughhi , jagged d unevenan , , with large bare rocky spaces intermingled with its slopes. Measured throughout its entire length, from B to A, this great trench has a length of 240 feet, a width at the north, where it forms a loop, of 18 feet, and a fairly general widt2 feet1 f , o h excep extremitiese th t a t , whers i t ei reduced to about 5 feet.1 Turning now to the ground-plan of the Stones themselves (fig. 59), it is clear that the original number must have been only eight. A cir- cumference taken through the centre of the one Standing Stone D at radiua fee1 2 inches 6 tf so , shows tha large th t e brokee n th Ston s i eB

1I give followinth e g coincidence f proportionao s l measuremen s possibla t y suggestive. The basal diameter of the central cairn is 28 feet (C to D). The same space of 28 feet occurs at the north from C, the base of the cairn, to A, the centre of tli ee southtrenchth e distancn th ,O . e cairnbetweee G base th d th f eo an ,, D n centr e trenche threth 8 th feet 2 4 f e8 r o e o s , ,i time s multiplied. Again diametee th , r of the Circle, upon which the stones stand, can be accurately obtained by measuring Standine on fro centre e e centrcaire mth th th th g o f nf t eo eSton o ease o) nth e (S t arc. This diameter is 43 feet. A space of 43 feet occurs from the edge of the trench on the north (near A) to the south edge of the summit of the cairn, and from that e innepointh o rtrence soutt e t edgth th f n distanche eho o th (nea feet, 6 8 G) rs ,e i twice 43. 4 54 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 190210 H .

onle veron yy muc f thi of he south-eass th line n d thero an c ;s i ear t exactly space enouge mor on e f whinstoner eo th hfo stone e l ar -sAl . stone. The relative sizes of the stones are:— A (fallen), 7 feet 2 inches, breadth unascertainable from its running into the ground. B (fallen), 8 feet 9 inches x 4xfeet 5 inches, split; 18 inches thick. inche8 1 d san thick , , . 5 , , 3 x 0 „ , , 6 , , C D fee4 , inche4 t fee4 sinchex 6 t fee2 sinchex 0 t s thick. East Pillar (fallen), 6 feet 6 inches x 3 feet 3 inches. Eecumbent Stone (fallen), 13 fee 9 inchet 6 fee sinches6 x t d an ; norte onth h side inche2 2 , s thick. West Pillar (fallen) feefee9 3 , inche 5 inchex 9 t2 t d ssan thick.

R CAIRN

SECTION GOIKG XDRTH»»»SOUTE.

SECTION THROUGH TRENCH WEST «„» EAST. Fig. 60. Candle Hill, Inseh ; Sections. In front of the Eecumbent Stone, the stony ground falls for about e cair e th bas7 th f nfee o eo (set t e Sections, fig. 60)d froan ;m this point the incline of the cairn itself is well marked, its summit being 4 feet higher than its base. On the ground itself the cairn has a mis- leadingly conspicuous height, e prostratowinth o t g e conditioe th f o n Eecumbent Stone. This section (the upper one in fig. 60) is shown on the same scale ground-plan th s thae a f o te th inch1 fee 0 t o 2 t , tbu ; sectio ninch1 fee 0 beloscale .ordeo 4 n t i th t,f eo wo displao t t r e th y entire trence widts truit th ef n hi o proportio e Circlth o t en plateau and the stones. viee th w n I froe easmth t (fig. 61) e broadth , , rough surface th f o e REPORT ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 545

Kecumben te peculia Stoneth d an ,r incurvin e (fallen th base f th o ef g)o West Pillar, are indicated. The fine pointed hill in the distance is the famou' e summiNotho th p n f o whic,Ta so t largese th h f stando t e on s stone forts in Scotland, displaying vitrifaction within portions of its walls. This Candle Hill Circle commands views on the east and south-east of six other circles—namely, Stonehead, .Dunnideer, Wanton Wells, Nether Boddam, Hatton of Ardoyne, and Old Eayne, besides the three

Fig. 61. Candle Hill, Insch ; Recumbent Stoue and West Pillar, from the East.

Standing Stone t existenye s e nort n fieldth d north-easi t an ho t s f o t Dunnideer Castle, of which I proceed now to give some account. Nos. 42, 43, 44. Standing Stones at Dunnideer. —Not one of these stone recordes si e Ordnancth n o d e Map. Taken collectively, they fill pointe th right-anglea f n i so d triangle whose sides measure respectively 935 and 798 yards, and the base 467 yards. The longest of these measures f extendedi , , would bisec e circl th tn Candl o e e n Hilli , or ; other f theswordso o (figB e tw ,stonesd . n direc62)an i e A ,, ar t line wit e circl hth Candln o e e Hill. Another poin notico t t s thai ee th t 5 3 VOL. xxxvi. 6 54 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F O S , MARC , 1902H10 .

Stones A and C are almost equidistant from the circle at Nether Boddam (which I shall presently describe). No. 42. Standing Stone on the East of Dunnideer House, which is A in fig. 62, is a huge block of whinstone, 7 feet high and measuring at basthe e ove feetstandIt 13 r . abousat t ,the middlfielthe d of enex t but one to the house. At the gateway into this field are two great squarish stones used as gate-posts, and in the dike are many others very suggestiv probable th f eo e fat whico et stonee (assumede hth th f so ) circle were years ago subjected.

A. B. , C. Fig . Standin62 . g Stone t Dunnideersa .

f Dunnideer o . Standing . 43 W . . No N e StoneHouse.—th n o Thiss i e illustrationth a short n i s i B ,t I ver. y irregular t verbu , y ancient- looking monolith, standin gfee3 8 inchet s highd girthinan fee7 g 6 t inches at the ground. . 4i.No Standing e N.N.W.Stoneth n f o Dunnideero House.—This alssmallisa s oi h stone jus e illustrationfee 4 tth n heighti t n i C t , bu , very broa massived dan , measurin basee g th fee0 betweet 1 .a t d an n9 Between Stone B and the farmhouse of Mireton, the O.M. records the spot where, in 1861, an urn was found ; and at another spot farther slopee upth , hal mila f e awa towardd yan s Candl alss owa en Hillur n a , foun n 1860i d . Lastly e soutdu , h fro e firsmth t n Stongentlo , A ee KEPOKT ON STONE CIECLES IN ABEEDEENSHIEE. 547

swell of the east side of Dunnideer Hill, there is a third spot marked by 1828n i n ur .findine n th a f go Wit nexr hou t Circlet a , . Nether45 . No Boddam r Inscli-field,o e archaeologicath l interesf o t lande th s immediately surrounding Dunnideer ceases. The distance between this circl thad t Wantoean a t n Well slightls si y over one mile and a quarter, between it and that on Candle Hill one

. FigNethe63 . r Boddam ; Plan .

halfa mild ,e an betwee a half d Stonehea a mild an t , an et i n bu l al d and between it and the Dunnideer Circle a few yards over a mile. The site is an open field 550 feet above sea-level. When the Government surveyors were at work in this district in, I think, 1868, there wer x stonesi e n thi o sf which so sitee on ,, clearly enough e prostratth s i , e Eecumben e othert on e StonePilla th d , ran , erect on the east. At the present date, only three stones remain (see ground-planth e , fig .e distanc 63) 5 Th fee7 . tf o ebetwee e th n 548 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902.

Recumbent Ston d Stonan e doeE e s not, however, represen e fulth t l diameter of the original circle. That is ascertainable from the plan of

. NetheFig64 . r Boddam ; Vie w fro South-Easte mth .

. FigNethe65 . r Boddam ; Vie w fro "Weste mth . stonex si e sth showO.M.e th n ,n o which stan circumferenca n do e whose diamete abous i r feet0 9 t . REPORT ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 549

All these three stones are of whinstoue. The one remaining Pillar, restin oblonn a n go g bas f ove o e2 fee 1 n rgirthi t , varies considerably in shapside heightd th ee Recumbene n an th nexO o .t t t Stones i t i , fee8 inche6 t snorte highth n h o e ,easfac th fee 9 et n inches2 o t d an , 0 fee 1 2 inches t e RecumbenTh . t Ston reclinew no a ever w t a lo ys •angle (see view from the south-east, fig. 64), and overhangs its base to a large extente fulTh l .dimension s are: length 3 fee 1 5 ,inches t , breadth 7 feet 2 inches, and its mean thickness 26 inches. Its weight is computed to be about 8 tons and a quarter. It lias split right across neae middlth r e (see fig. 65)e solitarTh . y Standing e Stonth n o e north-east arc (E in the ground-plan) leans inward, being 13 inches out •of plumb, in a vertical height of 4 feet 10 inches. It is 14 inches thick s bace it top ath kd t ,an measure fee5 s inches3 t e s girtth It t . ha groun fee9 inches3 s dti . No. 46. Braehead, New Leslie.—At this site we are now between three and four miles to the south-west of Insch, and on our wa o Clatt yd Khyni an t e mostn searci eth f o hwesterl y Circlen i s Aberdeenshire. greae on te RecumbenTh t Ston extanw eno thin o ts site, e calleth n do O.M "a . supposed Cromlech,e oldeth n i tims "wa e closely associated with several interesting facts, for the details regarding which I am indebted to Mr Ingram of New Leslie, who, in the course of corre- spondence, sent me a sketch-plan, with measurements, of the piece of ground containin recordn o procee relict w e gth .pu no sI o d t The march-fence between Braehead on the east and New Leslie on the west passes a few feet behind this Recumbent Stone (fig. 66), going nearly north and south. The altitude above sea-level is 750 feet, but the site is by no means conspicuous, nor even visible from any of the roads near it. In or about the year 1873, the late Mr Ingram found a poincisa yard0 t a t 18 t s W.S.W e Recumbenth f o . t Stone, lower down the slope. In the north end of the cist, near the head of the body it contained, stood an urn, evidently, from the sketch sent to me by Mr Ingram e drinking-cuth , juniorf o e on , p type, abou inche2 1 t n heighi s t 550 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MAEC , 190210 H . and 9 across the moutli.1 So recently as July 1900, Mr Ingram found a second cist on the Braehead land at a point 85 yards S.E. from the

. BraeheadFig66 . , New Lesli Recumbene th e; t Stone fro Easte mth . Recumbent Stone. Thi se hil parth s gravell i lf o t a dept o t yf ove ho r three feet, and the spot where the cist was found was recognisable when we visited Braehead during the current survey.

Fig. Braehead67 . , N"ew Lesli e; Plan .

In the ground-plan (fig. 67), the Kecumbent Stone and its main supporting stone on the east are shown. The length of the stone jis This urn informany ,m t positively affirms senMuseua s o t twa , Edinburghmn i , wher1 efriena d somewha presene t recentlysath o t tp datU e . w(Septembeit r 1902), however I hav, t succeedeeno findinn di . it g REPOR STONX O T E CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE1 55 .

10 feet 3 inches, its greatest breadth 3 feet 2 inches, its height at the west outer angle 5 feet 10 inches, and at the east end 5 feet. Its com- puted weigh a halfoves i t n x anothetonI d si r. an s r illustration (fig. 68) the size of the large flat stone, serving to support the east end of the Recumbent Stone, is better seen; its dimensions are 3 feet 6 inches by 2 feel 6 inches, and it is about 11 inches thick. This illustration also shows the remarkable groove which traverses the entire length and height of the Eecumbent Stone. This groove is 2| inches wide throughout whols it e (visible e distinctlb n )ca lengthe hant i yth n d o feldy b an ,t

. FigBraehead68 . Lesliw Ne , e ; 'fro Easte mth .

undee th rstone edg th somr f efo eo s emostli feet t I .y semi-tubulan i r n extraordinarila s sectionha d an , y artificial appearance. Despitf o e this, however, it is intelligible that, after all, this groove is entirely due o naturat l e illustratiocausesth f I . e invertednb ) (fig d thi68 . an ,s huge whinstone block be considered merely as a fragment of indurated matter in layers of unequal thickness, this groove, and the much narrower one above it, will represent two layers of so much (relatively) softer deposits as to have been worn away by natural agencies even durin lapse gth f timeo e markee existencth e e stoney th th b d s f a o e, membe circla f o r e erectee hanth f man do y db . 0 552 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MAECH 10, 1902. recordp ma e s thaTh t human remain flind san t arrowheads were found caira n i n which once existe stoneN.We e th th f o dt o .; that stone cists and urns were found in a second cairn, on the south; while in the Castle Croft at New Leslie, a celt and flint arrowheads were found. No. 47. Ringing Stone, Johnstone.—On this upland farm, distant fro lase mth t site about three-quarter0 73 e west d th a mil f an o ,t o e s feet above sea-level, stand well-sesa t bloc whinstonef ko fee6 , inche8 t s fee6 •high inche2 d t an , e basgirtn si th et h a (se e fig s quit.it 69)n eO . vertical and smooth eastern face is a clear clip-mark, an inch and a half wide by half an inch deep, at a point 2 feet 3 inches above ground.

Fig . Hingin69 . g Stone, Johnstone. e nameth Ao t s: unless " Ringing a loca e b "l for f Niniao m s (a n "Eingan" in Galloway and elsewhere "is), which seems unlikely, I do not pretend to understand it; for the stone, unlike others, does not give fort ringiny han g ton beinn eo g struck, whether heavil r lightlyo y . The map records the site of a Cairn close to this stone. No. 48. Whitehill, Clatt.—On the flat summit of this heather-clad hilO.Me th l .rampart w showe naturlo th a named f f rinsa o eo an , s ga s it " Stone Circle." But, though a circle of stones, this relic is not a Stone Circle sensth n eei understoo e Aberdeenshirth y b d ee folkth r o , antiquar investigateo ywh s their megalithic remains s mereli t I .ya KEPOET ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 553

fallen dik f smalo e l stone a circle sn i onc t , measurinse e 6 feen i 12 gt •diamete traditiod r ;an n associate somn i t i se inexplicabl wity e heth wa Covenanters. . Gordonstown,49 . No Clatt.— p herTheMa e also show a rins n (i g this case dotted) in signification of the site of a Circle with a dike built through its midst. But there is now no vestige of anything of the-kind ; nor did any of the few elderly persons about the farms here, whom I questioned, know traditioe eveth f no n ostanding-stona f landse th 1 .e01

- -"V'-W-'

Fig. Billhead70 . , Clatt; remain Circlef so .

No.. 50. Billhead, Clatt.—A Stone Circle is recorded on the Map here, at a point where two very old tracks meet at right angles on the summit of the "hill, over 800 feet above the sea; and this site, after much searching, I found. The track from the east leaves Clatt by the church, and, though still gooa footpath as d picturesquelis , y overgrown with broom; the other track joins this one after leaving the main road near Bankhead Wood t theiA .r junction e anglth n ei , forme theiy o b d tw r •dikes, stand smale st th age d hoarbu l dan y stone illustrae showth n i n - tion (fig roundes larg. a i 70)e topt d I th e .an ,t stona d d e an rest n o s partly conceals it. It is 2 feet 8 inches in height, and about 2 feet square. 554 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902.

To hav o recort e e abovth d e paltry remnan e solth e s a a relit f o c group" of structures once teeming with interest is vexing; to what extent this is so, may now be gathered by a comparison of this twentieth century Report with that penned by the Eev. Eobert Cook, M.A., Ministe Clattf o r 1842n i , , whic hI her e cop abridgen yi d form. " Until within the last thirty years there remained, in the northern divisio e parishth e f distinco nth , t remain f ao s Druidical templef o , which only the supposed altar stone and a few of the upright stones remain. The stone supposed to have formed the sacrificial altar in the centre was of large dimensions, consisting of 10 feet in length, 9 feet in breadth fee4 n thicknessi d t an , t eacA . h extremity, longitudinally, there stood a perpendicular stone of about 6 feet in height, vulgarly styled the ' Horns of the Altar,' and in the line of the Circle, of about 25 yards diameter, there were placed, at equal distances, seven upright stone fees6 heightn fro i o te t whol m5 Th . e space withi e circumnth - ference was rudely paved with stones to the depth of about 3 feet." Mr Cook then goes on to describe, with considerable attention to detail, the position of certain tumuli which were connected with the Circle by a rudely-paved causeway, and in which were found graves (some of them cut into the solid rock), and cists containing small pieces- of burnt bones. He also records the discovery, at a short distance from the tumuli and six feet below the surface, of "a smooth stone,1 4 feet long by 2 feet broad, on which is represented the figure of a salmon abov distinctlea y described arch." (N.S.A., vol. xii . 851-2).pp . This bare and denuded site is 560 yards due south of the one next to be described, nearly as empty and despoiled l>y the improver of land ; it is at No. 51. Bcmkhead, Clatt.—The altitude of this site is much the same s thaa f Billheado t e positionth ; n relatioi e ,farm-house th o t n , two- fields distant on the N.W. Near the angle where two dikes meet, west wards of the one, northwards of the other, the O.M. shows a ring and a

t Persylieu a 1 e ston w Thith es no i s , figure n Stuart'i d s Sculptured Stones of Scotland, vol. i. p], 5. REPOR STONN O T E CIRCLE N ABERDEENSHIREI S . 555

curved double lin e f dotsrino e Th g. mark e formeth s r positiof o n the Circle, and the line the causeway leading out from it. Some 80 fee0 e 9 Circle t r th e o sit soutf th o e ,f o hlie a hugs e flat Kecumbent Stone on its broad face, with the dike built on the top of it (see Plan Sectiond an , fig e .edg 71) f thiTh o e. s stone dike e nortorth th i ef ho bees ha n blasted away "jumper-holea , " being visible there s originait ; l breadth, or height when erect, is therefore unascertainable; but taken as , thiis st i dimensio fee4 inches3 s nti s greatesIt . t present lengts hi 9 fee inches 8 t resti inche1 d s2 an , s above whinstonef groundo s i t I . . Forming the west gate-post in the gateway a few yards down the dike is another whinstone monolith over five feet high, and nearly the same

Fig. Bankhead71 . , Clatt; PlaSectiond nan .

Standine th breadthn f i o e g on Stone ,Circle e n whici b th t y f seo ye hma situ. e Recumbenth d Botan t hi t Stone, however, seemr rathefa o to r away on the south from the ring marked on the O.M. to be taken as in their original positions. No. 52. Holyweil, Kennetlimont.—Once more we have to record a negative result. This is the more to be regretted, as, in this instance, the O.M. shows seven stones set in a circle of 80 feet in diameter. Even at that date, however, 1866, the road-makers had begun to destroy circlee th cart-roado tw , s meetin s verit yn gi centrea mer e eon ,trac k from Tofthills going north to meet the wider road going west to Persylieu. Their poin junctiof o tfee0 73 t abovs ni sea-levele eth n A . 6 55 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 190210 H .

urn and stone cists were found in the Circle. In 1837, a stone cist was found in a field about a furlong to the N.E. of it. Tofthills also is not lacking in interest. There is a Fairy Hillock on it, in all likelihood a Sepulchral Cairn, near to which flint arrowheads were found; and, quite recently, Mr F. C. Eeles has come across a stone set into one of the dikes, having several well cut cup-marks on it. barrew Frono ne m sitth f thio e s Circle e a fiel0 yardth n 60 di ,o t s north springa s Hole i , th ,ys pointea Well thio y t t sda ,d ou fro m which the farm has its name; and if we make a bee-line across the fields in a •direction slightly N. of E. from the Well, we strike one of two Standing Stones vera o t y whicn n speciai , ow hI l interest. t markeTheno e ydar as stones on the O.M.; but a bench-mark is printed at what looks very like the exact spot occupied by one of these stones. They stand 84 feet apart sout nortd han f eacho h other. Whe themfirse w nw sa t , froe mth summit of Ardlair Hill, we naturally took them to be remnants of a Circle nowhere recorded. On reaching the one which stands nearer Ardlair, we at once observed sculpturing on its south face. This, on •closer examination e well-knowth f o o , tw proven e Celtib o dt c symbols, the so-called elephane uprighth d an tt rectangle a combinatio, n never hitherto noticesculpturey an n do d ston Aberdeenshire.n ei 1 Thes stoneo etw s have, intrinsically mucs a , h claiconsideree b mo t e dth two surviving members of a Circle as have any others of the many stones observed during this survey. They are as ancient in appearance as any others ; their distance greatert aparno s i t , tha e diameternth severaf so l •of the Aberdeenshire Circles; they stand with their broader sides facing each other—all facts not inconsistent with my proposition. And the e stoneth f o s e bearinon fac f o n earltga y Christian symbol ought no t per se, to be held as disqualifying them as members of a Pagan structure. While, therefore, admitting the_wan f evidenco t e existencth r e efo th f eo Christian symbols on any monolith absolutely known to be a member of a Stone Circle, hitherto, we must keep an open mind on this interesting point, for which more light and knowledge are yet required. 1 This stone wil more lb e fully described figuredd an , , elsewhere.

REPOR STONN O T E CIRCLE N ABERDEENSHIREI S . 557

2 ./Vo. 53. Ardlair, 1 .—The circle here is almost within a. stone's throw of the two stones just noticed. This hill, 800 feet high,, is now hare of all hut the stumps of the trees, which, half a century ago, clothed its hroad declivities. The 25-inch scale of the O.M. shows here a circle of eight stones, none of which tally with the group of three on the south arc; nor does it show the two inner stones abutting on the Recumbent Stone t presentA . , onl e soutyth h grou d Stonan p . areeI - erect (fig. 72).

. ArdlairFig72 . , Kennethmont; Plan. Four t othervarioua e li s s distances either withi r outsido n. a f o e circumference whose radius is 17-|- feet; and two other stones are set projecting inward froe Recumbenmth greae t th Stone tn i Circls a ,. at e Auchquhorthies in Manar.3 The diameter is 35 feet, the surface stony and covered with grass and heather a wide d ,an ; irregular nearld an , y central depression exists, 1 We nowhere heard this name pronounced Ard-Ldre ; but always with the stress firse onth t syllable witd an , h vowel-souna d suggestiv Perthshire th f eo e name tfrlar. 2 This name, having the stress on the second syllable, is precluded from any connection with the personal name Edmund. An old writer explains it as meaning. " the head of the mossy land "—quite descriptive of the site of the old church. 3 See Proceedings, vol. xxxv. p. 228. 558 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902.

showin e remnantth g a sligh f o s t ridge observed there before th e excavation of this circle took place in 1857. The first remarkable feature of this circle is the position of the Recumbent Stone. It is set wit broas hit d face looking full Nort compass y t towardhb no d e an s,th Polar North, as the majority do. With it, the two Pillars stand precisely in line E. and W. by compass. The East Pillar, of grey granite intermixed with clear quartz fee4 inche8 s ti , n heighti s d an , is nearly 12 feet in girth. The Recumbent Stone is 4 feet 6 inches high, 8 feet 6 inches in extreme length, and varies in thickness from 3 feet to 14 inches. It is of whinstone, protuberant with contorted vein s beef quartzo ha s nd mucan , h mutilated (se viey em w froe mth N.E., fige illustratioth . 73a)n i , as , n give Coly nb . Forbes-Leslie,1 both werp to s eendd it veran s y much more leved shapely an Wese l Th t. Pilla fee4 s inche2 i rt n heighti s f d ove o fee2 an ,s 1 n girthi ri t t I . whinstone e onlTh y . other erec f granitet o stone s i , ,A , stand fee5 s t clear of the ground, and girths 8 feet 9 inches. Of the two rudely- oblon Recumbene fronn th i gf t e o tstonesse th , n S o t S e , Stoneon e th , fee2 eas inche3 s ti t s above e groundotheth foo1 d r 7 inchesan t, . Bot quite har e Recumben th fre f o e t remaine Stonee th size f Th o s. - stoneg in s are—B fee6 , inche2 t fee3 inchess6 x t 5 fee inche0 , 1 tC ; s x 3 feet 9 inches ; D runs in on the east, and leans inward, having a vertica l fee3 heigh inche7 fees 2 t i fee inches2 3 f t o E tt x s d an ; 8 inches. I append a general view of this circle, taken from the !N~.W. (fig. 73); and in another illustration (fig. 73a) a much nearer view from the N.E., to show the extreme ruggedness of the principal group and the two projecting stones. In 1857 Mr C. E. Dalrymple conducted an excavation within this circle. He noticed that the five stones in the upper portion of the circumference were only about 3 feet high, and that the circular ridge of stone eartd san ht concentri insidno s ewa c wit e outeth h r circlet bu , 10 feet within it on the north, and 5 feet within'it on the south side. interioe Th f thio r s inner circl s depressewa e d beloe e leveth w th f o l 1 Early Baces of Scotland, pi. xiv. EBPOE STONX O T E CIRCLE N ABERDEENSHIEEI S . 559

ground outside e d lowescentreth an , n i t. Toward e soutth s h sidf o e this central portion, about one foot below the surface, were two flat stones, 3 feet long and 1 foot broad, and laid together lengthwise witli their

Fig. 73. Ardlair ; General View from the N.W. edges touching, and at an angle to each other, like the roof of a house. Beneath a pitthe s m,4 feewa n diametei t 2 fee 4 inched t an r s deep, about a foot of it being into the subsoil ; in this pit were found inciner-

Fig. 73A. Ardlair ; Recumbent Stone and Pillars.

ated bones and charcoal among the light, open, yellow loam which filled it nearly to the top. No trace of urns was found.1 1 In conversation with Mr Hendei'son, formerly of Holywell farm, I learned tliat rememberee h d tha 182n i t 1 excavations were mad n thii e s circle near r o , Si r y itb , Alexander Leith-Ha s thewa n d friendsn found yan e ur als d tha H n oan a ,.t remembers having seen a stone standing as the headstone of a grave 10 or 12 yards to theS.W. of the Circle. On writing, however, to the present proprietor of Leithhall, C. Norman Leith- Hay, Esq., I was informed that there is no record in the estate registers of any excavation being made at about the date above mentioned. 560 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902.

No. 54. Corrstone Wood, Druminnor.—In the beautifully-wooded seclusion of this hill-summit, about three miles S.S.W. of the last site, and at a height of 780 feet above sea-level, there remain six great stones, erectw f whico onl no e .s yi hon f Thewhinstoneo l yal appeae b .o t r

D

LO 10 30

Fig. Corrston74 . e "Woo d; Ground-plan . thed an y rang e showground-plas ea th n i n n (fig. 74) e haveW . , first, fallee th n East Pillar ,f position o muc t ou h fee8 , t feelon4 y tg b wide, and in thickness above ground about 20 inches; next, a Eecumbent Stone of vast proportions, fallen inwards nearly flat, and split; it is 14 feet long fee7 , t broadfee3 t and thick, , makinmasa nearlall sof gin y EEPOE STONN O T E CIIJOLB N ABEKDEENSHIKEI S . 561

19 ton n weighti s . Thirdly ,e vertherth ys i e massive West Pillar, 7 fee inche3 t fee0 n height i s1 5 inche t d n an girt,i s h (see fig. 75). The dimensions of the three other stones, all prostrate and thickly moss- grown, are: Stone I., 7 feet 9 inches x 2 feet 10 inches; II., 9 feet 6 inches x 2 feet 9 inches; III., 7 feet 0 inches x 2 feet 6 inches. In laste th , alon s uppegit r surface lengthwise x deesi pe ar oblon, g wedge- marks, done, doubtless preparation i , splittinr nfo g asunder this "useful " stone.

Fig. 75. Corrstone Wood ; Recumbent Stone and West Pillar. No. 55. Wheedlemont, Rhynie.—This site is the most westerly of all tha notice e te presen b fal th o t l n di tquain e Eeport s th wesi f t o tI t . old villag Rhynif stoneeo o tw e se thath abou miled o t remaian tw t s; o nt mark the existence of a circle are situated at a height of 700 feet above sea-level, on a strip of level ground in the little valley watered by the Ord Burn. The Circle must have been fairly conspicuous from, at any rate, the east, otherwise nearly invisible. e annexeTh d ground-plan (fig. 76) show a longs , rather tapering block of much-rounded whinstone, lying at an angle of about 32°, a linan n ei d pretty nearly somewhas JST.W d S.Ewa an t .I . t difficult to determine whethe Eecumbenra this swa t Ston r noto e . Taket i s na ist seemi , narrowo sto , especiall e e eas th s seeth a t n t t ni yenda Bu . drawing (fig. 77), the greater portion of the long side nearest to us is 6 3 VOL. xxxvi. 562 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902.

^K<"

03

5 ' ' ' ' O 5 10 Fig. Wheedlemont76 . , Ehyni e; Plan .

Fig. 77. Wheedlemont; remains of Circle. REPOR STONN O T E CIRCLE N ABERDEENSH1HEI S . 563

very jagged and broken, suggestive of somewhat recent fracture ; so that the stone may, not so long ago, have been of greater dimensions. Against this possibility, however e placeb , there ascertaineo t th d s ei d fact that the tall Standing Stone, 87 feet to the north, is not set with its broad face looking towards the centre of any Circle of which this fallen monolith could have bee Recumbene nth t Stone principlen o , f arrangeso - ment at all analogous to those that usually pertain in the Circles gener- ally. I take, therefore, the now prostrate Stone A to have been simply e erecth f to stone e Circlea on f o se diamete th , f whico r abous hwa 7 8 t

., / O

O

r o s e K,T > v* 3% -KJ -98?,,r 0^ • k-o-M———i———i———i———i———i———|

. UppeFig78 . r Ord, Rhym e; Plan . feet. The Standing Stone is 8 feet 6 inches in height, and girths at the base 14 feet 3 inches. . Upper57 d an Ord,Nos.6 5 Rhynie.—The O.M. recor r thesfo d e is a Standing Stone, and the remains of a Stone Circle, within a furlong of each other. The site is a field, reached by a track branching off the road betwee nWheedlemoud Uppean d Or r northerla n i t y directiond an , seee stonee b th nn frosca m this heighe road feetTh 0 . 75 t. abovs i a ese These remains are shown to the scale of 32 feet to 1 inch (fig. 78). The stone on the extreme right, D on the plan, I presume to be the 564 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MAECH 10, 1902.

Standing Stone of the Map. It has a considerable lean inwards, but was probably, when erect, abou fee5 t inche6 t heightn si . e CircleOth f whicf o , h ther remaiw eno n onl e fivth ye stones shown in the plan, it is difficult to speak with certainty. But the following suggestions may be made. The two stones nearest together on the sout e probablPillaro ar htw e s th ybetwee n whic havy ema h restea d Recumbent Stone abou 3 fee1 t t long. Stons eithei C ea broker n Standing Ston shora r eo t squat ston t earth-fastese wanr bettera fo ,f o t . treae w tf I these three stone s integrasa le circlepartth e obtai f w o s, n a radius of 37 feet, which is too great to include' Stone A, and too small

Fig. 79. Upper Ord ; View from the North. to include B. The absolute straightness of the line connecting B, A an d(WesP t Pillar t firsa , t) is sight, another perplexing feature. There evidencs i e actuath n eo l ground, however shoo t , w tha certainlytA d an , mosB t thein probablyi t r no originae ar , l positions e drawinTh . g (fig. 79) showing how these stones are related to each other will confirm this impression. The middle stone of the three in line is Stone A of the plan. It is nearly prostrate; but, were it raised to the vertical, its base woul aboue db fee9 t t further weste shoulW . d then have theso tw e circla feef 0 o diameter—n i e14 tc ar e th n o a dimensioB Stoned an sA n unprecedented in Aberdeenshire. But if, allowing for disturbance of e stoneth greateo n s r than thae havw t e observe n otheo d r sitese w , REPOR STONN O T E CIRCLE ABERDEENSHIREN I S 5 56 .

replace A at a and B at b, then these two stones fall with sufficient exactness int circumference oth circle th f eeo obtaine ascertainee th y db d radius of P. T. and T. C.;' and this implies a circle of 74 feet in diameter. Lastly, on the assumption of equidistant spacing, this circle would have contained ten stones in all; and D, standing at a point 96 feet nearly centree easth f o t , outliere woulth e db . . Milltown58 . f No Noth,o Bhynie.—These o weltw l set-ud an p shapely Pillars, doubtless, once flanked a Recumbent Stone of rather less than 9 feet in length, and they now are the only representatives of the Circle. They stand a furlong west of the Water of Bogie, and half a mile

Fig. 80. Milltowii of Noth, Ehynie ; Plan.

Circle th f Corrstonn eo i . N.W e Wood already noticed. Abou hundrea t d yards to the north, in a sandy hollow, according to the O.M., a stone cist and an urn were found, but I was also informed by residents that, stonee norte t th oth clos d f h o san them o et , sepulchral relics were found many year stonese agoTh .s are I think, measure y f graniteo m , y B -. ments (see plan e longeth , fig) e r80 wes. sideth f t o sston d e Nli ean . S. by compass, and the east stone is also set with one edge parallel to these tha o e s Recumben, th t t Stone, unless somewhat obliquely placed between them, must have faced 18 deg. west of the Polar North. The e o stonevie 6 feeth tw n wheighti s n neareti e i s (fig th ) s f it 81 ,o .r neighbou fee5 r inches9 t . 566 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 190210 H .

. Drwmel59 . No Stone, d Noth.—Ol On fielda , one-thir a mil f o ed S.W f thio . s farheathere closd th m an o et ye Hil vergth f Notho lf o e , meano n y b s conspicuousd an , there stand vere th s y sharp-pointed block of whinstone shown in the next illustration (fig. 82). It is 5 feet 7 s inchewa heighn n fees5 indiei 0 ur 1 d t basee n girtan tn s i th A t .h a found at it, so runs the record on the O.M., but no date is appended to coulo wh d e enlighte t thion wit n o sme o n hdiscovery e s w u n d An . the subject.

Fig. 81. Milltown of Noth ; the Pillars.

. Candy,60 . No 1 Kennethmont.—At poina t less tha a nhundre d feet west of the cart road that goes to Crossburn of Cults, due north of the main road between and Kirkhill of Kennethmont, not a. quarter of a mile to the east of Candy, the O.M. marks with a black dot the stonea sit f t edoeo t qualifbu , sno y this wit honoue antique hth th f o re lettering. Naturally, therefore, during my study of the map-localities, 1 Locally pronounced Ca'anie fairla , y Irequent place-name. REPORT ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 567

passethis s wa fac e dth tover f thaO .t this e onlstonth ys i esurvivin g member of a Circle I was assured by the aged tenant of Seggieden, Mr

Fig. Drume82 . l Stone Notlid Ol , .

Fig. 83. Candy ; remains of Circle. 568 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902.

W. Sangster,1 with whose multitude of recollections of past times many profitabla e hour migh spente b t . difficultThero n s i e n findini y g this monolit ht standi (fig; ) s.83 dark and gloomy against the upward slope of the stubble-field. The site is 600 feet above sea'-level. The stone is syenitic. It stands 4 feet 9 inche s basasit higd l han girt s ovehi r 11 feet. e easO th s nthi t e cart road referred to, which, I take it, was cut through the Circle; for, f sixto seventr w yo ro a ye eass o i th nhug t, it side f fragmento e f so both syenit whinstond ean e rolle de fenc int th e lin of eth o e above th e road, many of them 3 feet and 4 feet broad, all extremely suggestive of the remains of the Standing Stones once forming the Circle. No. Collithie,61 . Gartly.— e nortAtth h r planta edgstrifi a f f eo po - tion that runs into Woo Culdrainf do quartea d mila soute an ,f ero du h of this farm, is the Government survey symbol for the site of an antiquity. The height above sea-level is 600 feet. This being so, I saw no reason for examining what was recorded as the mere site of a possible Stone Circle. No. 62. Braes of Bucharn.—This also is now but the site of a Circle; O.Me buth t . records n additio i , e markth o ,t n tha t " human remains were found here." The spot is on the gentle slope of the Braes, 470 feet above sea-level, slightly to the JST.W. of and above the Bridge of JSTess Bogie, and distant from the last site three miles and a quarter to the N.N.E. B.oth these sites are on the west of the Water of Bogie. No. 63A. The Standing Stones of .—Not being aware that the grou f stonepo s know n mediaevani l annale Standinth s a s g Stanef o s Strathbolgie were placed withie tow th f Huntlye sit no f nth o e d di I , y visit m e dat th f o remainin, o et nottw notic a ,e th e g stonee th n si Square, overshadowed as. they are by the monument to the Duke of Richmond. Having written to Mr Grant, the proprietor of the referrem hi Arm y o Mist db s s sHotele BrandeGraywa th I f ,o , r

Appurently t computeno s i e hal e yearn di th ag , e y Aberdeenshirsb e folk. This 1 worthy man, who was in his 81st year, I found splitting tough billets of wood with Ib0 1 . axea s memor s talHi . hi cleas k d vividlywa ran y descriptive. REPOR STONK O T E CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE9 56 .

Library, through whose courtes ya correspondenc s openewa e d witr M h James M'William, residin t gGreena f Glenbeo s n Glassi g . Froe mth ready and liberal information supplied by this keen observer, it is, there- fore, possible to describe this Circle in the following terms :— Mr M'William recollects seein Standinx gsi g Stones, none remarkably tall average th , e being abou fee4 t inches6 t ; fiv f theseo e were upright: one other, a very large stone, was lying in front of two. This I take e Recumbenth e b o t t Stone fallen forward. Judgin e positioth y gb n of two of the Standing Stones, the diameter of the Circle was between 0 feet5 d ;4 0an whethe s aree quitth rwa a e circula r notcorreo y r m , - spondent doet rememberno s . There e appeareo risinth n e n b i g o t d centre. In replying to my question, if relics of any sort had been found withi circle the nM'Willia Mr , m writes: " Yes a ston, a paror e of t stone with markings on it had been removed, thought to be etchings representing horse-shoes; but such an idea is altogether out of the question t memorfaulty a t m f no ,I s ythe.i y were muc e samth hs a e etchinge th s tha Hindooe th t s cale Yonith l I hav. e made inquirf o y several persons if they knew by whom (or when) the stone with the etchings on it was removed, but failed to get any information." The destruction of the circle took place, probably, when the Kawes of Strath- bolgie were being built; and, add r M'WilliamM s , "the stones would have bee l removeal n d whe e Dukth n f Eichmond'o e s status wa e erected,1 had it not been that an antiquary interfered and gave them [the architects] to understand that they were punishable if they did so." extanw no o t f stonetw dioriteo e e d measurear Th s an , , respectively, 4 feet 6 inches in height, 3 feet in breadth, and 1 foot 6 inches in thickness, and 4 feet 6 inches x 2 feet x 0 feet 10 inches. Ther s recordi e a Cour f o 2 t bein ge Standin th hel t a d g Stanef o s Huntlie in the year 1557; and the stones were in 1594 the rendezvous at which Argyle met the Earls of Huntly and Errol on the eve of the battle of Altihullichan.

1 In 1865 or thereabouts. 2 See Sculptured Stones of Scotland, ii., Ajpp. to Preface, xlii. 570 PKOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902.

Miss Gray informs me that a third stone used to stand " close by a house flanking the east side of the southern half of the Square,7' and that the two stones still left used to guard the street well; therefore it highls i y improbable s thaoriginait tn i eithe e l b thef positioo rn mca n as a member of the Circle. There was also a stone, described by Stuart f theso e eon Standins a g Stones, which bear incisen sa d symbol resembling a horse-shoe or arch.1 . Roddantree,63 . No Robieston n .i —The e stonlefw on t no e of the Circle here stands less than a furlong S.E. of this croft. It is

Fig. 84. Roddantree ; Cairnie. reached by the road crossing the River Deveron, in the direction of Banff, and is distant from the confluence of the Water of Bogie and River Deveron rather over a mile. The monolith is called Cummerstone (fig. 84), and is the only partially erect one of scores of out-cropping whinston boulderd ean same th f eso formation that mar e skirtth k f o s the thick wood which here borders the arable land.2 A little to the Cleae westh s ni t Cairn. 1 Sculptured Stones, vol. i., PI. oxxxi. 2 Several of these huge boulders .or out-crops have names; e.y., Ha' Stone, Hummel Stone, and Truttle Stones. In there is a Cairri Cummer and a. Humble Cairn. KBPOE STONN O T E CIRCLE ABEBDEENSHIREN I S 1 57 .

The Cummer Stone stands 5 feet 10 inches in height, and has suffered rather recently fro ma fracture e wholth , e south edge (showe th n i n drawing shaded) presenting quit a frese h characteristically blue grey surface .severa e ar Clos t i lo et other lumpy masse f whinstoneo s e on , f whic o possibly o ohma tw r fallee yb n monolith d memberan se th f o s Circle; but I coul s t satisf,a dno y mysel thin o fs point I ,prefe omio t r t them altogether. No. 64. Arnhill,1 Rothiemay.—At this site we reach the farthest northern limit of the area surveyed during the past autumn. As the train, speeding along from Huntly, begin o slacket s t a Rothieman y e landscapth e wesr wite th stationfo n ope on tn ha e o ewily ey n an ,l notice the dark mass of stone crowning the summit of this particularly green hill0 fee40 t, high, whic s withii h a nverminutesw fe y ' walk of the station. On approaching it, several weather-worn and smooth rock-surfaces invite examinatio r possiblfo n e cup-and-ring-markings; then passinn o , g these unrequited observe w , e vereth y distinct artificial mound, greener far than the surrounding slopes, where rest the four great stones shown in the ground-plan (fig. 85). Two of these are prone upo e gentlth n ee mound slopth f e thiro e th , d appear o havt s e been moved off it entirely, while the fourth is the great Recumbent Stone poised securely upon several small flat blocks, in such a manner, hopes defo u t t s ya le , both stor d vandalisman m (see , viefig88 .w from east)e th . This Recumbent Ston nameO.M.s e ei th n ,do Ironstone.t I 2 t K\W se d S.E. s i an . , absolutely vertical basa n feee8 o inche,0 1 t s long by 3 feet 4 inches broad. Its extreme length is 11 feet 7 inches; and, standing t i does s inche0 a ,1 , se ground cleath f o rn smallis o , h stones t righa n length t tow se e extrem angles th ,it o t se e heigheasth tf o t end is 5 feet 8 inches; nearer the middle it dips to 4 feet 8 inches,

and rises again at the west end to 5 feet. The top is 16 inches wide, 1 Spelt Ernehill Macdonaldy b . Place Names Strathbogie,n i . 207p . e reaso Th s r accidentall2thi fo nwa s y discovere y daughtem y b d r Helen, who, were w es a finishin r measurementsou g , patte e stoneth d , whe t i responden d with a clear metallic thee tonw ne; found that y strikinb , e stong th t ala el sortf o s different place witd san h various amount f forceso e samth , e tons producedewa . 572 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 10, 1902.

smooth, and very slightly concave. The breadth of the stone at the endfee3 9 inchess ti s . Taking into consideratio e verth n y unusual densit f thiyo s stone s probablit , e e computeweighb y aboue b ma t o t dt 16 tons.

. ArnliillFig85 . , Rothiema y; Plan . e vieth w n I (fig ) froe N.E.87 mth . withi e Circle-areath n a smal, l x semi-circlegrousi e f e stoncentro pth th f en o eo sattract s notice. These grooves are so markedly similar to the much-weathered concentric REPOR STONN O T E CIRCLE N ABEKDEENSHIREI S . 573

ring o frequentls s y found with cup-marks, that without positively claiming e suchtheb I o mt ,dee m the f sufficienmo t interese b o t t here recorded. Eve t artificial f no ni the e b y , the e verar y y curious, if a naturaonl s a y l e freakgrouTh p. measures radiall 5 inche1 y s wide, the outermost arc is about 15 inches long, and the innermost 11 inches e grooveTh .e abou ar s inc1 t h widd definitelan e y hollow t quitbu e smooth groue e centr feeth 3 Th f s pt.i eo abov e groundth e , and almost precisely in the centre of the height of the stone here.

. FigArnhil86 . ; lRecumben t Stone fro Easte mth .

This north side faces the fine pointed Knock Hill of Grange, six miles distant. e ground-plaOth n n (fig. 85) I ,hav e show e onlstoneo th ntw y s belonging to an interior setting about which we were at all assured. The e abouli y 9 feet t inwar e Eecumbenth d f o froe wesd mth en tt Stone, but are not many inches above ground. All this western portion of the area has been ploughed flat, so that the bank of the mound, the bas e easf whic eo th s full i tn ho fee6 y t belo e truwth e summit, here disappears. The prostrate block of whinstone on the extreme N.W. 574 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MAKC , 190210 H .

measure fee6 s inche2 t fee2 sx 7 inche t foo1 e sx inches3 th t f O . e nortth hn othe o measuree r on two e th fee8 s, 2 fee 1 foo x t 8 x t t inches. A space of 17 feet 6 inches separates it from the other fallen "block, the size of which is much the same. The conjectural diameter of the circle is 60 feet.

Fig. Arnhil87 . ; lRecumben t Stone from withi Circlee nth .

. Hill 65 f o Dummuies, . No Drumblade.—For many-square miles

e soutth f Rothiemayo ht o n boto , h e Deveronbankth f o s , o ther1 n e ear sites of Stone Circles. Cairns are fairly frequent TSot until travelling •eastwards out of Huntly by the Aberdeen road, and at a point about three miles from that town, do we reach the Hill of Dummuies, upon which, long ago, there existed some remains to justify the Ordnance Map-maker n namini s t i gSit f Stono e e Circle. Ther s nothini e g visible above ground s ovenow0 i fee t 80 I tr . above e leveth th ef o l sprina s i . g W calle . S e d th Cobban' sean nead o t an ;i r s Well. Passin y Shield-knoweb n go , Thomastown d Chapelto- an by , a n n(o road going N.E.) reace w , t lengtha h

1 Local pronunciation Drimlet, with the accent on the first syllable. KEPOKT ON STONE CIRCLE ABEKDEENSHIEEN I S . 575

. Stonyfteld,66 . r Stonyfauld,No o Drumblade, where remaie th n last measurable relics of stone circles dealt with in this Report. From the measurements and notes taken here, with the ready assistance of tenante th , John Anderson e ground-plath , n (figfurnishe) 88 . d herewith supplies us with the following facts : that there are nine stones in all;

© © © ©

H'

© ©

. StonytieldFig88 . , Drumblad e; Plan .

that two of the biggest stones, A and B, are still in situ; that they stand east and west of each other; that, measured from centre to centre, they 6 fee4 te apartar d thaan , t they stan n suci d a hface-to-fac e relation that we may safely conclude this space of 46 feet is the diameter of the circle. All the stones are whinstone, except the oblong-oval one on the extreme north, which is a large boulder of pure white water-rolled 576 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARCH 10, 1902.

liew quartzsno deepld an , y embedde earthe e heightth Th d n .i d an s stonee sizeth :f e —so s ar

Stone A, 5 feet 6 inches and 13 feet in girth. ,, B, 5 ,, 0 ,, ,, 14 „ 6 inches in girth. , restin C s surfacit ,,n edge 3 feeo gd s i tan e , above ground; 8 feet x 3 inches. fee5 inche, 3 t D fee3 , , inchesx 0 t aboud sinchean 4 1 t s thick. , split E measured ,,an s fee 6 ove inchel 2 t al r fee3 sinchesx 0 t . ,, F, quartz boulder fee4 fee2 , inchesx 9 tt . ,, G, 3 feet 8 inches x 1 foot 2 inches; seems to rest on its edge. ,, edgeHn o , , whic fee3 s hti above ground measured an , fees6 t 0 inches x 1 foot 9 inches, and ,, I, is 5 feet 3 inches x 1 foot 9 inches, and is also on an edge nearly as high above ground as H. A piec rocf eo k crop. betweep E su d an nE

Fig. 89. Stonyfield; View from the S.S.W.

Now, all these seven stones, at present prostrate, and three of which, , havI d e an bee CH , n purposely place n lin i dStandino e tw wit e th hg e th f o y wa more e th th s ef a o thoroughlo s t , ou B e Stoned b an o yt sA plough, are not far removed from the circumference of this Circle. Wit a littlh e trouble, each migh e replace b e littlt th en o dcirclet I s have suggeste e pla th s thei a nn , o d r n probablo D , e e n siteso C , and so on. REPORT ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABEEDEENSHIRE. 577'

f thiI s restoratio theorn i allowede usuae yb th d l tolerablan , y equal spacing be admitted, we should have a Circle of twelve stones. In the view from the S.S.W. (fig. 89), it will be seen upon what a comparatively leved lowan l site this Circl s bee l sides closeli ha al e n t i n s setO y . environed by slopes which converge near this spot on the banks of the Begs Burn. Macdonald1 states that in 1821 the tenant carried away e severaerecth f to lstone r buildingfo s d othersan , , fallen, were removed. The next four sites with which this Report has finally to do e briefesth r calfo tl notic e: thee literallar y y nothin t sitebu g s now. No. 67. , Culsalmond.—The record 011 the O.M. for this is, Site of a Stone Circle, the road going to Jericho Distillery having been made throug soute th , and hit n h o , sid f thio e s road ,e Circle closth e o et th , Site of a Cairn. Within the possible diameter of the Circle an urn was found. The site is 522 feet above the sea-level. . NoCulsalmond68 . Kirkyard.— Statisticaw Ne e Inth l Account,2 s statei t i d thae Circlth t e here " consiste f twelvo d e large upright stones"; but the subsequent statement, to the effect that they were all blasted and used as building material, is not borne out by what I hear from Mr J. G. Callander—a native of the district and a Fellow Society—whe oth f s bee ha oe age n th tol dy db sexton , Florance, that he many a time came across a.great stone, when preparing graves, and himseld thaha e h tf blasted these more than once. No. 69. Tocherford, Culsalmond.—The Circle was situated in the S.E. roade anglth t Tocherfordf a seo , just three e mile th e eas f du so t last site, and two miles north of the Circle at Old Eayne. Nothing now remains. . Over70 . Tocherford.—No This sit markes ei poina t da t hal mila f e S.S.W. of the last, and south of the turnpike between Aberdeen and Huntly. Nothing now remains but a low, slightly stony mound. 1 Place-Names Strathbogie,n i . 72 . p 2 Volume xxxix . 731pp . , 732. VOL. XXXVI. 37 8 57 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F O S , MARC , 190210 H .

CONCLUSION. I believe it is correct to state that, with the exceptions of the Nort he e CircleHil th f th FiddesStrono f l d o s an e e son sites t no , above described, nor any of the Standing Stones, have hitherto been put volumrecory n o an Proceedings n n di eow r eitheou f r thoso ro f otheo e r Societies.1 A few of the Circles near Huntly are mentioned very briefly by the late Mr J. Macdonald.2 It is, therefore, after all, to the Ordnance Maps that antiquaries are indebted in this matter ; for, out of the seventy-four sites noticed in this Report, only fivee Circleth , t a Cands d e Huntlythreth an y ed an , Dunnideer monoliths unrepresentee ar , six-ince th n do h scale mapse Th . general accuracy also, with which the sites are located, is a boon to the investigator. Parcelling out all this varied material, we 'can group these remains as follows : (1) Sites which on the Maps are marked merely as sites, e.g., Collithie, Colpy, Over Tocher, Tocherford, Hill of Bucharn, Gordoiiston n Clatti , Mimrikin's Clum d Ardlowan p t JamesS , 'e Chapeth d an l Blue Butts in Premnay. (2) Sites recorded on the maps as remains of Stone Circles or as Circles, but now sites only, e.g., Cothill of Fintray, Liggar Stane, Standing Ston t Wantoa e n Wells, Holywell, fou alln i r ; Wester Craigi enteree eb Crofy doubtfuls da ma t ) Site(3 .s markey db single Standing Stone r recordes o know , be , part o dnas t f Circlesso , e.g., Drumfours, Peathill, Balhaggardy, Billhea f Clattdo , Candy, Roddan- tree, six in all. (4) Sites marked by the two Pillars which flanked the Recumbent Stone (whe situ),n ni e.g., South Fornet, Kiiiellar Kirkyard, Milltown of Noth. (5) Sites having yet in situ either a Recumbent Stone or a Recumbent Stone with one or both Pillars, e.g., North Strone, South

1secone Ith n d volume Spaldiuth f o e g Club . 179p , e followin,th g worde ar s quoted from the Macfarlane MSS. with regard to the parish of Rhynie : " Here are monument n severai s l places ,e remain thoughth e b f heathe o so t t n superstition, though many other fabulous storie e tol f them.ar so d e variouTh " s Statistical Accounts also possess notices more or less brief of several of the sites. 2 Place-Names of Strathbogie. REPORT ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 579

Leylodge, Hil Fiddessf lo , Kirkto Bourtief no Craiw Ne , g (Daviot), Candle Hill (Rayne), Wanton Wells, Dunnideer, Stonehead, Candle Hill (Insoli), Nether Boddam, Braeliead (Leslie), Bankhead, Ardlair, Corrstone Wood, Eothiemay, sixtee t makinbu alln ,i g wit previoue hth s four (which have the pillars) twenty in all; so that the Recumbent Stone variety is still the predominan ) Circle(6 t ones. withou Recumbena t t Stone t Howea s a , - mill, Shelde f Bourtieo n , South Ythsie, Sheithen, Wheedlemond an t Stonyfield. The exceptional feature of a double Recumbent Stone occurs at Loanhead of Daviot; and at Shelden of Bourtie and Upper Ord in Rhynie we have an outlying monolith apart from the Circle. Thus the number of sites recognisable as Circles is forty-eight. The number of sites marked by monoliths, concerning which there is no definite record as to the particular monolith being or not being the sole surviving membe a Circle f o r s twenty-twoi , . Severa l f theso al l n i e probabilit parte groua yar f so f Standin o p g Stones, e.g., thes t Blacka e - chambers whicr fo , h ther t leasa s everbai a t l traditio n favouni f thio r s assignment; the great stone near Dunnideer (A in fig. 62), the Candy monolith thad t Craigheaan ,a t d Wood f whico , l closal h o esitet s there are numerous massive fragments of stone evidently moved to the nearest convenient section of a dike. As regards the direct evidence of the sepulchral character of the Circles, the sites examined during this survey do not furnish us with e muchsufficienth r fo , t reason tha o vers havtw yfe e been thoroughly excavated. In those that have been excavated,—North Strone, Old Rayne Ardlair,—thid an , s evidenc s forthcomingi e . Yet, eve thosn ni e cases where there is no record of the actual discovery of an urn or other Bronze Age relics within the area of the Circle itself, there is frequent recor f sepulchrado l relics having been discovered verye th clos o t e Circle, as, e.g., at Loanhead of Daviot, Candle Hill, Insch, Colpy, Drumel Stone, South Ythsie, Upper Ord, Mil f Notho l , Braeheaf do Leslie, Shelden of Bourtie. I append a Tabular Summary of the more important sites investigated. 580 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 190210 H .

rt3 0 **$ "3 ° -s -< "aq > g-ss CO *< s "o ^ T3 ^ s •~ jl £ "" — OJ ^J o S m O> q O •*• s ° « c aj '~\ 03 tr y 5P*3-i C; 0) j£> o ^ ™ «*o - r— ; ^ •d 60 tt3 to _ & c G S ^ <2 -2 =S IS B ,_J a> o C a •2 c ""O o a "^ ^ fn r CO -^ 02 CO 5 O ,— 1 ^

g - ^_ QJ T3 s s -*J 5 c* 'oJ S o 0 OJ o O PH (M 1 O) 01 o^ o> T! Qj vB CO ^ fa o 6 ! H O Ston e ben t Ston e (remov ben t Ston e (remov S.E . Monolit h onl y extan t Recumben t Ston e Monolit h onl y extan t Recumben t Ston e Remarkabl y smal l Pillar s ; o n eac h si d Pillar s ; o n eac h si d Tal l pyramida ou t Recumben t Ston e Monolit h onl y extan t Recumben t Ston e Massiv e stone s o n di Tw o Recumben t Sto n b ^ 0 n ^ o ^>> ^ OS C? CO CM o to •* O ^ o to- £ CM tO 00 'S -W I>- to co CM .—t : a li O 1-— 0 0 to i>» o •^ o CO CO 00 •**i 00 to CO CO CM I-H b (5'-=- ^5: 02

^ TJ o> § 02 -og O n • r- 0 $> > -W O H G=3 0 •- GO 'o >> 'i * £ Q ° "co — hi 1 4-9 1—,11 S- M § « 1 e8 ^ SP.2 & ^5 | fs a f. •M 3 O § 1 -a g • S Howemill , Toug h 00 M Hil l o f Fiddes , F Drumfours , Gush i Nort h Strone , Al t Peathill , Kinkel l CQ Shelden , Bourti e M rJ r^i Sheithen , Tarve s Kirkto n o f Bourti i & 1

!> 6 CM CO o CO -* CO O i CM C-t CM » a : 40 Stonehead, Insch :> :> o 41 Candle Hill, Insch 43x43 Recumbent Stone ; and trench of ' H great dept heighd han t O 45 Nether Bodilam, Insch 75x75 Recumbent Stone ^ & 46 Braehead Lesliw Ne , e p 50 Billhead, Clatt Monolith only extant ts 51 Bankhead, Clatt Recumbent Stone o 52 Holywell, Kennethmont (probably) Urn and stone cists (0. M. o 80x80 and local information). t-1 53 Ardlair, Kennethmont 35x35 Recumbent Stond nearlan e y Central sepulchral deposit (? 02 central hollow urn)n a d .an 1— t

54 Corrstone Wood, Drnmin- ? 70x70 Recumbent Stone ^ nor w 5 5 ' Wheedlemont, Khynie (probably) w 87x87 a 58 Milltow Nothf no , Rhynie Pillar n eacso ; h sid f Recumeo - Urns found close to these two bent Stone (removed) stones (local tradition). w 60 Candy, Kennethmont (probably) Monolith only extant 5 90x90 P 63 Roddantree, Huntly Monolith only extant 64 Arnhill, Rothiemay ? 60x60 Recumbent Stone 66 Stonyfield, Drumblade 46x46 Cjr 00 I—"