154 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 8, 1920.

II. THE AT BROOMEND OF CRICHIE, ABERDEENSHIRE. BY JAMES RITCHIE, F.E.I.S., CORRESPONDING MEMBER. e mostth On f o einterestin g Stone Circle Aberdeenshirn si thas ei t situated in the parish of Kintore, just outside the village of Port Elphinstone, abou a quarte mila td an e r sout f Inverurio h e Railway Station. It stands in a field on the east side of the Aberdeen road, nearly 30 yards south of the large sand-pit known locally as " The Sandhole." Known as The Broomend of Crichie Stone Circle, though the name is often shortened into The Broomend or The Crichie Circle, it has been a subject of much interest to antiquaries, and a great deal has been written about it. Dr Stuart describes it in The Sculptured Stones of Scotland; Mr Charles Dalrymple gives an account of the excavatio n voli t .i e Proceedings th xviiif o nf e o Society. th f f o o Antiquaries of Scotland; Mr Alex. Watt, who assisted in the work of excavation, describes it in his Early History of Kintore ; and Mr Fred R. Coles surveyeo wh , e circldth e behalSocietyn eo th f o f , describe, sit with accompanying plans voln i , .e Proceedings,xxxvth f o . alsd n an oi the Transactions of the Buchan Field Club for 1903. There is, however, a considerable amount of additional information now available con- cerning this circle and its surroundings, and it seems desirable that a new accoun t shouli f o twritte e db embodo t n l thayal knows i t n about it, even though this should necessitate the repetition of facts already know t readilexperto nt no t ybu s accessibl otherso et . While the circle itself is of exceptional interest, it forms but one member of what must originally have been a very striking group of prehistoric monuments. These began at a point 450 yards south of the circle, wher ea sandban thers wa e n whici k h several cists have been found. From this sandbank an avenue of standing stones proceeded northward e circlee patth Th ho t . s betwee e line th f nstandino s g stones led into the circle by means of an embankment crossing the e ditcsoutherth f ho whic c nar h surrounde circlee dth t theI . n crossed the northern arc of the ditch by a similar embankment, and proceeded anotheo t t largebu r r circle abou yard0 5 t s e circlnortth f eho still standing. This second circle was destroyed towards the end of the eighteenth century, and its existence seems to have been unknown to the writers previously mentioned. (Refer to map, fig. 10, p. 170.) E STONTH E CIRCL BROOMENT A E D OF CRICHIE5 15 .

CISTSE TH . The sandbank which formed the southern member of this group of prehistoric remains was close to the gateway at present leading to Mr Tait's residence at Broomend. Though utilised as a prehistoric burial place, it seems to have been of natural formation, part of the existing serie f sano gravesd dan l banks whicn i hn fringDo e vallee th eth f yo e neighbourhooth f Inverurieo d e latTh e . Thomas Tait, Esq.o wh , founde e Inverurith d e Paper Mill 1858n i s , foun t necessari d mako yt e roaw dne e Aberdeea fro e millth m th o t s n turnpik facilitato et e th e conveyance of his goods to and from Aberdeen, and in doing so cut throug e ban th hf sano d kunearthe e an firsd on t e e ciststh dTh . discovered appeared to be empty, but on 27th August 1866 a second formes founds wa wa f fivt I o d e. large t eaca slabs e ht a on ,side e on , each end, and a cover on the top. The inside measurements were 5 fee inche3 t s long fee2 , inche6 t s broad d froan , mfee2 inche6 t o t s 3 feet deep t containeI . e skeleton dth tallo tw , f strong-boneo s d men, who had been buried in a bent position, lying on their sides with their heads near each end of the cist. The skeletons were covered with some felt-like substance which was probably the remains of a hide in which the bodies had been wrapped. Two urns were found, one near each head, and there were also some twigs, two or three flinpiecew fe tf charcoalo a sflakes d e bottoe cisan th Th , t .f mo was covered to a depth of about 10 inches with water-worn pebbles, averaging about an inch in diameter at the top of the layer, but rather larger near the bottom. They were of similar character to those found plentifully in the bed of the Don and in the gravel beds on its banks. Several large pieces of charcoal were found among pebblese th . Exactl montho ytw s e 27tlater th f October ho n o , , another s ciswa t abouy foundla t feetI 2 . t nort f thaho t last described slightls wa d y an , les sizen si , measurin gfee4 inche2 t lengthn i s foo 1 inche,0 1 feet2 o tst 3 inche breadthn si foo1 inched 7 t ,an depthn si t paves alsI a . owa o dt depth of 12 inches with round waterworn pebbles underneath which lay a slab of stone. Soft well-worked clay had been forced between the e slabedgeth o rendef t so s e cisth rt watertight. This cist also con- tained two skeletons, a full-grown male and an infant female. The male skeleton lay on its left side, with its head towards the east, the legs bent and drawn up nearly to the chin, and the arms so bent up thae handth t s wer ee head closth o .et e boneSomth f seo wera n ei fairly good state of preservation, and among these were the thigh-bones, which measured 19f inches in length. One of these was presented 156 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 8, 1920. to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and is now preserved in the National Museum. The infant femal ee north-wes th skeleto n i y nla t cornee cistth ,f o r behingooo s n maldstate a i dt th f preservationeo no skeletons wa d an , . The body appeared to have been buried in a sitting posture with its face turned towards the east. Both skeletons had been covered originally wit oxhiden ha e felt-likth , e remain f whico s h were found lying above the mannea mn i r simila thao t r t discovere othee th n rdi cist. male bace th th ef kt o skeleto A ne drinking-cu stooth f o d claa n yur p r beakeo typa r f classo e t peculia, bu north-ease th o rt Scotlanf o t d (fig. 1) .

Fig. 1. Urn and Horn Spoon found in cist at Broomend.

Its height was 6| inches, the diameter at the top 5f inches, and at the botto inchesmf 3 , whil t measureei d nearl inche0 y2 circumferencn si t a e e widesth t part, slightly belo s richl e centrewwa th yt I ornamente. d wit a hserie f horizontao s l lines roun e circumferenceth d ; between each pair of horizontal lines short lines formed a sort of herring-bone pattern, while at the base a series of upright isosceles triangles had e spaceth s between them fille witn i d h short lines. Standing within this urn, "and resting on its edge, there was what at first sight appeared to be a lamp made of bark or some leather-like substance, but this proved to be a spoon, formed of horn much altered in appearance througexposurd an e damphag o et underside . hore th Par th n nf o to e of the spoon had become split up, and the weight of the spoon had caused handle th curvo et e urnovee edge th ,rth f thueo s addin s lamp-likit o gt e appearance. In the illustration the spoon is shown lifted out of the urn and supported by a sheet of glass so as to show its form exactly as it THE STONE CIRCLE AT BROOMEND OF CRICHIE. 157 appeared when discovere e urnth .n di Nothing like this spoo s evenha r awarem a n additioI I .s a r o t nbeefa o ns othe y founn an ur rn i d the spoon, the urn contained some fragments of decayed bone and a small quantit f blacyo k earth—all that remaine e footh d f o whicd h had been placed beside the dead body to help it on its long journey to the spirit land. Behind the remains of the infant there was also a small urn containing a little black earth but no bones, food containing bones not being suitable for an infant. Two flint flakes were found within the cist, and several pieces of charcoal rested on its cover, whil econsiderabla e number were mixed wit gravee hth l which covered e bottomth . Abou fee2 t t eas f thio t s cis fourta t h one f smalo , l sizes afterwa , - wards found. It was only 16 inches long, from 12 to 14 inches broad, inche1 1 d s an deep t I containe. e remaindth thia f no s skul fivd ean l half-formed teeth, showin buriae th s gl thawa placchilda t i f t eo . It also containe smalda s sidmucd lyinn it ur an len gho broken cupo N -. marks or figures of any kind were found on any of the stones of which ciste th s were formed. Mr Tait was much interested in the finding of these cists, and had the t monca e examine competeny db t authorities. Among these were Mr James Hay Chalmers, a well-known antiquary and discoverer of the Rothiebrisbane Sculptured Stone now in the gable of the Parish Church of Fyvie, and Mr Charles B. Davidson, advocate, a native of Port Elphinstone, and for many years Town-Clerk of the Royal Burgh of Inverurie. These -gentlemen wrote the accounts of these discoveries which appea vol n i rProceedingse .th vii f o .Societ e whico t th f d o hyI an am indebted for most of the details described above. The discovery of e cistth s create da grea t dea f intereso e neighbourhoodl th n i t d an , many people visited the spot. To allow these visitors to inspect the same remainsth et a tim d proteco et an , t them from unauthorised inter- ference, Mr Tait caused the cists to be covered with sheets of glass for a time. Most of fche articles found in this ancient burial-place have been carefully preserved and are yet available for inspection. The stones of which the cists were formed are at Broomend. Portions of e oxhid th othed an e r remains, together witskullso htw a thighbone; , unique th d e an hor e Nationanth spoonn i e l ar , Museu f mAntiquitieo s in Edinburgh. Another portion of the oxhide is in the Mxtseum at Marischal e fragmentCollegeth e urnd th an sf , o sAberdeen o tw d an , of a third are in the Inverurie Museum. Th similao es ciste construction ar i rs d contentan n y s ma tha t i t safely be concluded that the burials were made within a short time of each other well-preservee Th . d conditioe e boneth f som nth o d f an seo 158 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 8, 1920.

presence of the horn spoon would seem to indicate a comparatively recen intermentse t th dat urne r theid th efo san t r Bu ornamentatio. n are of a character similar to many others belonging to the , so that we may conclude that the burials took place towards the end of that period. THE AVENUE. yardw Afe spoe s easth tf whero t ciste eth s were found there stands a stone 4 feet 6 inches high, 2 feet 6 inches broad, and from 1 foot to 1 foot 9 inches thick. It is in an exact line with the other stones of avenue s clearli th d southernmose ean yth t membe . it Bein f ro g almost hidde smala n i l plantation borderin e nortgth e he roath sidth o dt f eo paper mills, it easily escaped notice before the publication of the large- scale Ordnance Survey maps upon which it is marked. The failure to observe it has led to a serious mistake in estimating the length of the avenue, which is really 450 yards long, not 200 yards as has been frequently stated. Anotlier stone e e cornestandfielth th df n i o sr nearl yard0 6 y s eas f Brooo t m fee 5 Lodge s ti hight I . fee3 , t broad, and from 2 feet to 2 feet 6 inches thick, with its broad side facing the e avenueth lin f t standI eo . s almos yard0 20 t s e circlesoutth f o s ho , that it has evidently been mistaken for the southern terminus of the avenue. A third stone stands in the same field as the circle, and about 70 yards south of it (fig. 2). It is a massive square-shaped block of whinstone fee6 , t high fee3 , inche8 t s broadfee3 inche3 d t an , n i s average thickness, and is very similar in appearance to the standing stonecirclee th f s.o Only these three stonee avenu th remai w f so eno n in their original positions; a fourth was removed in 1851, and. a large stone e lawnea th e edg t Crichith na f r o e e Banpossibly e kma th e yb remains of a fifth. The avenue runs directly north to the circle, and, judging fro stonee mth s that still remain, these appea havo t r e increased in massive bulk the nearer they lay to the circle. No recororiginae th f do l numbe f avenuo r e stone knows i s existo nt , but from the facts available a fairly correct estimate may be made. Towards the end of the eighteenth century some agricultural improve- ments were made on Crichie, and trees were planted on the rough moorland where the circles and avenue stood. The trees were cut dow 1850n ni , and e lans thereafte.th dwa r trenche d preparedan d for agricultural purposes. Two of the avenue stones stood near each other fiele th d consideren s thui wa st i forme circles soute e a th th d d f o hdo t ,an that they were likel interfero yt e wit cultivatioe hth e groundth f ne o on , removeds wa othee ,th r being rubbing-pos a lef s a t cattler fo t . According to the account of Mr George Guthrie, who in 1851 broke up this stone E STONTH E CIRCL T BROOMENA E F CRICHIE.DO 159 with gunpowder t stooi , yard5 d1 froo st nort0 m1 thaf ho t still remaining fielde th .n i They were therefore neighbouring stones thud ,an s indicate thae averagth t e distance betwee e standinth n g stones formine th g boundar e avenuth approximatels f yo ewa y 12 Jsouthern e yardsth s A . - mos tyard 0 bloc45 s s k i circlee sout th f ho , eac he avenu th sid f eo e would therefore have contained thirty-six stonee stonesth l s Al stil. l erece ar t exacn a n i t line with each other appead ,an havo t r e formede parth f o t easter avenuee n th sid f eo thao s ,indicatioo n t s giveni whicy b n s hit width might be ascertained. That portion, however, which crossed the

Fig. 2. Stone in avenue nearest the Circle at Broomend.

ditch surroundin circle gth mean y en embankmenb a feetf 0 so 1 'r o 9 s i t broad, but it is likely that the main portion of the avenue was consider- ably wider than this. If the block on the lawn at Crichie Bank is e avenuth f o realle e stones originayon it n i s l position t musi , t have e westerbeeth indicated n no an n , it sid f swidta eo abouf ho yards0 t2 — about doubl eavenue thath f to t Callernish ea . The avenue stones seem not to have been used solely to form the boundar e roath df o y leadin e t circlesleasa th r o tt gfo , somf o e them have also serve s memoriala d e deadth d thosf , o di sjus s ea t erected within the circle. When the ground was trenched, an urn containing calcined bone s founwa s d e stonnea e th bas th rf e o e still standin yard0 g7 s e circlesoutsimilaa th d f ho an , r madfins dwa e beside e ease ston f Brooth th o t o et m Lodge. Nothing appear havo t s e been 160 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 8, 1920.

found nea stone rth e destroye 1851n d i t nea e southernmos,bu th r t stone ciste th s already described were found. This is the only existing avenue leading to a stone circle in Aberdeen- shire .stoneo Thertw se ear standin linn gi e nea circle th r t Castlea e Fraser singld an , e e stoneDruidstownth t a s , d Sheldean , n Circles, and there was one, now removed, at Cullerlie, but it is doubtful thesf o y e ian outlyinf g stones were ever connected with avenues leading to their respective circles. There were also several circles in Aberdeen- shir whico et h causeways destroyedw no , , formerl t Bankheadya ledd ,an , e paristh n f Clatti ho , faint trace f suco s hpathwaa stily seene b ylma . An avenue stretches northwards fro e circlmth t Callernisa e e th n hi island of Lewis. It is 90 yards long and contains nineteen stones including one at the end, midway between the parallel lines. The average distance therefore between the stones is about 10 yards, a little less than that at Broomen Crichief widte davenue o th th f d ho ean , iyardss9 . bese th tBr examplyfa f suceo h avenue rather o , sis r was t Avebura , y Wiltshiren i , wher large eth e ston avenueo e circltw s seha leading intt oi ease —onth t n side eo west e othee th ,th n .r o Eac thesf horiginallo s ewa y upward mila f so e long t thebu , y have suffered great dilapidationd an , e stoneth fe f wo s which originally stood along their sideremainw sno . t StantoA n Drew Somersetn i , , ther groua s ei f threpo e circlesf o o ,tw which have eac avenun ha e leading into them fro e north-eastmth t ,bu stonemane th f yo s hav e avenuee r froth falle fa d me an nsar complete . also has an avenue approaching it from the north-east, but boundet no s i standint y i db g stones likothere eth s mentioned.

LESSEEE TH , CIRCLE. This, the existing circle, stands at the northern end of the avenue, in the middle of a field on the east side of the Aberdeen turnpike. It surroundes i trenca y db h abou fee0 2 t t feewide 6 frod o tt an deepm,5 , earte th h removed fro trence mth h having bee outsidne throwth n o ep nu so as to make a protecting rampart about as wide as the trench itself. Round the outside circumference of this rampart there lies a ring of stones having the appearance of an enclosing wall now in ruins. This outer ring, however f comparativelo s i , y recent date formd ,an paro n s t of the original structure. The stones were collected when the field was trenched, and were laid down in their present position for the purpose of supplying materia stona r lfo e wal encloso t l protecd ean e circleth t , e walneves th wa lt r bu completed trence Th .crosses he i sout th n hdo n earthea sidy b e n embankment abou fee9 t t wide, which forma s continuation of the avenue already described. A similar embankment

162 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 8, 1920. crosse trencnorte e th th s n hho side greatee leadd th an , o st r circleA . close inspection, however, shows that thes embankmento tw e t no e ar s in a perfectly straight line with the southern portion of the avenue, but instead of running exactly south, have a very slight inclination east and west. The circle on the hill of Tuack, in the parish of Kintore and about

Fig. 4. Portion of Map dated 1780 showing the two Circles at Broomend. 3 miles south of Broomend, has a similar, though not so well preserved, trench surroundin Brogae Th . rg it Circle t Stennia , Orkneyn i s alss i , o bese th tr enclose examplfa a trenchy b y db t s tha ei bu ,t Aveburya t , where the central area of nearly 30 acres is surrounded by a deep trench and high embankment. The circular area withi trence nth t Broomenha diametea s dha r of 5 0excavatioe feetTh .surroundin e th f no g trenc s givehha n this central area the appearance of a raised mound, but its surface is really on a level with the rest of the field. Round the edge of this central space was THE STONE CIRCLE AT BROOMEND OF CRICHIE. 163 originally a circle of six standing stones, only the two most northerly of which now remain (fig. 3). In 1780 four were still standing, as shown on the map of that date (fig. 4). The interior of this circle was

Fig . Pla 5 . sectiod nan f Circlno t Broomenea t timda f excavationeo . excavated in November 1855 by Mr Charles Elphinstone Dalrymple, who about the same period examined several other Aberdeenshire circles, including thos t Fulartoea Tuackd nan e paris, th als f Kintoren oi ho . A full report of his investigation appears in vol. xviii. of the Proceedings e Societyth of f Antiquarieso indebtem a I r t f i Scotland,o fo d o t d an the details of the discoveries within the circle. In the accompanying 164 PROCEEDING F THO S E SOCIETY, MARC , 1920H8 . plan, reproduced from that report, the stones numbered 1 and 2 are those still standing within the circle, while Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 6 indicate the sites of those which were missing at the date of the investigation (fig. 5) . The discoveries within the circle were very, numerous, remains of burial being found near the base of each of the stones, in every case at the side facing the centre of the circle and usually about 18 inches from the base. At that distance from No. 1 there was found a small circular stone-lined space 1 foot deep, 9 inches in diameter at the top and slightly filles e bottomth leswa d t t a switI . h calcined bonesy nead la an t ,i r a hammer of sandstone (fig. 6), 4J inches long and 3J inches broad, with

Fig. 6. Stone Hammer found in Circle at Broomend. a curved hollo t wbota h sides, wherhandle th e holbee d r eth e ha efo n made e curvee edgeth Th f .o s d hollows were ornamented with three incised linese gooTh d. conditio n whici n h this hamme s foundwa r , and its ornamental appearance, suggest the idea that it had been made rather for ceremonial purposes than for ordinary use. A littie nearer the centre of the circle an inverted urn was discovered. It rested upon a flat a similastone d ha , r s stonfulf calcineo wa l e d abovan d , it e bones, among which was a small and delicately formed lower jawbone. Another deposi f calcineo t r dfro fa bone m t e sois founth no l wa s n i d e otheth , 2 r . urne ston fronn th No I .f eo t still standin s originait n gi l position, there was found an inverted urn, full of calcined bones, and with a flat stone above and another below it, for protective purposes. e missinNo th represent3 .f o ge stonesfronon n e siti f sth f eo d o t an , it a small rectangular stone-lined cist was discovered. It measured inche1 1 s long inche9 , s inches6 broad1 d an , flaa deep alsd d t an o,ha E STONTH E CIRCL T BROOMENA E F CRICHIEDO . 165 ston e interio tope e botto Th th botth . d t hra m an spac s fulf o lwa e calcine a ther4 s . d ewa No e soie sitbones th fronn f th i leo f n I o t. small round pit which contained burnt matter and bone dust. At No. 5 there was a small stone-lined space containing an inverted urn full of calcined bones, and, like others,eth protecte flaa y td b stone abovd ean another,beneath it. At No. 6 only a small pit filled with calcined bones similar to that found at No. 4 was discovered. The urns are shown in figs. 7 and 8. In the centre of the circle the investigators came upon a deposit of burnt bones abou inche8 1 t s beneat e surfacehth . Underneath this

Fig. 7. Cinerary Urn found in Fig. 8. Cinerary Urn found in Circle at Broomend. Circl t Broomendea . a circula s t wa ful f smalpi ro l l rounded stones simila thoso t r e found fee5 1 ts wa t e avenue pi th e souther . e e th cistof i th nTh t a .sd en n i ns side diameteit e d tops th taperean , t a r d gradually inward thao s t it was only 10 feet wide at the bottom. When the stones were removed, underneath them large stone slabs were discovered at a depth of 7 feet beneat e surfacehth . Thes e coverin th prove e cisa b f tgo o dt whic h containe remaine dth humaa f so n skeleton, wit e skul led hth g an lbone s in a fair state of preservation. Near the centre of the cist there was also a deposit of incinerated human bones. The investigators noticed that, mixed with the various deposits of calcined bones found within this circle, there appeared to be fragments e boneoth f f somso e small animals, possibly birds traceo N .f metaso l were found, though in the Tuack Circle, nearly three miles distant, 6 16 PROCEEDING THF SO E SOCIETY, MARC , 1920H8 .

several fragments of bronze, which had been subjected to the action of fire, were discovered among the calcined bones contained in two urne oth f s which were deposited smale withiTh l . cist-liknit e hollows lined with flat stones found withi e Broomenth n f Crichio d e Circle seem to have been similar to that discovered in the centre of the Garrol Wood Circle ,s excavate whewa t i n e Societbehaln r o dth M f o y fyb Fre . ColedR f whic o 1904n si d n accounha an , s givei t voln ni . xxxix. of the Proceedings. e plad sectioth an n n I n accompanyin e originath g l repor f tho te excavations at the Broomend of Crichie Circle a seventh stone is shown standin centre th s vern i gi e t yI (fig doubtful. .5) , however f suci , ha stone ever occupied tha thert t no position es whewa excavation e t I nth . s \vere carrie e sold th eout d evidenc an , s existencit r fo e s derivei e d from the recollection of Mr Alexander Watt of Kintore, who assisted in that \vork n thiI . s cas t seemi e s likely tha s memorhi t y misled himo N . knowledge of a central stone exists, in the locality, all the evidence available being opposed to it. In the map dated 1780 (fig. 4), four stones e marke e circumferencar th n i d e circle th t s centrenon it f bu o ,en ei , thid san alon sufficiens ei discredio t t e statementth t late eTh Willia. m Tait, Esq., LL.D., of Broomend, who was born at Crichie, and whose ancestors had occupied the farm for over a hundred years, stated that no stone stood in the centre of the circle, until the sculptured stone s placewa d there afte s removait r l fro e neighbourinmth g r fieldM . George Guthrie, who helped to trench the field surrounding the circle s beinwhewa gt i nbrough t into cultivatione broko th p wh u e d an , avenue stone removed in 1851, four years before the excavation of the circle, never saw or heard of any standing stone in the centre. A deposit- of burnt bones was found in the centre of the circle, 18 inches below the surface, and it seems improbable that a large standing stone would be placed immediately above such a deposit. In every other case where deposits were found they were place t leasda inches8 1 t fro base mth e of their respective stones. There are no central pillar stones in any of the Aberdeenshire circles thae stil ar existencen ti l f rar o thed ee an ,yar occurrenc Scottisn ei h circles generally. One occupies the centre of the circle at Callernish, in the island of Lewis, three occur in Kirkcudbrightshire, and Penifant record t Langdalea e son , Strathnaver counte th n f Sutherland,i y o e Th . Tuack Circle, three miles south of the Broomend of Crichie Circle, was like it in several respects. It consisted of six standing stones, and had an encircling trench, the centre being occupied by what the investigators describe as a small , but no pillar stone stood there. Un- fortunately this circle is in a very bad state of preservation. The THE STONE CIRCLE AT BROOMEND OF CRICHIE. 167 Garrol Woo e centrth d n i a eheaCircl f d roundedo p ha e " boulder stones entirely Underground, beneath which a smalther s lewa stone cist full of calcined bones, and was thu t unliksno centre e eth th f eo Broomen Crichif do e Circle. These boulders were surroundea y b d ring uprighf o t stones which kept them together, and which in one instanceortwo s protruded nearly fooa t abov surface soile th th .f eo This may have been the arrange- men t Broomena t e dth alsod an , thesf o o eappearanctw r o e on f eo binding stones abov e surfacth e e may easily have given rise to the central pillar story. The present condition of the circl s admirablei y showe th n ni accompanying plan AdrawMr nby Fred R. Coles and reproduced from s reporhi n voli t e . xxxvth f o . Proceedings of the Society of Anti- quanes f Scotlando /. o ,7(6g. . 9) , ,n. r>\ ^if?draw- 9. 1900Plan ni n. and section of Circle at Broomend

E GREATETH R CIRCLE. Several years before his death in 1757 Mr William Maitland, a native of r Brechisomfo ed timnan Felloa ee Societ th f wo f Antiquariesy o , made preparation writinr sfo e Histor gbooa th n Antiquitied ko yan f so Scotland r thiFo s. purpos undertooe h e ktoua r throug countrye hth , in the course of which he appears to have travelled along the old road leading from Aberdeen, through Inverurie e northo Huntlt th , d .yan This road, of which traces still remain, passed within ten yards to the east of the Broomend of Crichie Circle, so that anyone passing along the e roastones evidens th i d e t I coulse .t fai to dt no ltha t Maitland both sa"examined wan e descriptioe circleth dth r fo ,, whic it f no h appearn o s p. 154 of vol. i. of his History and Antiquities of Scotland from the Earliest Account to the Death of James L, etc., is clearly that of an eyewitness. This publication was issued in two volumes in 1757, shortly after the author's death, and thus gives us an accurate, though not very full, descriptio circlee th f s theno sa y existe e middl eighteente th th n d i f eo h earliese centuryth s i t tI .accoun r discoveredfa o s t seemd an , havo st e 8 16 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 1920H8 . been unknow previouo t n s writere subject th r directinn Fo o s . g 'my greatlattentiom a I t yi indebteno t Davidson. Miso dM t . sA Aberdeenf ,o , who is much interested in our circles, and whose knowledge of them is both extensive and accurate. In vol. i. of his History (p. 154) Maitland gives an account of what he calls "The Pagan Temples of Scotland," in which he describes the Broomen f Crichido e Circles saye H .s " I shall giv n accoune a e on f o t of the said temples, which is situated on the western side of the highway, abou quartea t mila f o er besout rivee hth r Don, near Inverurye th n i , shir f Aberdeen.eo This anonymous temple consistpartso tw e f th , o s smallest, lying toward e southth s s surroundei , d wite th hditcha d an , largest encompassed with three row f stoneso s erect, wit hsmala l cairn o rmiddlee heath n pi . That this beesha nplaca f worshieo f greapo t eminence and distinction appears by its long avenue of about 200 yards enclosed with a row of large stones erected on each side; it leads from soutlessee e th th o hrt circle havind an , g crosse samee dth , continues sit short courslargere th o et , enclosed with stones . Nea. . . thio t r s there is sai havo dt e beestonee altan non a f ,r o wit hcavita uppee th n yri part, wherein some of the blood of the sacrifice was put and offered as a further propitiatio e trespas e th offender th r f fo no s . This altar fo r burnt offerings, like othe e thosth rn ei temples artifician a s wa , l heapr o , cairn, of rough unwrought stones, with a large flat stone on the upper part whereon to burn the sacrifices." In the part which I have omitted quotingn i , Maitland describe e ceremonieth s s attendin e offeringth f o g sacrifice circlee th t ssubjeca a , whicn o t coule h personado n hav d eha l knowledge insteahe dHad .give fullea nus r accoun circlethe of tsand avenu s descriptiohi e n would" have bee f muco n h greater value to posterity. e purposth r f confirmino Fo e g Maitland's account f possibli d an , e discovering the exact site of the greater circle, of which no trace now remains, searc mads e districmaphd wa th eol f amono se tth whic l gal h could be discovered. In a copy of a map of the Barony of Crichie dated 1780, now in the possession of Messrs Tait & Sons of Inverurie Paper Mills, both circles were found marked. This map forms one of a series showin e pla gth f Crichi no t varioua e s period Messrn i s s whilswa t ei Tait's possession. A portion of this map showing the circles is repro- duce fign di whic, .4 h indicates tha e largeth t r circle, stood som yard0 e5 s e smallenortth f ho r onethree Th .e ring f uprigho s t stones encircling centrae th l cairn, describe Maitlandy db t distinguishabl no e ar , s sucea h on the map. Probably the stones were small, and in the eyes of the map-maker not of sufficient importance to be marked on a map in- tended primaril shoo yt agriculturae wth e samth l lander reasonFo . , THE STONE CIRCLE AT BROOMEND OF CRICHIE. 169 apparently s omitteha e e avenuh ,dth e stones d alse sculpturean oth , d stone which then stood about 50 yards north-east of the lesser circle. It is evident, both from Maitland's description and from the map, that the larger circle was not surrounded by a trench and rampart like the smaller one. The existenc thif eo s larger circle explains wha otherwiss ti epuzzlina g feature in the smaller one, namely the fact that' the northern arc of the trench was crossed by an earthen embankment similar to that which crossed the southern arc. The avenue, instead of terminating at the smaller circle, extende dlargee beyonth o t r t onedi thereford ,an e th e northern passage acros e trenca necessar th ss hwa y . parit Thes f o t e two embankments exacn a ,n howeveri t t linno e wite southere ar , hth n or main portioe avenueth f t havno bu , a esligh t inclination towards the east. This indicates thae northerth t r greateo n t r no circl y la e exactly north of the smaller one, but slightly to the east of north. Maitland says that having crossed the lesser circle the avenue continued courss e largerit th o et , enclosed wit showp h stonesma se thaTh e . th t two circles were abou yard0 5 t s apart thao s , t this extensioe th f o n avenue would be bounded by four standing stones on each side. There- fore the whole length of the avenue, from the southernmost standing e northerstonth o et n circle s abou t yardswasi 0 wa , d 50 t boundean , d by about forty stones on each side, as far as can be judged. Not a trace of this larger circle now remains, even its site has dis- appearedoccupie w s plac it no a larg s d i y e b dan e, sand-pit. Diligent inquir bees yha n mad discoveo e t urn y r othean so f i r r relics have been found durin e remova th e gsand t th non f bu ,o le see mo havt e been noticed, nor have any fragments been found among the rubbish thrown portiono tw r o f dar o se pitke asidOn th soil. n ei , havin t firsga t sight the appearance of burial pits, have been noticed in the subsoil, on the southern e sand-pitedgth f eo , abou yard5 2 t s e lessenortth f hro circle. A close inspectio f theseo n , however, showed tha s e undissoith twa l - turbed, and that the dark appearance was probably due to the infiltra- tion of some substance such as iron. As already remarked, this northern circl s entirelha e y disappeared, and it is not difficult to understand the reason. It appears to have been caira n circle tha o stonee surroundine s , th tth n si g rings would neither heavo s largbo es r e lesses thosyea th no n rei circle which still remain, and therefore they woul more db e easily removed e temptatioTh . o nt remove them occurred near the end of the seventeenth century, when turnpikw ne e th e road from Aberdee e nort s beinth ho wa t n g made. This roas openewa d r traffi n fo dprocesi n 1800i s c f thao wa o s , t i t formation shortly after the map of 1780 was made. It passes along the 170 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 8, 1920.

200 300 400 ' 500 YARDS

Ston£ o p e CirclMa Pig . othed 10 .ean r Remains at Broomend of Crichie, THE STONE CIRCLE AT BROOMEND OF CRICHIE. 171

wes e fielt th whicn sidi df o e circle hth s s onlstoodi d y an abou, 0 5 t yards distant from them. Large quantities of stones were necessary fos constructionit r e caird thosth an nf , o ecircl e wer temptinglo s e y e o purposesuitabls th near d r fo an e,, that workmen with little knowledg r reverenco , eof e for, object f antiquito s y likele woulb t ydno to pass them by. Not a few stone circles in Aberdeenshire have dis- appeared in a somewhat similar manner, and we are left to lament the loss of these interesting objects of antiquity, which can never be replaced. THE SCULPTURED STONE. „ Though this stone (fig. 3) now stands in the centre of the circle, it has, of course, no real connection with it, being of a very much later date t stooI . d originall a spo t ya t nearl yard0 y5 s north-ease th f o t circle, and was removed to its present position for better preservation shortly after the circle was excavated. When the circle was being examine 185n di groune 5th d besid e sculptureeth d ston s alsg oewa du up, but it seemed to have been previously disturbed, and no relics were found, though a few flat stones lying near looked like the remains of a cist. The whole of the ground on which the stone originally stood has since been carried off for railway ballast, but no remains have been found durin operationse gth . The stone itsela bloc s i f fgre ko y granite crossed diagonalla y yb thin band of white quartz. It is 5 feet 3 inches high, 3 feet 6 inches broad aboud an , a foot t thickflae tTh .surface , whic facew e hno th s symbol o e uppesouthtw th s n r O ,ha s portio incise long. e it th n s -ni do jawed animal usually called the elephant, and beneath it the crescent crossed by the V-shaped rod. The figures are beautifully drawn, and the stone is so hard that the incised lines, though exposed to the weathe r manfo r y centuries e almosar , s shara t s whea p n they were cut.

In conclusion, attention may be drawn to a danger threatening the existenc f thio e s most interesting circlee grounTh n .whic o d t i h stands form sn extensiva par f o t e deposi f sano graved t an d f cono l - siderable valu r buildingefo , railway ballasting othed an , r purposesd ,an large quantities have therefore been removed. The railway line is fully 100 yards east of the circle, but the bank on that side has been removed for ballasting purposes so that the edge of the cutting is now only abou yard0 3 t s e originafro th e circle mth d e sculpturean l, th sit f eo d stone has disappeared. Fortunately operations on this side have ceased for some time back, but the danger still exists on the north. Here there 172 PROCEEDING SE SOCIETYOTH F , MARC , H19208 . is an extensive sand-pit from which material is still being removed, and onlw yno e edgabous i th f thi t o yarde5 2 pi st s fro e outemth r rinf go the circle. It is to be hoped that operations on this side will not proceed much furthee directioe b th e circle y n th i r thao f ma s no , t i t preserve objecn a s f interesda o t wonded an t futuro t r e generations.