III. REPOR STONEN TO CIRCLES SURVEYE NORTH-EASE TH N DI SCOTF TO - LAND, CHIEFL BANFFSHIREN YI , WITH MEASURED PLAND SAN DRAWINGS; OBTAINED UNDE E GUNNINTH R G FELLOWSHIP. BY FRED. R. COLES, ASSISTANT KEEPER OF THE MUSEUM. In the report for the year 1903,1 the most westerly site in the northern portion of the Buchan district was at the Standing Stones of Auchnagorth, three miles to the west of New Pitsligo. For an area westwards of Auchnagorth measuring ten miles by four, there are no sites recorded on the maps. The absence both of cairns and of circles is very marked. Doubtless, this is in great part due to the highly cultivated condition of the land in that district. districe th n I t deal r last witou t n surveyhi e resultth , f whico s e ar h contained in the present report, the recorded sites are fairly frequent; majorite th but n o ,f them yo e actuath , l megalithic remain e lamentar s - ably meagre districe Th . t surveye vera s di y a verwid d y ean irregular one, and it will be most easily represented by being divided into four portions, viz.—(I.) Sites in Eanffshire to the north-east of Huntly, and mainly in the parishes of Gamrie, Alvah, Boyndie, Marnoch, Ordiquhill, and ; (II.) Aberdeenshir e parishe th site n i sf Cairni o s d an e Glass; (HI. e north-wes th )e nort d th Site an ho t Huntlyf s o t d an ; (IV. e rive) th e wes Sitef th r o tSpeyo t s n Elginshirei , . 1 Proceedings, xxxviii. . 281p , . STONE CIRCLES SURVEYED IN THE NORTH-EAST OF . 165

I. SITES TO THE NORTH-EAST OF HUNTLY. No. 1. North Bumldales, Mountblairy, Alvah.—This site is marked

llFeetr0 1 9 . 8 I I I 1 Fig . Nort1 . h Burreldales Circl e; Ground-Plan . on the six-inch Ordnance map by the words " Stone Circle, site of "—a misleading record, for there are in reality four Stones still in situ. They stand in a roundel of wood on the south-east of the farm-road 166 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 12, 1906.

goinBrownsido t p gu e Wood altitudn fee0 a t 40 ta , f aboveo e sea-level, and distant three miles N.N.W. of the Circle1 in Whitehill Wood, Forglen. If the hills were bared of wood, the two sites would probably be visible froanothere mon . t groundconspicuouse no e sitTh s th i e s flatd i ' an , , being, excepto t , south-easte th , belo levee wth f closelo l y adjacent fields. Ther e fouar e r Stonesf greo l y al ,granite d placean , s showa d n i n ground-plae th soute Th n h falles (fig. Stonha 1) ) .n eforwar(A d towards the centre of the Circle; if placed on its base, the diameter of the Circle e northdu , , measured froe innemth r fac f thio e s Ston thao et t

Fig . Nort2 . h Burreldales Circl e; View fro Weste mth .

of Stone C, would be 21 feet, and the corresponding diameter, east and west, is 20 feet. The west Stone (B) is 3 feet 4 inches in height, wit a verh y slight lea1 2 n s d i flattoward an p , e to centre th ss It . inche breadthn si e nortTh h. Stonquits i ) ee(C vertical alsos ha flaa , t fee3 inches 4 i t topd heightn an si ,ease Th t less Ston.i ) s regulare(D , a good deal thinner standd an , s onl foo1 y inche9 t sgrounde cleath f o r . Near the south Stone, and elsewhere, lie several comparatively small blocks of stone, and the whole of the interior space bears evidence, in s unevennessit f havino , g been disturbed viee th w n I sho I (fig, . 2) w. this grou sees pa n fro e westmth . Mountblairy estat alreads eha y yielde followine dth g relics recordes a , d by John Alexander Stuart, also owh 2 notices this Circl t Burreldalesea ; Proceedings,e Se xxxvii. . 138p , . Proceedings,n I vol. ii.. 370p , . 1 2 STONE CIRCLES SURVEYED IN THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND. 167 e far th f Newtonm o n o large on , e Stone markin e sit f anothegth o e r Circle, and a Circle on the farm of Wardend; on the Mains of Auchen- badie, close to the Ha' Hillock, a bronze armlet similar to the Belhelvie exampl Museue th n e i Qalloe m ; andth n wo , Hil t Newtonla cinerara , y urn found in or near a Stone Circle. (See the Catalogue of the Museum, EA 13.) This urn is described and figured by Dr Anderson.1 The Newton Circle was excavated by the late Mr Morrison, of Bognie. The map does not record any Stone either at Wardend or Newton. . Mains2 . f AucJienbadie.o No —Shown e map th d correctly an n , o s a , sita ee slopin onlyth n o ,g field e farm-steadingsnortth f a ho t bu d an , few score yards above a pool on the river Deveron called Thief's Pot. The height above sea-level is 127 feet. The site is 2J? miles N.N.E. of the Burreldales Circle and 1^ mile S.E. of the Kirktown of Alvah. The map records the discovery of "bronze armour" at this site. This probably refers to the armlet already noticed as being found many years ago. . Gavenie3 . No Braes, Kirkside, Gamrie.—This sit s almosi e e du t north of Auchenbadie 2| miles, but on the eastern bank of the Deveron, and only 1 mile south from the Coastguard station in the town of Banffsitee fee0 Th 10 t, .abov e sea eth s nea i ,e westerth r n extremity of a long-extended ridge running east and west towards the river, and e slopin northe Stoneth Th o t g. s have been e flattesplaceth n o dt surfac ridgee th f eo . Their present unsightly conditio t anothebu s i n r instance of the deplorable want of respect for megalithic remains which has been so prevalent throughout these northern agricultural districts. Five Stones remain, but only one stands on its original base. The ground-plan (fig ) show3 . baseso tw s , almost contiguous t righa d t an , angles to each other, an arrangement not in keeping with the plans of the Stone Circles proper. The question arises, which of these two Stones, both quite erect, is the more likely to be still in situ 1 This it is, I think, possibl answe o et examination a y rb e Stoneth f no s themselves theid an r relative positions e ground-planth n I . e Ston th e bas f th ,e o e 1 Scotland in Pagan Times : The Bronze Age, pp. 115, 116. 168 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR , .190612 Y .

A is that of the less tall of the two monoliths; it is altogether a smaller Stone than Ston (se eB viewse eth . , figs5) , 4 . Mineralogically, it is a somewhat uncommon stone, being of a dark greenish-grey schist, very smooth and weather-worn, and full of numerous little warty protuberance brownish-grea f so y colour.1 The other and more massive Stone (B) is of whinstone, and is so set, wit longes hit r axi normae e trulb th s easn westo yd i t l an ts positio a , n of the East Pillar of a Circle from which the Kecumbent Stone has been removed positioe schistose Th th . f no e bloc ) doe t confork(A sno m

*•"?•••? m 1 m ? i r* Fig . Gaveni3 . e Brae s; Remain Circlf so e; Ground-Plan .

to this arrangement. Therefore, of these two, I consider that it is Stone A that was moved from its original site, but I am unable to suggest where that may have been. This schistose Stone (A) stands 4 feet 10 inches in height, girths at base pointea th fee e4 s inches4 tha dd topan , . The other erect Stone (B), quite vertical, and with broad smooth sides, stands 6 feet 7 inches above ground, has a basal girth of 6 feet 9 inches and a pointed top. The other three Stones shown in the plan, and in fig. 6, are all prostrate; that lying e eas vera mosth s i ty o t tcoars e laminated whinstone thickly

1 On examining the specimens in the Banff Museum, I found pieces of the identical rock labelle Knottes da d Schist therd alse an ; ear o specimens from Portsoy and the vicinity of Gavenie Braes in the Museum of Science and Art, Edinburgh. STONE CIRCLES SURVEYE E NORTH-EASTH N I D F SCOTLANDO T 9 16 .

Fig. 4. Gavenie Braes ; View from the East.

itf. 5. Gavenie Braes ; View from the South. 170 PROCEEDING SE SOCIETYOTH F , FEBRUAR , 190612 Y . veined with quartz. Its extreme dimensions are: length, 5 feet 8. inches, breadth, 3 feet, and thickness, 2 feet 6 inches. The other Stones are also roughly quartz-veined blocks of whinstone about 3 feet in thickness. Ther a distinc s ei t stony moun f roughldo y semicircular contour about this group, the result, no doubt, of many seasons' ploughing, after the removae Stones th e res f th o tf .o l

Fig . Gaveni6 . e Brae s; Vie w from tlie West.

n thejihreI e annexed views these Stone e showar s n from various pointsl (figs. 4, 5, 6). Eev. Dr Garden, with regard to another site in this vicinity, writes 2 (in 1692): " I was likewise told by an ingenious gentleman, who lives at 1 During our drive to Gavenie Braes, we passed two sites named on the map as antiquities. One is Barbara's Hillock, a very steeply conical mound, due, I think, entirely to natural causes; the other, Carlin-Kist-Cairn, at Boghead, a long, low mound overgrown with broo d bramblesman e e tenanadjoininth Th f . o t g farm remembered seeing Standinbi a ge Cair th pard gf an n o t Stone y t coulsa t bu , no d when they were removed name Statis-w Th Ne e. e Carlinkiswritee th th y n i rb , is t tical Account of Alvah parish, applied to the Stone itself. 2 ArclicEologia, vol. i., p. 340. STONE CIRCLES SURVEYE E NORTH-EASTH N I D F SCOTLANDO T 1 17 .

a place called Troup, in the shire of Banff, and parish of Gamrie, that not far from his house, there is a den called the Chapel Den, from one of those monuments [i.e. a Stone Circle] which is near by." From a recently published bookl I take the following paragraph : e Straith f "Opposito t p Pat n to Banff[i he th e] ther s formerlwa e y visible a large grey-coloured Grey Stone, which was a popular place of resort whicd s givean , e adjoininha hs nam th it n o t e g propertye Th . stone is now buried below the surface of the street." anothen I r local publicatio recordes i n t i 2 de that th site f th o e, "n o now ruinous windmill overlooking Sandend Bay, stood tilyeap e u ,lth r 1760 Circla , f Stoneeo fee4 1 sfee0 t 6 hig t d broahan d [circle-diameter]. A stone coffin and a deer's horn were found in it. Another Circle stood ahundrea t d paces." We must therefore include in our enumeration five sites of Circles and Standing Stones not named on the Ordnance maps, and of which only above th e brief note knowne sar . No. 4. Boyndie Church.—The map-record here, at a height above a Stone sit f th sea-leveo e f efeet3 o Circles 18 i , f o l , soute closth o het wall of the churchyard. There is now no vestige of any such remains to Statisticalw Ne be th seen t Accountbu ; records that " huga Stond ere e use stano dt d nea manse th r e offices, wher estona e coffifound.s wa n " The Rev. J. Ledingham, M.A., the present minister, writes, in, reply to inquiries, from the Manse of Boyndie :— "Dear Sir,—I have seen the notice in the Statistical Account to which you refer. I have looked for the stone and coffin again and again, but without success. My impression is that the stone had been broken up and used in building of new offices. The district here is very rich Stonn i e glebe cleareth s Circles n ewa o gooA de .of on d f some thirty years ago, much to the disappointment of Sir A. Mitchell." The New Statistical Account mentions a Standing Stone at Buchragie in this parish.

1 Illustrated CkMe Macduff,Banffd o t an 1904. BanffshireThe 2 Field Chil) Transactions. 172 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 12, ]90ti.

No. 5. St Brandaris Stan.es.—The few stones now left of this Circle are at the southern extremity of a long strip of fir plantation running down from Bankhead Farm poina t a , t 2J miles south-wes e sitth e f o t t a Boyndie Churc d hal an ha milf e bure th f Boyndieeas o nf o t . Tillynaught Station on the Great North of Scotland Eailway is distant slightly over half a mile on the north-west. farm-lane Th calles di d Templeton namedo informes s s wa i I d , dan ,

\ 3———-, ^__<

m n n m r t Brandan'S Fig . 7 . s Stane s; Ground-Plan . by the tenant, from these Standing Stones. The site is 300 feet above sea-level. The ground-plan (fig ) showo grea7 . e tw position sth t e Pillarth f o s s with an interspace sufficient for a Recumbent Stone fully 8 feet in length. Unfortunately, it is not possible to examine the whole bases of these Stones n accouno , a hug d unsightlf o an te y hea f field-wraco p k being piled up against them on the south.. In front lie four large blocks e easclosd th e Eas tan , o th et fac tf o ePillan almos a s i r t square block, 3 feet in height, and apparently earth-fast, also quite vertical, STONE CIRCLES SURVEYED IN THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND. 173

which may be the beginning of the inner stone-setting so frequently foun Circlein d thiof s s type. Both the Pillars are tall and massive blocks of grey granite, vertically d impressivsetan , n heigh i e e Easd bulkTh an tt , Pillar 5 ifees t inche5 heightn si , abov smale eth l stones coverin groune gbaseth s it t da . Its full height (on the outside) and its girth at the base could not be ascertained reasoe th r nfo , above stated t frobu ;m girte s whath hf wa o t measurable, that dimensio e estimateb n e aboub n ca s 6 feeto 1 t It dt . inner, i.e. s northwardit , face shows sign f havino s g bee n moderi n n

t Brandan'FigS . 8 . s Stane s; Vie w fro Northe mth .

times splid robbean t f s mucbulo dit f ko h (see fig . .8) Quit e prob- ably some of the larger fragments lying close to this part of the Stone once forme portioda . it f no The West Pillar is 5 feet 11 inches in height, and has one very broad, vertical, and smooth face towards the interior of the Circle. It is a more shapely block than its fellow-pillar, and, near its base, displays a well-preserved grou f larg o pd dee an e p cup-marks shows a , n (drawo nt scale) in fig. 9.1 There are eight distinct cups, and the highest is r beforeo , 1In , 1866, this Ston s examinewa e y Db dr Black o recordwh , s " twelv excavationp ecu usuae th f lso size " (see Proc., e Appenth volf o -.4 vi.1 . ,p dix). The discrepancy may be accounted for by the growth of grass and weeds around the Stone. 174 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR , 190612 Y . almost precisel e middle breadtth th e Pillar n yf i th o ef ho . These cup- marks are also noticed by Dr Cramond, of Cullen, in the second volume Transactionsth f o e e Banffshirth f o e Field Club. othee Oth f r Stones l prostrateal , , little nee saide db , except that they are blocks of rugged whinstone, of lengths varying from 5 feet 6 inches

Fig. 9. Cup-marked West Pillar in the Circle called St Brandan's Stanes. to 3 feet 8 inches, and showing above ground from 16 to 33 inches in thickness. storo Thern s y obtainablewa e fro e tenanmth f Templetono t , bearing upon the name attached to the Stones, or upon the date or alleged reason for the demolition of this Circle. It is, however, recorded l in connection with this locality that, " nea Parise th r h Kir Druia s ki d Circle d anothean , a milr e north-east 1 New Statistical Account. STONE CIRCLES SURVEYED IN THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND. 175 a thir d t Bankheadda an , oit f . e lastSoutth numbea ,f ho f largo r e stones are called The Brannan Stanes." Of these four sites, only the one above noticed is named on the maps. . Thorax,5 . No near Culeie, 'Marnoch.—The map-recor r thifo ds i s

i n n 11111 T r Fig. Thora10 . x Circl e; Ground-Plan .

given at the height of 800 feet above sea-level, on a slightly sloping field abou furlona t g wes f Thorao t x farm-house d veran , y nearw whano s i t e boundary-dikth e betwee e parisheth n f Ordiquhilo s d Marnochan l . The wooded Culvie Hill is close above it on the west, and below, to the east Culvis i , e Moss. Stonee Th s composing this unsymmetriea n numberi l x Circlsi e , ar e 176 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 12, 1906.

and between every coupl dikea bee s eha ninterioe builtth d ran , planted smalw wit fe respecte lha on trees n I , .thi s treatment merits commenda- tion, as the conjoined dike assures the security of the Circle Stones, f coursewhilo , it e , also render t i impossibls o measurt e l rounal e d each Stone, and the trees within impede the mensuration of the Circle itself. The Stones, though differing considerably in size and contour, are all vertically set up, on a circumference which is not that of a true Circle but of a triangular oval figure (see fig. 10), the diameters of which are

Fig. 11. Thorax Circle ; View from the South-East.

22 feet 4 inches (B to E) as against 17 feet 9 inches (A to C), the latter dimension bein norte southd gdu han . The heights and characteristics of the Stones are as follows:— A fee3 , inches7 t , whinstone, triangula pointedd ran . B 5 , ,,, , 5whinstone sharp-edgedp to , . C 4 , ,,, , 8whinstone , roug tope thicd th han .t ka 4 „, , gre4 , yD granite, pointed. E, 4 ,,7 „ „ „ rounded. F, 5 ,,5 „ „ „ pointed. The Stones B and D are specially massive, B being 9 feet 8, and D 10 feet 9 inches, in computed girth near their bases. STONE CIRCLES SURVEYED IN THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND. 177

The distances, measured centr o centreet , betwee Stonee nth s are : — A to B, 6 feet. , 1E 1 o feet inches0 tD . inches6 , , . 1 1 , C , , B E „ F, 11 „ 0 „ C „ D, 10 .„ 6 „ F „ H, 10 „ 6 „

The general view (fig. 11) was drawn from the outside on the south-east.

-t g 3

Fig. 12. The North-West Stone in Thorax Circle.

The next illustration (fig. 12) shows the inner face of the great Stone on the north-west, with its group of twenty-two cup-marks, the positions of which were all accurately measured, and are here shown drawn to scale. The largest cups measure 4 inches in diameter, and are about an inch deepmajorite Th .rathe e yar r les diametern si t som bu e nearl, ar e s a y deep, and all, without exception, are circular and remarkably free from 2 1 VOL. XL . 8 17 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR , 190612 Y .

any alteration in form through weathering or other interference. The absence of grooves is also to be noticed. This Stone is figured on PI. IV. of Simpson's Archaic; Sculpturings, App. to vol. vi. of the Proceedings. No. 7. Brodie Stone, Oraigbourach Moor, Marnoch.1—The rugged bloc f whinstoneo k , know y thib n s name, crown e summie th s th f o t steep moorland here, at the height of about 800 feet above sea-level

Fig. 13. Brodie Stone, Craigbourach Moor.

(see fig. 13) s longesIt . d straightesan t t side nortliee southd sdu han , and it is there 5 feet 4 inches in length. basee A girte th t th , s 1hi 8 fee inche8 t s ; measured ovee topth r n ,i a line from east to west, it is 12 feet 10 inches. The height is 4 feet 6 inches. Durin ramblinr gou g driv searcn i e f thio h s Ston d othersan e , ove almosn a r t 1 trackless moorland, we noticed a huge mass of whinstone outcrop, which, according e Ordnancth o t e map, rejoice e vernamd th od yf Maggin o i es e Redhead. Beyond sundry fissure ice-markingsd an s , ther nothins ewa g noteworth s hoarit n yo y surface. Another curious exampl locaf eo l nomenclature existe Courtth n si Stone, over hala f mile sout f Brodiho extremeln a e n Stoneo d yan , wild rocky e samslopth f eo e hill. This appellation, printed in the 0. M. in Old English letters, is given merely to another vast outcro whinstonee th f po . Unles e namth s e Courta corruptio e b f o n Corth, Gortlia, r CortMe,o e commoth n e formGaelith f o sc worpillaa r dfo r stoned an , may thus losindicatw t no Standin sita e f eth eo g Stone, there seem meanino sn . it n gi STONE CIRCLES SURVEYED IN THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND. 179

Though this Stone seems to be fairly well known in the vicinity by the name here quoted, no information reached me in explanation of that point.l . Marnoch8 . No Church, Cairnhill. — The map-recore th d f hero s i e remain Circlea f so ,e churcwalle closth th f o seo t h itself, which stands o ngentla y rising eminence abou fee0 25 tt above sea-level churce Th . h is surrounded by a nearly circular wall, and, on the map, this wall is shown as if terminating in the two Stones, on the south, like the extremities of a penannular ring. Some disturbance must have taken

CHURCH

CRTOCH-tOTB WALL VESTRY

Fig. 14. Standing Stones at Marnoch Church.

place since the Ordnance survey was made, or else the drawing on the Ordnance r frosheefa m s i t correct;2 e presenfoth r t positione th f o s two Stones are as shown in my ground-plan (fig. 14, A and B).8 As

southere th n 1O n mooe slopa smalth s f i reo l farm called Brodiefield t woulI . d appear, therefore therf i s a e, were some connection between thi e sfar Stonth m; d ean and, if so, probably their joint history is quite modern. But my reason for including reporStone e th th n thas ei i t nams tit e Englis d occurOl . Mn 0 i s.h e onletteringth . lettea n I 2r from Rev. Dr Allan, ministe f Marnoeho r kindlo wh , y respondeo t d my reques informatior fo t thin o ns point t becomei , s clea e rOrdnanc th that n o , e map, what was taken by me for the plan of a Standing Stone was really meant for the " Loupin'-on Stane," which still exists. Dr Allan further remarks that he had never, up to the date of my letter, heard anyone speak of the taller Stone as St Marnan's San/shiree Chait thath bu n ti r; Journal same th ef o week writera , n describini , g various objects of interest in the parish, mentions this very Stone and its name. 3 Ther severae ear lrecordee siteb o st n whici d h eithe a pre-Reformatior n chapel n earloa r y Established churc s bee ha h a Stonn e sit r f closth builo o e eo n t eo t notey m t presens sa a r fa Circle ts extendA . , t Kinellarthesa e ear , Midmar, Daviot, Culsalmoud, Auchleven (Insch), Marnoch, and Boyndie. The present church of oldere e sitth f th e o . Marnocn o t no s hi iao PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 12, 1906.

space th e betwee n5 fee the13 t s mwidi e nearly nort d souths an hi t i , hardly probable that the bote yar situn hi member e samth f e o sCircle . Probabl e e smallenort th yth s bee e (Bn ha ho on ) nr moved fros mit origina rubbing-stona s a l sitep u than o t , tse sideed foan , r cattld e an ; this conjecture receives some support from the fact that this Stone stands outside the wall surrounding the church, and close to the farm-steading. The great Standing Stone on the south (fig. 15) is called locally

. FigStandin15 . g Ston sout) e (A Marnocf ho h Church.

. St Marnan's Chair. It is a conspicuously tall Stone, being 8 feet 4 inches in height, and nearly 3 feet in breadth. At its base, it girths 8 feet 5 inches, and at about the middle of its height, it is over 9 feet a squarish-side s i n girthi t I . d bloc f whinstoneo k standd an , s quite erecdistanca t feea 2 t 2 tf eo fro e soutmth he church walth f o l . The small Stone on the north (fig. 16), near the farm-steadings, is also of whinstone, somewhat pyramida n formi l 4 fee, 7 inchet n heighti s , and has a basal girth of 7 feet 1 inch, and a pointed top.1

Here the opportunity may be taken to record a fact disclosed to me, during the presen1 t survey, regardin Circle gth t Rothiemaea y home farm—my pla f whico n s hi STONE CIRCLES SURVEYE NORTH-EASE TH N I D F SCOTLANDO T 1 18 .

No. 9. Bellman's Wood.—The remains here, on the farm of Sheep- park e ia fielnar , d hal a milf e north-eas e site lasts th i Th e .f o t 344 feet abov e therStonesd e sea th bench-mara eth an , s f ei o .e on n ko The East Pillar still remains based on its original site, but with a heavy inclination toward e e S.S.EWesth sTh t. Pillar, drawn i n thickened outline on the ground-plan (fig. 17), is prostrate, and there a spac s i e left between thes o stonea Recumben tw er fo s t Stonf o e nearly 10 feet in length. Upon the slight knoll where these Stones

Fig. 16. Standing Stone (B) north of Marnoch Church.

now rest, there are also the five other blocks shown in the plan, all of considerable size and weight, but none large enough to have formed one of the true Standing Stones of the Circle. As a dike runs within s south 2it s e probablsite0 i n th t feeo i ,f , o t e thae majoritth t f o y the Stones were, as usual, utilised in building it. All the Stones are of the blue whinstone common in the locality.

given in the Proceedings, vol. xxxvii., p. 134. Close to the gate at the road on the north lie hugsa e oblong bloc f whinstoneo k assures wa persony I e spodb . th tn o thas t this Stone had originally stood on the circumference of the Circle several feet to the south of the Recumbent Stone. .My plan showed that in this Circle (as in others) this likelihool musal n ti d have bee e originanth l arrangement thid an s, statement confirm observationy m s . 182 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR , 190612 Y .

e EasTh t Pillar measure fee5 s t above ground e basgirthd th an e,t a s 11 fee inches9 rudels ti t I y. squar sectionn ei fallee Th n. West Pillar fee7 inches 9 i t fuln si l length 4 fee , 9 inchet n breadthi s d froan m, 2 feet 6 inches to nearly 3 feet in thickness at various points. The thick- ness of the largest block lying to the north of it is about 2 feet 5 inches. Thoug e Stone th rese f h th thif o ts o s Circle must have extended north-

n n i T Fig. 17. Remains of Circle at Bellman's Wood ; Ground-Plan.

wards of the present remains, there is not, on the surface, the slightest indicatio theif no r positions ; therefor s presumei t i e d tharemovae th t l of these megaliths took plac somewhaa t ea t distant date. In the illustrations (figs. 18, 19, and 20) the remains are shown from three different points of view. . White10 . No Stone, Whitemuir, Marnoch. — Thi recordes i s e th n do d EnglisOl Ordnanc n i h p lettering ma efurtheo n t bu ,r clu gives ei s na s attributioit s o possibl t it n antiquity a o t s a ns ea associatior o , n with STONE CIRCLES SURVEYED IN THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND. 183

. Bellman'Fig18 . s Wood Circl e; fro Easte mth .

Fig. Bellman'19 . s Wood Circl e; fro Weste mth . 184 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 12, 1906.

other stones as part of a group. Locally, it is well known, and is also supposed to cover a hoard of gold. The site is in a field, near the eastern edge of Bellman's Wood, on the far f Whitemuirmo s distani d an , t froe Circlmth e just described about 900 N.N.W.e yardth o st e Ston a massivTh s i e e bloc f verko y pure white quartzonls i t yI . 2 fee inche7 t n heighti s , rudely hexagona n contouri l , and measures in girth 12 feet.

Fig. 20. Bellman's Wood Circle ; from the North.

. II SITE CAIRNIN SI GLASSD AN E , ABBBDBENSHIEB. Before continuing the Banffshire northern sites, it will be here convenient to record all that is known of four sites many miles to the south, in the parishes of Cairnie and Glass. No. 11. Nether Dumeath, Glass.—Regarding this site, only the follow- ing particulars are now obtainable. Mr James Macdonald, late of The Farm, Huntly, states1 tha Circle "abouts th ewa yard0 t4 circumferencen si , when perfect; six Stones remain, two are erect and four thrown down, with drill-holes in them. Four have been removed. The Stones measured fee8 lengthn o i 7feet 4 breadthn o i t 3 , aboud an , fee2 t thickness.n i t " Quite recently a lette n i , r from W . J .Grant , Esq. Beldorneyf ,o n o , whose estate this Circle stood I ,receive d informatio effece th o tn t that all the Stones had been blasted with gunpowder, by the tenant, and removed. I did not, therefore, after hearing this very explicit accoiint, think it necessary to visit this empty site. 1 Place-Names of Strathtogie, p. 128. STONE CIECLES SURVEYE DNORTH-EASE INTH F SCOTLANDO T 5 18 .

It is clear, however, from the notes taken by Mr Macdonald, that here was once a fine megalithic group of massive Stones, ten in e margi th a Circl number n f o o ne t abouse , 0 fee 4 n diameterti t ; evidently, too, from there bein notico n ga Recumben f o e t Stone, this Circle belonge simple th o dt e type. . Gingomyres,12 . No Hill f o Milleath, Cairnie.—Here, 4^ miles to the "W.N'.W. of Huntly, on a lofty plateau, comparable to but a very few others in the county for extent of view, the Circle- builder d raise sha e stone th a dgrea f o st Circle. sitee Th , 1jus t north woodew no e doth fsummi f Hilo tMilleath f o l bounded wesan e , th tn do by the still wild and uncultivated Ba' Muir, is level, and being at the almost unique altitude of 900 feet above sea-level, probably commanded views of other Circles on the south and east.2 It is one mile north of the river Deveron at Mains of Cairnborrow. All the more vexatious is it to record that, on this remarkable site, single on t e Stoneno fragmena r o , Stonea f s beeo t ha , n lef maro t t e kth ground set apart here by the prehistoric people. On recognising the fact that I was assuredly treading on the very t coule Circleye th sitd d f o edisceran , n I nothindirecte , it f y o gm d steps to the nearest dike, and there found over sixty great blocks, their fracture l comparativelal s y recent, utilise buildins a d g material. Count- less other stones, rounded blocks, and smaller slab-like pieces are also there, all testifying to the fact that, when the Circle was destroyed, it was utterly annihilated. By inquiry at the neighbouring farm of Blackhill, I ascertained that this wanto f destructioo t nac n (committed withou referency an e t th o t e laird s e Dickeffecteon wa ) y , b dfarme t Gingomyresa r r abouo e n i th ,t year 1875. My informant o rememberewh , e Circleth d , said tha t measurei t d about 60 feet in diameter, and that the Kecumbent Stone was rather over 4 feet in thickness. Mr Macdonald states that it measured 13 feet

1 It is noticed by Mr Macdonald in Place-Names of StratJibocjie. 2 The Circle called Auld Kirk of Tough is 300 feet higher. 186 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 12, 1906.

6 inche feet6 y s.b These measurements giv ea cubica l conten2 31 f o t feet, yielding results a , weigha , thir fo ts Recumbent Stontons9 1 f .eo a notice n I Dy b r1 John Stuart, printe n 1853i d s recordei t i , f o d this Circle " that there were three or four Stones only now remaining. A large Stone .... lies partly on the ground, and is opposite to the opening to the south or south-east. It is 12 feet long, 6 feet deep, arid 14 inche se e centrflaCircla broad th th s t f n Stono I ewa . e whics hi now removed e surfacTh . e presente a barred n moor-like appearance, whil rica interioe f ee Circlhth o th grees f o rewa n colour, which induced e Eev r Cowieth M . ministee th e parish,downwards g th di f o o rt , , when foune h layeda charcoaf o r boned an l animals.f so " The great Stone, 12 feet long, must have been the Recumbent Stone ; f somo s ani e t interesdi noto t t e tha s positioit t ratheeass e th n wa t o t r of south. If this observation was correct, this Circle at Gingomyres is the second example, only, having the Eecumbent Stone so set. The other is at Old Bourtree Bush, Kincardineshire, surveyed in 1899.2 To the west of Blackhill, there are several large Cairns on Cairnmore, the edge of a lofty and desolate moorland. In one of these, partially explored . some years ago, an urn of the " drinking-cup" variety was preservew found Brandeno e broked e findings th i th an , n di t n I i nr . Librar t Huntlyya . No. 13. Corshalloch, Glass.—This site is distant from the last de- scribed just ove mile3 ra W.S.W n i s . direction e farmhousTh . s i e situate altitudfeen 4 a 92 t da f abov o ee sea-level th eabous i d tan , \\ e Markenorte mileth th f o ho st lowee t Innth n r o ,roa d into Huntly. The position of the Circle is given on the Ordnance map as within a score of yards to the west of the house. This field, on the day of our n standini visit s wa , g corn, above whic t visiblh no ther s esiga ewa f no any stone whatsoever; and I was assured by the present tenant that there were-no stone r prostrato sp eitheu t than i ese r t fiel r elsewhereo d o t , his knowledge, on the farm. In subsequent communication with Mr George Watt, formerly tenant Proceedings, . 141volp , .i. Ibid., vol. xxxiv. . 142p , . 1 2 STONE CIRCLES SURVEYE E NORTH-EASTH N I D F SCOTLANDO T 7 18 .

in t CorshallochCairnmorea w no d e followinth an , , g scanty particulars were obtained: that the Stones, "as far as he could tell, were taken down and broken up and rebuilt for corners to the new buildings." t mentioned date no s Th ei . . 14No . Edintore House, Cairnie.—A long stri f fipo r plantation runs down nearly north and south on the east side of the policies of Edin- tore, and, at its point of junction with the south end of the Cairds Wood, in the wood itself, there is marked on the map the site of a Circle. Here, again, the Ordnance record is only too correct; for no artificial feature can now be traced on this spot, but a very ill-defined, low, nearly circular ridge rather more green than its surroundings. The site is 3 miles JSF.N.E. of Corshalloch, and the same distance south of Establishee th d Kir t Keithka informatio o N . s obtainablnwa e relative to the former conditions.1

III. BAXFFSHIRE SITES TO THE NORTH AND THE NORTH-WEST OF HUNTLY. At this point we leave behind the most westerly sites in this north- western portio f Aberdeenshireo n d continuan , e reporth e siten o t n i s Banffshire, roughly speaking, betwee e bur th f ne Fordyco nth d an e . . Gaul15 . No Cross, Ley, Fordyce.—The villag f Fordyco e e lie- in s land from Sandend Bay about 2 miles, and the farm-house of Ley stands high up about a mile and a half to the west of the village. A few

hundred yards to the north, on slightly higher ground, there stood once (and not at a very distant date) two Stones Circles 2 about 50 yards apart. Six large Stones stood in the southerly group, which measured 60 fee diametern i t othee Th r. Circl e s similarStonth wa e d e an ,tha t now remains (see fig. 21) was the most westerly of that Circle. 1 Near Huntly t Weatertona , , ther greaa s i e t outcro f whinstonepo separatn i , e masses, so vertical and so deceptively like Standing Stones that it was only by actual examinatio nconvinces thawa I t theif do r being solely natural.

From a notice by DrW. Cramond, of Cullen, in BanffF. C. Traits,, vol. ii., p. 92. 2 188 PKOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 12, 1906.

"About the year 1830, there were found, about 18 feet south-east of that Stone, at a slight depth below the surface, several articles of silver, consisting of a chain about 4 feet long, and what appeared to the uninitiated like buckles, pins, and brooches. These are now, it is said, all either in the Antiquarian Museum, Edinburgh, or in the possession of the proprietor, Sir Eobert Abercromby." This discover alss yi o notice Stuarty d b f " o relic s a l s withi a Stonn e Circle at Gaul Cross in Banffshire."

Fig. 21. Remains of one of the two Circles at Gaul Cross.

Whether found within the Circle or not, these silver objects belong to a much later period than that of the erection of the Stones. Stuart figures2 three object portioa s: a silve f no r chain f silvero a finn , pi ,e armlen a d tan als silverf l oo describe al thesd r George an M ; ar e y b de type th ef o . Museue repors Blacs F th i hi n n n ki o t pi t mBanff. a e Th 3 describe figured receny dan m n i dt notice Moreduth f eo n cist.4 1 Sculptured Stones of Scotland, Appendi Prefaceo xt , II., Ixxxii. 2 Ibid., . PIix . 3 Proceedings, vol. xxii. . 370p , . 4 From inquiriee Museue chai th th stile n ar d i l t man I a sfin n d pi tha e th t Banff, both, however, being labelled as having been found beside an urn at Gaul Cross. Mrs Cowieson, the curatrix, further states that " on a large card is written, n foun amulen pi A (d d alonan t g wit e chain.'th h " Amulet doubo n s i a mist - spellin Armlet.r g fo t thiBu s objec t longeitselMuseume o n th s fi n i r . STONE CIRCLES SURVEYED IN THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND. 189

Dr Cramond further notes that an urn of cinerary type (now in Banff Museum s founwa ) d several hundred e easyard f th theso t o t se two Stone Circles. This discovery is recorded on the Ordnance map. The one Stone now left (fig. 21) lies semi-prostrate and propped up with small stones placed under its western end. It is a rounded boulde f dioriteo r , abou 2 fee tn greatesi t t thickness, d measurean s 6 feet by 3 feet 3 inches. It is in the form of an irregular pentagon, and its girth is 14 feet. The site of these two so closely-adjacent Circles,

. PittenbrinzeaFig22 . n Standing Stone. fee0 40 t abov seae eth , would have commande a dwid e prospece th o t t south and east, and towards the sea on the north; but it is closed in on the west by the Pittenbrinzean Woods and the Bin of Cullen.1 No. 16. Pittenbrinzean Stone.—No map, so far as I know, puts this Stone on record. For the knowledge of its existence and its position I am indebted to Dr Cramond. It stands at an altitude of 780 feet, close to the north edge of the Clunehill Wood, at a point half a mile nearly due north of Clunehill, and one mile and a half W.N.W. of Ley Farm. It is situated outside of the wood, which is here bounded

It is of some interest to record that Pennant (Jour., sect. i. p. 159), after 1 describing the Cottown Hill Cairns near Cullen, says : '' not far from these are two circles of long stones called Gael Cross." 190 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 12, 1906.

strona y b g wire fencee Stona pyramida Th s i e. l bloc f whinstono k e (fig. 22), 2 feet 9 inches in height, tapering sharply upwards from a base 8 feet in girth. Dr Cramond could add no information as to the con- jectur f thio e s Stone bein e remnan t doei th gt groua d no sf an o t p ; seem to be known, commonly, in the immediate vicinity.1 No. 17. Core Stanes, Greenbank, Letterfourie.—This site, in the parish of Eathven, is 3 miles to the south-east of the busy little fishing village of , and 6 miles due north of the town of Keith. On the south, in the direction of that town, and for many square miles to the westward of it, the maps show no sites of any archaeological interest, except one named Ranald's Grave in the wood of White-ash Hill, near —a sitremoto eto occasioe r explorationvisith o et ou n o tf no s in Eathven.. t GreenbankA , less tha nfurlona g south-eas presene th f to t farm-house, placep th "e ma ea Ston sit sth f eo e Circl e heighth e t "abouf a o t0 50 t fee te eas abovwoodeth w t e n seano flow O eth e .d th s Whitefield Burn, wese Core th th tn eo Burnd an . Despit wordine emap-recordth e th f go , and the rumour 2 that many of the Circle stones had been used in the building of Letterfourie House, I hoped to find something tangible e siteonth . Expectations were, however, again doome o disappointt d - ment ; and, although the ground, then in stubble, was carefully gone over, no trace of any Stone or of any mound now remains to mark spot.e th 3 No. 18. .Meildeliitt Wood, near Newton, Letterfourie.—"Eemains of Stone Circle e descriptioth e s O.Mi "th t thia n . o ns site. Onle on y Stone remains. It is close to a sharp angle of the wood, at its extreme

1 About one mile to the south, and near North Blairock, on the west of the Ha' Burn, is a mound called on the map Ha' Hillock, and drawn as a clearly conical

oval mound. Statisticald Ol e Se 2 Account parise th r hfo of Rathven. passag e e O.S.A.3th Th n ei runs thus: " Druidieal temple commoe e th sar n o n; heights of Corridown there was a remarkable one called the Core Stanes, the stones of which were employe buildinn housdi w ne f Letterfourieo ee gth Gordor M s . nha searched thre e bottom f theth o e o md fount an , d only charcoa a whitis d an l h soft substance, resemblin e ashegth woof bones.f so o r do " STONE CIKCLES SURVEYED IN THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND. 191 s wesit n t o side d distand an soutan , d t hen fro m Core Stane mils1 n ei directioe th f W.S.Wno heighe Th . t above sea-leve feet0 50 .s i l e Stoninconspicuousn a Th s i e ) (fig23 . , low broad ,an d bloc f ligho k t grey quartziferous sandstone, pentagonal in contour, the sides measuring (south) 2 feet 10 inches, (north-west) 2 feet 6 inches, (north) 2 feet inch1 , (north-east fee2 ) 5 inchest d (south-eastan , foo1 ) inches8 t , thus giving a girth of 11 feet 6 inches. Above the ground, its height

Fig. 23. Remains of Circle in Meiklehill Wood.

onls i foo y1 -longess inches7 it t d an t, diamete feet3 rp .acrosto e th s e vie f Th thiwo s e vicinitStonth fros n ei i south-easte yme th on o N . was within reac o givt informatiohy ean n concernin removae gth e th f o l other Stones; but the presence of a 11 rill-hole, made by a mason's "juniper," to a depth of several inches near the centre of the Stone, highls i y suggestiv e fatth e f ewhico h befell them. No. 19. Auchintea, Rathven.—This, also a site only, is situated 2 miles N.N.W. of the last, and about 1 mile E.S.E. of Port Gordon. The fields here are very open and level, and the site is shown on the map a few yards to the north of the public road, at Stonies Bridge 192 PBOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBKUAEY 12, 1906.

School, heigha t 1a f abouo t fee0 4 t t abov seae withid eth ,an na furlon g e steadings-aoth f t Upper Auchintea. No. 20. Cowiemmr, Bellie, Elginshire.—At the burn of Tynet, we

..?,., * Fig. 24. Remains of Circle at Cowiemuir ; Ground-Plan. cross over from Banffshire into Elginshire, and, three-quarters of a mile due south-west of the stream, at a point where two roads now cross each other come w , e upon this interestin d somewhaan g t peculiar relia f co Stone Circle. The distance from the sea-beach at is a bare 1 Possibly this name carrie straditio e wit th Stone t hi th f neo Circle. STONE CIRCLES SURVEYED IN THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND. 193

distanc e northe th mil th d n eo an , e westward rivee th ro st Spe mila s yi e and a half. The height above the sea is scarcely 50 feet. Two great Stones still remain nearly in situ, and 25 feet apart (see the ground-plan, fig. 24). They lie east and west of each other, and rest on the terminations of an irregularly curved ridge, somewhat of the shape of a horse-shoe. The ridge has an average height of about 2 feet 6 inches ovee width r e central e nortportionth t h A end. d wel,an l within it, is a roughly circular hollow about 17 feet in diameter. It is stony and uneven, and the same epithets may be applied with accuracy

Fig. 25. Remains of Circle at Cowiemuir ; from the East.

to the larger area of bushy ground between the edge of the hollow and the two Stones. The Stone on the east (the nearer one in the view, fig. 25) is a huge, unshapely mass of conglomerate, furrowed with clefts and fissures, and rough with pebbles and ridges of quartz. It is, I presume, a fallen Stone, and its base was probably its long south edge, which measures fee4 inches2 t opposite Th . e north e edge th fee 2 n inches 9 o t,i , s wide; the east side is 6 feet in length, and the west 6 feet 5 inches. As it lies at present, it is 2 feet 6 inches in thickness. Between the two Stones, the ground is flat and more smooth than elsewhere, almost suggestiv s havinit f eo g bee ne mos th use s t a dconvenien t roadwao t y and from the interior of the Circle when it was destroyed. 3 1 VOL. XL . 194 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 12, 1906.

e weste Stonth Th n , o elyin fee0 1 n fro gi e t road o onlmt th 8 -y fence, is a rough angular block of red granite, measuring 6 feet 3 inches in greatest lengtfee4 inche8 d t han n breadthi s s thicknesIt . s above ground is 3 feet 9 inches, and it is gable-shaped. whole Th e lengt f thiho s site, measured ridge fro crese th mn th f eo o t norte middle poina th e horizonta th o th ht t a f t eo basee l th linf f so o e the Stones, is 55 feet; and the whole width, between the crests of the ridges east and west, 40 feet. If this ridge really carried the other Stones, we should have a pseudo-circular group, the circumference of which is, in contour, comparable only to that of the greater Auchquhorthies •Circl t Kincausieea , near Aberdeen, whic e measurehw d durin r firsou gt survey.1 Further e spaceth f i ,s betwee e Stone th nlos w t no swer e eth sam s thaa e t betweeremainino tw e th n g Stones, four others coule b d placed on the ridge, thus making a complete group of six Stones.2 . Hatton,21 . No , Banffshire.—Apart fro s beinmit g situated on a rising ground near Ben Einnes, whence a beautiful prospect of a portio f Strathspeo n s obtainablei y , this unfortunatelsitew no , y very

1 Proceedings, vol. xxxiv., p. 145. 2 Within a very short distance of this site are the remains of what seems to have been a Cairn-circle, which in Forsyth's Survey of the Province of (Aberdeen, 1798thus i ) s described :—" Upo fare nth Uppef m o r Dallachy, abou mila t e froe mth shore, ther conicaw elo latela lknows s namGree e e mounyth th wa wa f y et no ni b ; t Cairn t remaineI . d unviolate yeardw fe tils a lago . It consiste abouf do fee2 1 t t deep of rich mould incumbent upon an accumulation of small fragments of stone, mostly of the same height [i.e. at the same level], surrounded at the base by a double row of stones erect similar to the circles of the Druid Temples [italics mine]. Among this great accumulation of fragments was a stone coffin of unpolished flags: a small quantity of black ashes was its whole contents. Near the circumference, about 2 feet under the surface, was also found an urn, the rude workmanship of the potter, about 8 inches in diameter, and 1 foot in height; and on shaking out the mould with which it was filled, a piece of polished gold appeared, in form like the incn a f h^s o rhandl thick wa vas a t i f s ende; o eit , s abou incn a t h asunden o ; r them the solder, or the appearance of silver, remained, which, by the application of aquafortis, dissolved.s wa " This '' piece of polished gold " was in reality a penannular armlet of a well-known discovere typeTh . notice s yi r Anderson, D y armleb dn a d *tan corresponding with this, but found at Alloa, is figured. Scotland* Pagann i Times:. Bronze Stoned . an 63 . Aye,p STONE CIRCLES SURVEYED IN THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND. 195

incomplete interestin n vere Circlea w s th y fe f ha , o s e g on records i t I . named in a written record of a date considerably over 200 years ago. lettea n JohI o rt n Aubrey, from whic I hhav e more than once quoted, e Rev th r Garden,D . f Aberdeen1o , say thif so s Circle :— " Another shire plac th f Banf o eparisn d e i an f f Aberlouho calles i r d Leachell Beandich, which, as my informer told me, is as much as the Blessed Chapel, from anothe f thoso r e monuments, which lately stood there, in a cornfield, and is now destroyed." The date and tenor of Dr Garden's letter to Aubrey both possess interest, because concludinge er , Garder D , n says: " I have found noth-

Fig. Remain26 . Circlf so t Hattoea Aberlouf no ; rfro Easte mth .

hithertg in o e nameitheth f thes o en i r e monuments e traditioth r o , n that goes about them, which doth particularly relate to the Druids or point them out." This evidence, take n conjunctioi n n wite dateth h , enableo t s u s properl e "Druidicath f yo compute ag l e theoryth e " regarding Stone e namth Circles d e attacheAn . thio t d s Circl t Hattoa e n beins it n gi Gaelic form adds another not interesf eo sitee th .o t t fiele Th d wher e megalitheth s formerl e soutth y f thn o hstooo e s i d farm-steading feeheigh0 a t 60 ta abovf d o t an s e sea-level (fig. 26)e Th . remain visible grounw th sno n merele eo d ar y either portion f somso f o e the monoliths, or, more likely still, parts of a circular setting of biggish stones set up edge-wise. Such as they are, they are all carefully set e ground-pladowth n no n (fig. 27), which show e contouth s a well f o r- 1 Archceologia, vol. . i.339p . . 196 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 12, 1906.

defined mound 36 feet in diameter, and about 3 feet at its highest point above the surrounding field.1 As the demolition of the great Stones took place before 1692, there is,

Fig. 27. Remains of Circle at Hatton of Aberlour ; Ground-Plan.

of course, no possibility of estimating their number or positions. Of those that still remain on the rim of the mound, only one exceeds 3 feet in length, that on the south verge with a thick broadish block outside of tenane 1Th t toltha callee s fiele dm th t d wa d doo-coe 'th ' t fiel thisd t d an no " , ; because ther et becausdove-cota eves bu , rwa s shap it it e n ei e resemble e outlinth d e odove-cotea f . STONE CIRCLES SURVEYE NORTH-EASE TH N DI F SCOTLANDO T 7 19 .

it. It is of grey granite, and is only 10 inches above the ground. The five small blockwestere th n so f nabouo sid e same th etar e heightf O . the three larger blocks close together on the east, the two larger are of 1e granitinched 6 ar re d sean abovo e grountw smalle e e th th d f o r;an on the extreme east slope has the same height. On the slope near the north-east curve of the mound, there lie five rather large, nearl t veryno yflatt thicbu , k slab f stoneo s . These, e tenanth t informe , werdme e placed there some twelvs hi ey b year o sag own hands. The d formeyha e side d th a endcisd f an sto s whice h found, minu e covering-stonesth fiele th d n i abou,northe th 0 fee 3 o tt -t east of the edge of the Circle-mound. The cist had evidently been dis- covered long previously, as it contained nothing but the soil turned up successivy b e year f cultivation so d stone en side d s an Th ewer . e care- fully removed and placed where they now rest. In its original position, longee th re cisnearly axith la tf so y ease d westslabsan Th t ., which granitd re ar f d whinstoneeo ean , measure respectivel e side-stoneon y: , 3 feet 2, by 1 foot 4, by about 5 inches in thickness; one end-stone, othee foo1 th ;y 6 t b r foo 1 end-ston0 1 t e granite)d (botre f ho fee2 , y b t otheThe mad cisr foo 1 the was sid5. tthre etof of e e broken pieces of whinstone. The tenant also told me that more than seventy years ago " two, or three, of the great Stones of the Circle were standing," i.e. during his father's occupanc fare th f Hatton mf o y o . The Hatton Circle is rather over 1 mile east of the Spey, and 9 miles due west of the site at Corshalloch above described. If this line be taken as the base of an oblong figure 13 miles long north and south, mile9 y b s broad easd west e havan t w n are, a ef 11 o a 7 square miles richly varied with streams, hills, forests, and glens, yet absolutely devoid no megalithif wo e north-westh c t remainsa s i t tI angl. f thio e s wide area of romantic Speyside scenery, and at a point 3-|- miles west of the Spey, that we find the first of the three sites in the province of Moray, which, as a group, form the limit of our present survey. 8 19 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR , 1D0612 Y .

IV. SITES TO THE WEST OP THE RIVEB SPEY. No. 22. Innesmill, Urquhart.—The remains of this great Circle possess several features of special interest. First, as to nomenclature, they are know threy nb e distinct name s: viz. Deil'se ,Th Stanes, Ninee Th Stanes,

5tO 3V

lOpFret

Fig. Inne28 . s Mill Circl e; Ground-Plan .

and, simply Standinge Th , Stanes f Urquhart.o With regard firse toth t appellation ,e firs thith ts si occasion n Scotlandi , n whico , h local super- stition has connected " the Deil" with a Stone Circle. I was told that superstitioe th n goe a stes p beyon e merth d e name d assertan , s thaf i t one walk three times round the Stones at midnight, " the Deil " will STONE CIRCLES SURVEYE E NORTH-EASTH N DI F SCOTLANDO T 9 19 .

appear.1 The Nine Stanes is the name attached to several Circles in Scotland; e.g., to the Circle in Garrol Wood, Durris, Kincardineshire ; to another at Invergowrie, near Dundee;2 to the famous Circle on the Nine Stane Eigg, near Hermitage Castle, Roxburghshire, where, says tradition, the wizard Lord Soulis was boiled to death in molten lead; and to a Circle in Whittinghame, Haddington. The other principally interesting feature in this Circle at Innesmill is s greait t size poina , whico t h full importance wil givee h l n presently. The site is on the west of the road going between TTrquhart Station d Viewfieldan a heighfee0 9 t a tf , o tabov e sea-level d 2Jan , miles

. FigInne29 . s Mill Circl e; fro South-Easte mth .

due sout f Bear'o h s Head e wesEock th f Spe o to t y, Bay. There five ar e Stones still extan d erecan t t (see figprostrateo .tw 28) d e an , th , latter having evidently been moved out of their positions on the north- west arc so as to be either quite out of the way when the fence there was made r elso , e simply with some regar o keepint de Stone th l al gs togethe nearls a r possibls ya e (se viewse eth , figs, 30)29 . .

trus i t e1I thae namth t e Deil's Stane occur mann i s y Scottish localitiet bu s; thinkI , in , every such case e ston a solitarth , s i e y boulder suppose havo dt e been flun angen g i Deil.e 'y 'th Englandrb n I " , Devil's Arrow name th s esi o fgroua f po stones at Borough Bridge, Yorkshire. They are called by Roger Gale " pyramids "— an epithet which leaves us very much in the dark as to their true nature (see Archceo- locjia, xxv. 58). Devil's e Quoitnama grouth f s f o threei spo e great stonet a s Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire. They are supposed by the writer in Archceologia (vol. xxxvii. . 431e remaine "p ,b th o )Circla t f o s e nearl yard0 ydiameter.90 n si " This computation seems to have been reached by estimating from the curve on which the three stones stand. See, however, a plan and notice of the Devil's Arrows, by . A LewisJournale L . th n i , of the Anthropological Institute, November 1878. 2 Stuart, Sculptured Stones, vol , App.i. Prefaceo .t . xxiiip , . 200 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 12, 1906.

As will be readily seen from the ground-plan, the space across from Stone B to Stone E is unusually great. It measures within these Stones 115 feet, and therefore 'constitutes a Circle of outstandingly great diameter largese th , measuret ye t north-ease th n di f Scotlando t . When measuremene th takens i t t fro innee no ,m th r faces t fro centree bu ,m th s of the opposite Stones, we obtain the diameter of 120 feet. The circum- ferenc f thieo s Circle, when perfect, would therefore have beefeet2 n36 . The heights and characteristics of the Stones are :—

Fig. 30. Innes Mill Circle ; from the West. .

Ston feet6 granite d ridgedp , ere to A ; e th ., ,, B, 4 feet 10 inches; red granite, top ridged. (fallen)C ,. fee3 ,inche0 1 t s granited longre f o ; . ,, D „ 6 feet 3 inches long ; grey granite. „ E, 3 feet 5 inches ; grey granite, flat-topped. , , pointed d re 4 3 .„ , „ F „ 6 5 , „„ G „ „ ridgedp to „. distancee Th s betwee Stonee nth standthes w sa yno , centr o centreet , are:— StonStono t , eA eB ... fee5 8 t . B „ C, 84 C „ D, 7 6 inches D ,, E, 32 E,, F, 27 6 inches F,, 32 G,, 35 STONE CIRCLES SURVEYED IN THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND. 201

If the two Stones, C and D, now prostrate, were placed at the points on the north-east arc marked with a short cross, and the interspacing were equal, we should then have a complete Circle of eleven Stones, leaving a space for a Recumbent Stone of, let us say, 12 feet in length. That this great Circle probably possessed a Recumbent Stone is borne out dispositioe byth stones shortesit e f th no s: t norte bein northth d n han go - east arcs, and the taller and much more massive ones towards the south. And there is corroboration of this in the words used by the minister of Urquhart:1 " Near Inries House are nine tall stones in a circle, two of them at the entrance to the ' altar.'" e RevTh . James Morrison n referrini , Stono gt e Circle n Moray,i s 2 says, " The largest remaining one, called the Nine Stanes, is incomplete and rude, the stones being, just huge unshapen boulders, standing about 6 feet in height. The ground within the Circle has been examined, t therbu e wer traceo en f graves.so t ther havy Bu "ema e been evidence of burials notwithstanding.3 Two illustration ) sho30 w d sthi an (figs s9 2 fin. e Circle e vieth ; w fro south-ease mth t taken froe besmth t point n ordei , shoo t r w clearly its great breadth. In the other, the view from the west, the two fallen stonenorth-ease th t shown.n so no e ar t4 No. 23. Bogton Mill, Lhanbryd.—The remains here stand on the 1 N.S.A., vol. xiii. 2 Trans. Inverness . Society,Sc vol. . 44 ii.. p , a communicatio n I 3 r Proceedingsou o nt (vol. ix. . 256 p ,same )th e writer records that " abont half a mile to the north of these [i.e. the Nine Stanes] there were, thirty years ago [circa 1840], several upright stones of the same character and size, which were brokecarted an p dnu awa builo yt d cattle sheds." 4 Through the kindly proffered help of Mr John Geddie, several inquiries of mine connected with this Circle were most promptly answered by his brother, Mr T. Geddie, M rr Brown TayloM l d zealouslal ,an r y intereste e megalithith n di c antiquitief so this par Urquharf o t Speymouthd an t Stones,e th f .o e "" write. On GeddieT r sM , " was taken away to be built into a new steading at Viewfield. Mr Brown thinks this was prior to the building of the Innesmill steading, which dates from 1843. No e Stonsooneth ed beerha n deposite ' toon, e th ' n dhoweveri , than uncanny signd san omens bega manifeso nt . it Whil f o tt d ei themselves ri s resolve t wa ge t i o t dd an , was being taken back to its original position, the horse stuck or fell when taking a somewhat steep little brae, and the Stone was taken no further, but buried where it was. The spot is about 80 or 100 yards from the Circle. Mr Brown says that, from 202 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 12, 1906.

north bank of the mill stream, a quarter of a mile S.E. from the railway station at Lhanbryd, and over 2 miles S.S.W. of the Innesmill Stones. The height above sea-level is 150 feet. Two Stones only remain, situated as shown in the ground-plan (fig. 31); and, fro e mannemth n whici r h their broader sides facnorte eth h and west, we may safely conclude that the area enclosed by the other lost Stones is in that direction. The Stones stand 49 feet apart. The

05 K) IB

Fig. 31. Remains of Circle at Bogton Mill ; Ground-Plan.

more southerly one is 5 feet in height, and is oblong at the base, where feegirts 3 it 1 inches5 t s h i s rectangularit It . buld yan k continue almost gref o ys i tope granitt I th .o t e mixed with very large crystal f whitso e quartz othee Th r. Stone, whic similaf o s hi r mineral composition, stands fee5 t 8 inches abov base e th groundt measure ei t a d an , girtn si fee3 h1 t inches10 girtheigha the fee3 at h ; 3, tof lessent fee 12 inches8 t sto . View thesf so e Stone appendee sar illustratione th n di s (figs , 33)32 . .

information supplied by his father and by Mr Anderson of Viewfield, he believes that he would have no difficulty in bringing it to light again. 'One circumstance Mr Brown mentioned which, I think, is worth recording, viz., that a great many flint arrowheads were formerly found within and around the Circle ; but they have been too well hunted, and are now rather rare." STONE CIRCLES SURVEYE NORTH-EASE TH N DI F SCOTLANDO T 3 20 .

^^v3*-.°<

. Remain32 Fig. Circlf so t Bogtoea n Mill.

. Remain33 g Fi s of Circl t Bogtoea n Mill. 4 20 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F O S , FEBRUAR , 190612 Y .

recordes i t I Revy db . James Morrison that this circl destroyees "wa d erectioe th i nbridge.n a i 1810 f no d ai o ,"t I must here record the fact that 011 the Bogton Mill site there yet remain ereco addition tw i , te Stonesth o nt , four other Stones belonging to the Circle. These, however, were at the date of my visit hidden by the growth of turnips. The Stones are prostrate, and deeply sunk into grounde th , whichname th s ea , implies probabls i , y compose peatf do . r thesFo e detail indebte m . Geddi a e courtesA th I r s f M o eo t d f yo Speymouth School kindlo wh , ya measure sene m t dpresene plath f no t position fallee th f nso Stone stilo tw relatioln si e erecth o tnt monoliths —which clearly proved that at some unrecorded date the Stones had bee e Circln th lef d movef o ean t t lyindou s thearegw a yno . . Haerstanes,24 . No Lhanbryd.—a t a This p ma sit e shows ei th n o n point three-quarter mila f eso S.S.W e lasth t f Stoneso . t aboua ,0 16 t feet above sea-level. On the farm, we heard long-handed-down tradition of the Circle, and the site was, but rather vaguely, pointed out. The only allusion I can find in print is the following, by the Eev. James Morrison:—: " We have remains of two so-called Druid Circles, and during the last half-century three others have been swept away. One of these was in horse-shoe form and was called the Haer Stanes."2

1 '' Arch. Finds in the East of Moray." in Trans. Inverness Sc. Society, vol. ii., p. 44. 2 With regar thio dt s word e followinth , f interesto ge e nam b noteTh y e. ma s Haer Stane, occasionally, as in the present instance, misspelt' Hair on the map, also occur connection si n with Stone Circle t Feita s h Hill, Inverkeithney, near Premnay in Insch t Stirlina , g Hill, Cruden t Kirkurda , , Peeblesshire t Aneruma d an , , Rox- burghshire connection I . n with Cairns, ther Haee ear r Cairn (where cisturnd an ss were found), near Marcus Lodge, Forfarshir ; eHar e Cairn, 1000 feet high, a sit f eo tumulus, in Southdean, Roxburghshire ; Haer Cairn, where a stone cist was found, t Morganstona , Bendochy, Perthshir Haee th e; r Cairns groua , e Moo th f six po n r,o of Gormack, Bendochy. The name Haer Law or Hare Law occurs at Rattray, Perth- shire, Eddleston, Peeblesshire (wit hkist-vaea it)n t nMaxtono ,a , Roxburghshiret a , Ferry-Port-on-Craig, Fife and Kinross, and at Auchterderran ; also on Gladsmuir and t Garvalda , Haddingtonshire lase th ,t wits summitit hfora n o t , whic s 120hi 0 feet high. "We hav e wordth e , probably n stili , l another form, viz. Hairny Lawn i , Morebattle, Roxburghshire, with a tumulus on it ; while Hare Stane occurs on the Boroughmuir, Edinburgh, and Harestane Hill, with the Whitestone Cairn on it, is Garvaln i d parish. STONE CIRCLES SURVEYED IN THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND. 205

"These stones were," says the same writer elsewhere, "unfortunately a e roalin f th eo d n i the foune li n o dt forme d (1830) d weran , e igno- miniously tumbled down the slope on which for ages they had rested, and buried in a gravel pit by the side of the road."

CONCLUSION. Clear classification, wher vero tangibles w yfe e remains i , e lefar us st scarcely possible; but the following deductions seem justifiable. In the very extensive districts passed under review, there are megalithic relics enough to show that Stone Circles, probably of several varieties, formerly existed at North Burreldales, Gavenie Braes, Templeton (St Brandan's Stanes), Thorax, Marnoch Church, Bellman's Wood, Gaul Cross (Ley, No. 1), Meiklehill Wood, Cowiemuir, Hatton of Aberlour, Innesmill, and Bogto Lhanbrydn ni . In addition to these twelve, records are extant for Circles at thirteen other sites, viz. t a Chape, l Den, Newto f Mountblairyo n , Wardend, near Auds, Boyndie Kirk, Bankhead, Sandend Bay, Gingo- myres, Corshalloch, Edintore, Nether Dumeath, Viewfield t Haera d -an , stanes, Lhanbryd f thio t s Ou considerabl. e number s i possibl t i , e to assert of only three of the Circles that they each possessed a Eecum- bent Stone; although Innesmill Circle most probably possessed that feature also. Oe subjecnth f relico t s discovered withi e areth n a enclosee th y b d Standing Stones, extremely little evidence is forthcoming as regards the sites surveyed during last September. In the Circle called Corrie-down r Cor(o e Stanes) a quantit, f bone-asyo h seem o havt s e bee e maith n n result obtained; while, at Dallachy, the gold armlet, found in an urn beside one of several cists and deposits, still confines the archaeological horizo e Stonth f neo Circle Bronze th o st e Age. The presence of groups of cup-marks on Stones in the Circles at Templeto hery Thorad ema n an noticedrecorI e alss b xd i o ot da An . further discovery of a group of five cups on one of the Stones in the 206 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 12, 1906.

Circle at Kothiemay, which was not observed at the date of my first visit to that site. The cup-marks, which were noted but not figured in Simpson's Archaic Sculpturings, occur close to the ground on the Stone standing considerably to the east of the Recumbent Stone. They are large, clearly circular, and about f of an inch deep. These additional localities for cup-marks found on Stones of the Circles bring up the total to twelve.1 I append the usual Tabular Summary.

Name. Size. Type of Circle. Relics.

North Burreldale. s 20' 8" x 20' 3" Thorax . 23' x 19' 3" t Brandan'S s Stanes Recumbent Stone. Gaul Cross (North) . about 60'x60' Gaul Cross (South) . „ Sandeud Bay . i ( Gingomyres ? j Recumbent Stone. Bellman's Wood ;) Cowiemuir 55' x 40' Core Stanes Ashes of Bones. Hatton, Aberlour . 37'x35' Innesmill 120' x 120' Probably Recum- Insufficiently ex- bent Stone. amined.

1 See Proceedings, vol. xxxvii. p. 227.