I. NOTE SOMN O S E STONE CIRCLE CENTRAN SI L ABERDEENSHIRE. BY JAMES RITCHIE, F.E.I.S., CORRESPONDING MEMBER. During several successive . ColeyearF r M s mad a e surve th f o y Stone Circles of Aberdeenshire on behalf of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland reports hi d san , embodyin e result e survegth th f so y appear in vols. xxxiv. to xxxix. of the Proceedings of the Society. These reports e firsth give tr timefo , systematid fula , an l c accoun e Aberdeenth f o t - shire circles, and furnish in a readily accessible form a mass of infor- mation regarding them which should prove exceedingly valuable to subsequent investigators. The following notes on some of the circles in Central Aberdeenshire are intended to supplement these reports, by describing a few circles which had been omitted from the survey, and supplying additional information regarding some of the others. FRENDRAUGHT. The lands f Frendraugho e paristh f Forguen ho i e li t , abou mile7 t s north-east of the town of Huntly. They have become well known in Scottish history throug terrible th h e tragedy recorde e ballath f n di o Burnine "Th f Frendraught,o g " which event occurred yeae therth rn ei e owneestate 1630th Th t f thaa .eo r tr Jame perioSi s s dwa Crichton , who seem o havt s e a somewhabee f o n t quarrelsome disposition. Early in the year he got into trouble with a neighbouring proprietor, Gordon of Rothiemay, who was slain in the quarrel, with the result 50,00pay tha 0Jame to heirsSir merkt his shad . to s Shortly after- wards he became involved in another dispute, with Leslie of Pitcaple. This time, however, the High Sheriff, the Marquis of Huntly, decided e cas r th n favouJamei eSi f o srs rumoure Crichtonwa t i s dA . that Leslie intende o waylat d s r homewarJamehi Si y n o s d journeye th , High Sheriff sent a number of gentlemen to accompany him, among whom was young Gordon of Rothiemay. The party arrived safely at Frendraught, and the visitors were persuaded to stay overnight there. They were hospitably entertained by 'Sir James and his lady, and were SOME STONE CIRCLES IN CENTRAL ABERDEENSHIRE. 31 lodge Towerd Ol d e e nighfo, th th whicr n i t h stoo dlittla e apart from e remaindeth e buildingsth f o r . About midnight e firth e n broki t eou tower, and spread so rapidly that nothing could be done to rescue the guests, though it is said that they appeared at the windows and called loudl r helpyfo , before they perishe e flames firth e en dTh i ver . y likely wa accidentan sa s neve wa t ri satisfactorils la one t bu , y explainew dho it originated, public opinion laid the blame of it on the Lady of Frendraught, who was credited with using this method of getting rid of some of her enemies, including Gordon of Rothiemay. e onlth Bu yt ttraged no thi s i s y that occurre t Frendraughta d f i , e traditionth s still floating e districabouth n i t t hav a basie f facto s . On f theso e e relate occasione s howon n o , a brawn, y Highlanded ha r occasio- s observere o e pasladyt nwa o e houseth th e swh y ,H b d. marked to her husband that he was the prettiest man she had ever seen. This remark led to a quarrel, and her husband, filled with jealous anger, is said to have rushed from the house and followed the unsuspecting Highlander, whom he slew, and buried under a large stone near the hill top. Another tradition relates tha gallowse th t frequentlo n i s , e us n i y e oldeth ne b times o d becomt ha d , unstablo ha s ee on ew thane a t erected. Whe t n"wai s finished ther soms ewa e doubwhetheo t s a t t i r would work satisfactorily. Just as the workmen were discussing the matter, a poor cadger, leading a pony carrying on its sides panniers laden with r fissale fo ha stranger , s appeare wa e scene th e ,H n .o d nea e t onca protecwito on t r s o eh n s wa saidseizei tt e i himh , , d so , and hanged workmen'The . s doubts wer the erest at thu for , set s gallows was found to work satisfactorily. The inhabitant eminentl w e districth no f e so ar t y quie respectd an t - ablet thesbu , e traditions, whether tru r noto e , serv o shot ee wth valu t eupo se whic s n humahwa e oldenth lif n i e times in this neigh- bourhood. And if so little respect was paid to the living, it could hardl expectee yb d that much reverence e ancienwoulth r e felb dfo t burial-places of the long-forgotten dead. The condition of the Stone Circl f Frendraugheo t (fig seem) 1 . a confiro vert s n i y s mi t i this r fo , dilapidated state t I stand. s just withi e woodnth , neae northth r - eastern boundar e far th f Billheao mf o y f Frendraughto d . When complete it must have been a large and imposing erection, having about a dozen standing-stones in its circumference, and a diameter of, at least, 85 feet. Most of the standing-stones must have been removed many years ago, for the oldest inhabitant cannot remember y moran e than four, along wite fragmentth h f severao s l others e westerlyinth n gi n arc. About sevent yn attemp a year o s ag swa t 32 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , JANUAR , Y19178 . made to break up some of the stones then in existence, so that they migh use e e materiar lintelsb t prov th fo d no t d ebu , di lsatisfactory , and the broken fragments are still lying where they fell, one of them having mark bore-holee th f so s. stilit n li • The recumbent stone faces the south, and measures 5 feet in length, but, as a portion 1 foot 7 inches long has been broken off (fig. 2), the total length must have been originall feey6 inches7 t heighs It . t above Fig . Frendraugh1 . t Stone Circle fro north-easte mth , showing Recumbent Stone and fallen East Pillar. groun fee 6 s greates inches3 it s ti d d an , t breadt fee3 inchess 6 hti . ease Th t pillar, whic fallens hha , measure fees7 inche4 t lengthn si fee2 , t 8 inche breadthn i s fee 2 thicknessn i d t an , wese Th t. pilla fee6 s ti r 6 inches high, 3 feet 7 inches broad, and 2 feet 3 inches thick. There are several fragments lying on the ground which appear to be the remain f threo s e stones that once eth e wester f stooth o n c o d ar n circle, and a fourth stone is still standing at a distance of 85 feet north of the recumbent stone. The recumbent stone has also been broken, o largantw d e e stilportionar l t i lyin f o sg where they fell, closo et its base. Nothing is known locally of any excavations having been 34 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , JANUAR , 19178 Y . mad eremainy withian f e circleo th nsr havinno , g been found there, and doubtless the planting of its area with trees will have helped to destro sucy yan h oncthay ma et have existed. CANDLE HILL, INSCH; AND TOMNAVERIE, TARLAND. In the description of the circle at Candle Hill, Insch, in vol. xxxvi. of the Proceedings, pp. 540-5, attention is drawn to what is evidently regarded as a peculiar feature of the circle, namely, a deep trench on westere th n side. This trench, however reao n ls connectioha , n with e circles simpli th t ,bu y disusea d quarry, from which, many years ago, larga e quantit e stoneth f yo se building useth n e di dyked th an sn o s farm, were taken e workin e quarrTh th . e circl f closo th go ys eo t e in all probability accounts for its dilapidated condition, for all the .stones, wit exceptione hon , have falle somewhanA (fig. 3) . t similar state of matters e Tomnaverioccurth t a s e Circle, near Tarland, whics hha also a quarry on its western side. A few years ago one of the large standing-stones which stood e quarrnea e edgth s underth rf o eywa - mined and fell, and it has now disappeared. If the working of the quarr s continuedi y a simila, r fate will doubtless soon overtake th e remaining stones of the circle. ELLON. e nort th e fiel n hth e Ythano d banth n I f o ka shor, t distanco t e e bridg e th wes th f o et ove rivee th rt Ellona r remaine , therth e ear s of a small circle (fig. 4). The stones at present standing on the site e fiv n numberar i e t onlbu , y thre f theseo e belone circleth e o th gt , other two having been brought in from other places. The stones average about 3 feet in height, and the distance between them seems to show that the circle could not much, if at all, have exceeded 20 feet in diameter.