Megalithic Technology in Ancient Scotland: East Aquhorthies Stone Circle
Hugh Newman, author of 'Stone Circles' (Wooden Books 2017) investigates East Aquhorthies Stone Circle in Aberdeenshire. It is a classic recumbent stone circle, a unique type found mainly in north-east Scotland. It has a large stone set on its side and flanked by two upright stones to the south or south-west part of the circle. The stones here appear to have been chosen for their colour. They’re all rough, pinkish porphyry, except for the stone next to the east flanker, which is red jasper, the two flanking stones, either side the recumbent stone, which are grey granite, and the recumbent stone, which is made of red granite quarried from near Bennachie. Geometric carved stone spheres were also found in this area of Aberdeenshire. Includes exclusive aerial footage.
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Easter Aquhorthies Stone Circle, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
A journey through Scotland's ancient sites
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3 MILES WEST OF INVERURIE, IS THE BEST KNOWN RECUMBENT STONE CIRCLE IN ABERDEENSHIRE. EAST AQUHORTHIES IS ONE OF THE BEST PRESERVED & COMPLETE CIRCLES IN GRAMPIAN. IT IS A MUST VISIT SITE WHICH OUR ANCESTORS ERECTED IN THE 3RD MILLENNIUM BC. THE CIRCLE IS IN STATE CARE & HAS A CAR PARK THEN A 400M WALK TO THE RING. THE NAME EASTER AQUHORTHIES TRANSLATES FROM GAELIC AS ‘FIELD OF PRAYER’ OR ‘FIELD OF PILLAR’.
THE RING IS MADE UP OF 11 STANDING STONES & A RECUMBENT. OUR ANCESTORS CHOSE AN ARRANGEMENT OF DIFFERENT COLOURED STONES. THEY ALSO CAREFULLY POSITIONED EASTER AQUHORTHIES SO MITHER TAP IS CLEARLY SEEN TO THE NW (THIS HILL RESEMBLES A FEMALE BREAST). THE DIAMETER IS AROUND 20M & IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE EARLIEST RECUMBENT CIRCLES.
THE RECUMBENT IS AROUND 4M LONG X 1.5M HIGH. THIS HUGE MEGALITH IS MADE OF RED GRANITE FROM NEAR BENNACHIE. THE EXTERNAL SURFACE HAS BEEN SMOOTHED OFF & LINES OF QUARTZ ARE VISIBLE. TWO STONE BLOCKS SITTING AT RIGHT ANGLES AT THE INTERIOR FACE OF THE RECUMBENT IS AN UNUSUAL FEATURE. THESE STONES MIGHT BE SUPPORTING THE RECUMBENT FROM TIPPING OR POSSIBLY HAVE SOME RITUAL ALTER OR SACRED SPACE FOR A NEOLITHIC ASTRONOMER PRIESTESS. THERE IS A SIMILAR FEATURE AT ALDAIR STONE CIRCLE.
THE RECUMBENT IS ORIENTATED SSW, AT THE WINTER SOLSTICE THE SUN SETS IN THE SW. THE PURPOSE OF THE RECUMBENT MIGHT BE SYMBOLICALLY BLOCKING OUT THE DYING SUN ON THE SOLSTICE. IT IS THOUGHT THE RECUMBENT & FLANKERS ACT AS A FRAME TO WATCH THE MOON SETTING OR RISING IN THE SOUTHERN SKY. THE POSITION OF THE RECUMBENT SETTING IS SLIGHTLY INSIDE THE CIRCLES CIRCUMFERENCE. THIS WAS NOTICED BY SCOTTISH ARCHAEOASTRONOMER ALEXANDER THOM WHO MEASURED THE RING IN 1957 & FOUND A TRUE CIRCLE.
THE TWO FLANKERS EITHER SIDE OF THE RECUMBENT ARE THE TALLEST STONES IN THE CIRCLE. THEY ARE MADE FROM GREY GRANITE. THE WEST FLANKER IS THE HIGHEST AT ROUGHLY 2.5M, IT IS ALSO THE THINNER STONE. NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE OUTER FACE IS THREE CUP MARKS & A POSSIBLE FORTH. THE WEST FLANKER RESEMBLES A MALE PHALUS WHEN VIEWED FROM THE SE. THE EAST FLANKER IS SLIGHTLY SHORTER & MAY BE THE FEMALE STONE.
THE STANDING STONES ARE EVENLY SPACED & SHOW GEOLOGICAL VARIATIONS. THE MEGALITH IN THE SE ARC IS RED JASPER. IT IS THOUGHT TO HAVE HEALING OR MAGICAL QUALITIES IF TOUCHED. ON THE WESTERN ARC IS A SMALL STONE WHICH SEEMS TO POINT TO THE SACRED HILL OF MITHER TAP. A NW ARC STONE IS DIAMOND SHAPED, THIS RESEMBLES FEMALE STONES AT AVEBURY & THE HURLERS IN ENGLAND. THE STONES WERE CLEANED IN 1985 EXPOSING PREVIOUSLY UNNOTICED COLOURING.
THE STONE DYKE, LOW BANK WHICH SURROUNDS THE CIRCLE WAS ADDED AROUND 1847 TO 1867. THERE IS A 0.25M HIGH LOW BUMP IN THE CENTRAL AREA. THIS SUGGESTS A RING CAIRN. A CIST WAS REFERENCED IN 1934. THE CIRCLES ACOUSTIC PROPERTIES WAS EXPLORED BY AARON WATSON & DAVID KEATING. IN THE RINGS PRESENT STATE THE ARCHITECTURE INFLUENCES THE SOUND IN THE CIRCLE. THE FIRST RECORD OF EASTER AQUHORTIES WAS IN 1769 IN AN ESTATE PLAN BY JOHN HOME. RECUMBENT STONE CIRCLES ARE ALSO FOUND IN SW IRELAND. CHECK OUT THE STONES OF WONDER WEB PAGE FOR ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS.
Aquhorthies stone circle, Portlethan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
A journey through Scotland's ancient sites
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INTRO
AQUHORTHIES STONE CIRCLE LIES TO THE WEST OF PORTLETHAN. IT IS ANOTHER FINE NEOLITHIC RING IN NE SCOTLAND. THIS SITE IS NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH EASTER AQUHORTHIES, NEAR INVERURIE. AQUHORTHIES IS ON PRIVATE LAND AND A SHORT 300M WALK WILL LEAD YOU TO ANOTHER CIRCLE CALLED OLD BOURTREEBUSH.
OVERVIEW
AQUHORTHIES IS A COMPLEX AND PECULIAR SITE. SOME FEATURES HERE ARE UNIQUE & RARELY SEEN AT OTHER CIRCLES. THREE RINGS MAKE UP THE SITE. THE OUTER CIRCLE HAS THE TALLEST STONES, THE MIDDLE RING IS A CLOSE SET OF SMALLER STONES WHICH INCORPORATE THE RECUMBENT SETTING. THE THIRD & INNER MOST RING IS CALLED THE CENTRAL COURT, IT IS ONLY 3M WIDE.
OUTER RING
THE OUTER CIRCLE HAS A 23M DIAMETER, AROUND 12 STANDING STONES ARE PRESENT. THE NW STONE HAS A POSSIBLE SINGLE CUP MARK ON THE OUTer FACE, 0.5M ABOVE GROUND. THIS MAY BE A SUMMER SOLSTICE SUNSET MARK. THE TALLEST MEGALITH IS NEARLY 2.5M IN THE SW, THE SMALLEST STONE IS JUST OVER 1M HIGH IN THE NORTH. THIS OUTER RING ENCASES A WELL ESTABLISHED RING CAIRN.
MIDDLE RING
THE NEAR CIRCULAR MIDDLE RING HAS A DIAMETER OF 15M. THE STONES ARE 0.7M HIGH IN THE SOUTH ARC THEN THEY REDUCE IN SIZE AT THE NORTH, WHERE THE ARE 0.3M TALL. AROUND 36 OF THESE NEAR UNBROKEN KERB SLABS ARE IN SITU. THE INSIDE OF THIS RING CAIRN HAS BEEN ROBBED SUBSTANTIALLY.
RECUMBENT
THE GREY GRANITE RECUMBENT IS ORIENTATED SSE, MOST RECUMBENTS ARE ORIENTATED S TO SW. THIS MEGALITH IS ROUGHLY 3M LONG X 1.5M HIGH. THE TOP IS SLIGHTLY DOME SHAPED AND RISES TOWARDS THE WEST. THE RECUMBENT SETTING IS SET INTO THE MIDDLE RING CAIRN. THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL. THE RECUMBENT SETTING LOOKS IF IT HAS BEEN MOVED FROM THE OUTER RING & RE-POSITIONED A FEW METERS INWARDS TO JOIN ONTO THE MIDDLE RING CAIRN.
FLANKERS
ONLY THE WEST FLANKER REMAINS. IT IS JUST OVER 1.5M AND MADE OF GREY GRANITE, LIKE THE RECUMBENT STONE (ALL OTHER STONES ARE RED GRANITE) THIS FLANKER IS JOINED TO THE MIDDLE CIRCLE BY A NEAR 2M LONG KERB STONE.
INNER COURT
THE SMALLEST & INNER MOST CIRCLE HAS ONLY FIVE REMAINING STONES. THESE STONES FITTED CLOSE TOGETHER AND ARE RECTANGULAR SHAPED. THEY ARE OVER 0.5M HIGH. TO THE NE OF THIS CENTRAL COURT, THE REMAINS OF AN URN WAS FOUND IN THE LATE 18TH CENTURY. THIS WAS IN A HOLLOW SHAPED RECTANGULAR AREA.
OTHER INFO
THE FIRST RECORD OF AQUHORTHIES WAS IN 1692 BY JAMES GARDEN. ALEXANDER THOM THE SCOTTISH ARCHAEOASTRONOMER VISITED THE SITE IN 1955 AND MEASURED A TRUE CIRCLE. OUR ANCESTORS FROM 3000BC HAVE LEFT US WITH A UNIQUE & UNUSUAL RECUMBENT STONE CIRCLE THAT WE CAN STILL VISIT TODAY.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE FOR REGULAR VIDEO CONTENT ON SCOTLANDS ANCIENT SITES. PLEASE SHARE THE VIDEOS AND LEAVE ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS
THANKS FOR WATCHING.
Easter Aquhorthies Stone Circle
Steve and Chris at Easter Aquhorthies Stone Circle, North East Scotland. Another impromptu improvisation!
Snow walk to the Easter Aquhorthies Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire
The joy of walking in the snow and seeing the countryside in a blanket of white
Daviot Stone Circle
North of Inverurie Scotland.
Check out my other video of the Aqorthies stone circle.
It's within car travelling distance and I have marked it so you can see it on the map.
Beaghmore Stone Circles County Tyrone an Ancient Place
Bronze Age Megalitic features stone circles , Cairns , Standing stones & alignments this ancient spot is a must see .
Aikey Brae Stone Circle, Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
A journey through Scotland's ancient sites
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INTRO
3.5 MILES SW OF MINTLAW & BETWEEN THE VILLAGES OF MAUD & OLD DEER IS AIKEY BRAE RECUMBENT STONE CIRCLE. BUILT BY PEOPLE FROM THE 3RD MILLENNIUM BC. THIS IS A MUST VISIT SITE IN THE BUCHAN REGION OF NORTH ABERDEENSHIRE.
THE CIRCLE IS IN STATE CARE & OWNED BY ABERDEENSHIRE COUNCIL. AIKEY BRAE SITS ON TOP OF PARKHOUSE HILL. THERE ARE OPEN VIEWS TO THE SOUTH, HOWEVER THE REST OF THE LANDSCAPE IS OBSCURED BY TREES.
MOVING & ERECTING THESE MONOLITHS WAS A MONUMENTAL PROJECT FOR OUR ANCESTORS FROM PREHISTORY. THERE ARE ROUGHLY 100 RECUMBENT STONE CIRCLES IN NE SCOTLAND.
OVERVIEW
AN ESTIMATED 10 STONES WOULD HAVE ORIGINALLY COMPLETED THE CIRCLE, NOW 5 MEGALITHS REMAIN IN SITU. THE RING IS BUILT INTO A CIRCULAR BANK WITH OUTER & INNER KERB STONES AT ITS BASE. THIS STRUCTURE IS MADE OF SMALL STONES & EARTH. IT IS ROUGHLY 2M WIDE X 0.75M HIGH & A DIAMETER OF 14.5M.
RECUMBENT
A HUGE 21.5 TON RECUMBENT STONE SURVIVES. IT IS ORIENTATED SSW & RESEMBLES A MALE PHALIC STONE. THIS MEGALITH IS AROUND 4.5M LONG X 1.7M HIGH & HELD IN PLACE BY 3 STONE AT ITS BASE.
THE RECUMBENT & WESTERN FLANKER IS MADE OF WHINSTONE, ALL OTHER STONES ARE LOCAL GRANITE. THE TOP SURFACE OF THE RECUMBENT IS RELATIVELY LEVEL HOWEVER IT RISES SLIGHTLY TOWARDS THE WEST END.
FLANKERS
THE 2 FLANKERS SURVIVE HOWEVER ONLY THE EAST FLANK IS UPRIGHT, IT IS JUST OVER 2M HIGH. THE WEST FLANKER IS LAYING PROSTATE, IT HAS FALLEN BACK & LIES OVER THE BANK. AN 1881 ACCOUNT NOTED THE E FLANK WAS ALSO PROSTATE WHICH SUGGESTS RE-ERECTION. THE FLANKERS ARE THE CIRCLES TALLEST STONES.
RING
THE SW TO NW ARC CONTAINS ALL 3 REMAINING UPRIGHTS, THESE 3 MONOLITHS SEEM TO BE MALE. THE STONE IN THE SW POSITION (NEAREST THE RECUMBENT) IS NO DOUBT A MALE PHALUS. IT LOOKS LIKE THE STONE HAS BEEN SHAPED OR MOULDED TO EMPHASISE THE MALE FEATURE. THESE W ARC STONES ARE GRADED IN HEIGHT & REDUCE IN SIZE FROM AROUND 2M TO 1.6M IN A S TO N DIRECTION.
IN THE SE TO N ARC ALL THE STONES ARE PROSTATE. THE MEGALITH NEAREST THE N POSITION LIES FALLEN INSIDE THE CIRCLE. THE OVAL SHAPED FEATURELESS INTERIOR OF THE RING IS SHAPED LIKE A DISH. OTHER SITES WITH MALE STONES CAN BE SEEN AT MIDMAR KIRK & WHITEHILLS.
BANK
READING UNIVERSITY EXAMINED THE RING BANK IN 2001 & CONCLUDED IT WAS ERECTED BEFORE THE STONE CIRCLE. THE BANK FEATURE IS PARTICULAR FOR THE BUCHAN AREA. OVER 45 KERB STONES REMAIN IN POSITION & ALTERNATE BETWEEN WHITE & RED COLOURS. MORE KERB STONES LIE OUT OF THEIR ORIGINAL POSITION.
OTHER INFO
THE FIRST RECORD OF AIKEY BRAE WAS IN 1780 BY LACHLAN SHAW. CHARLES ELPHINSTONE DALRYMPLE EXCAVATED EXTENSIVELY IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY, HOWEVER THE INNER CIRCLE REVEALED VERY LITTLE.
THE 2001 EXCAVATION UNEARTHED SOME FLAKED QUARTZ & BROKEN WORKED FLINTS. AIKEY BRAE IS THE ONLY RECUMBENT CIRCLE TO HAVE NO CREMATED BONE FOUND. AUBREY BURL SAID THE SITE WAS ALIGNED WITH THE MAJOR SOUTHERN MOONSET.
THESE FASCINATING RECUMBENT CIRCLES ARE A SET IN STONE REMINDER FROM OUR ANCESTORS OF A REMOTE PAST. WHEN STUDYING & RESEARCHING THESE ENIGMATIC SITES WE MAY LEARN THINGS FROM PREHISTORY WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN INTENTIONALLY LEFT FOR US TO DECIPHER FROM DEEP ANTIQUITY.
Old Bourtreebush Stone Circle, Portlethen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
A journey through Scotland's ancient sites
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INTRO
OLD BOURTREEBUSH IS THOUGHT TO BE A STONE CIRCLE, WITH NO RECUMBENT SETTING. IT IS SITUATED TO THE WEST OF PORTLETHEN & 500M SE OF AQUHORTHIES RECUMBENT STONE CIRCLE. OLD BOURTREEBUSH IS A VERY RUINOUS SITE WHICH LIES IN PRIVATE LAND. OUR PREDECESSORS FROM THE NEOLITHIC ERA (NEW STONE AGE) HAVE LEFT US WITH AN UNUSUAL RING FOR NE SCOTLAND.
OVERVIEW
THE STONE CIRCLE ENCLOSES A CAIRN WHICH MIGHT BE A RING CAIRN. THE SPACING OF THE REMAINING STONES, SUGGESTS AROUND FIFTEEN UPRIGHTS. SOME OF THESE MISSING STONES MIGHT BE WAITING TO BE EXCAVATED.
RING
THE RING IS 26M IN DIAMETER. THE TALLEST STONE IS IN THE SW AT 2.9M & IS PINK GRANITE. THE SMALLEST STONE IS 1.2M HIGH ON THE ENE. THERE ARE THREE PROSTATE STONES, FOUR UPRIGHTS, WITH A POSSIBLE FIFTH STUMP STONE IN THE NORTH. THE STONES REDUCE IN HEIGHT FROM THE SW TO ENE. ALL THE MEGALITHS ARE POINTED AT THE TOP EXCEPT THE SOUTHERN MOST UPRIGHT.
THE INTERIOR HAS LOST ITS KERBED CAIRN. THE INSIDE OF THE CIRCLE IS SCATTERED WITH FIELD CLEARANCE STONE. THE SITE HAS BEEN BADLY INTERFERED WITH BY EXCAVATION WORK.
RECUMBENT
ALTHOUGH OLD BOURTREEBUSH IS NOT THOUGHT TO BE A RECUMBENT CIRCLE. THERE IS A 3.5M LONG MEGALITH THAT RESEMBLES A RECUMBENT. THIS MEGALITH IS EMBEDDED INTO THE CAIRNS MATERIAL, WHICH ENCLOSES THE CIRCLE. THE STONE LIES IN THE EAST SECTION, WHICH IS A VERY UNUSUAL LOCATION FOR A RECUMBENT. MOST RECUMBENT MEGALITHS ARE ON THE SW TO S ARC WITH SOME ON THE SE. THIS PROSTATE MEGALITH IS PROBABLY A FALLEN STANDING STONE.
FLANKERS
THERE ARE TWO STANDING STONES AT THE S & SW. THESE TWO UPRIGHTS MAY HAVE BEEN THE FLANKERS, IF THERE WAS A RECUMBENT SETTING. HOWEVER THEY ARE AROUND 8M APART. THE SW STONE IS THE HIGHEST IN THE RING WHICH IS A COMMON THEME THROUGH OUT THE ABERDEENSHIRE CIRCLES.
OTHER INFO
THE SOUTHERN MOST MEGALITH, BEARS ONE CUP MARK, AT 1M ABOVE GROUND LEVEL & SLIGHTLY OFF CENTRE. THE SITE WAS EXCAVATED IN 1858 BY ALEXANDER THOMPSON.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE FOR REGULAR VIDEO CONTENT ON SCOTLANDS ANCIENT SITES. PLEASE SHARE THE VIDEOS AND LEAVE ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS
THANKS FOR WATCHING.
Magnetic Anomalies - Aberdeenshire Stone Circles
A look at some of the strange magnetic anomalies present in Aberdeenshire's Stone Circles.
Benachie and Grampian Country side
a panning shot of the country side around Inverurie, including a good shot of Benachie.
Aberdeenshire, Stone Circles, Scotland, Part 3.
On my third trip to Aberdeenshire, Scotland I visited a number of recumbent stone circles. I have uploaded a short video of pictures I took of the following sites Hatton Of Ardoyne, Sunhoney, Midmar Kirk, Strichen, South Ythsie, Kirton Of Bourtie, Clune Wood and Nine Stanes. Please note Sunhoney and Midmar Kirk are revisited here from part 1 but this time with no snow. A few photos of East Aquhorthies at sunset appears in the clip above. Thanks for watching and please subscribe.
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Bass Of Inverurie, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
A journey through Scotland's ancient sites
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INTRO
IN INVERURIE CEMETERY ON KEITHHALL ROAD. YOU WILL FIND TWO VERY LARGE EARTHWORK MOUNDS. THESE ARE THOUGHT TO BE A MEDIEVAL MOTTE & BAILEY. METERS AWAY YOU WILL FIND A ROW OF PICTISH INSCRIBED SYMBOL STONES. IN THIS GRAVEYARD WE HAVE REMAINS FROM VARIOUS HISTORICAL PERIODS.
OVERVIEW
NEAR WHERE THE RIVER DON & RIVER URIE MEET IS THE BASS OF INVERURIE. IT IS THOUGHT TO BE A NATURAL MOUND THAT HAS BEEN SHAPED BY SCARPING THE SIDES. DIRECTLY OPPOSITE IS THE LITTLE BASS, A SHORTER CONSTRUCTION. THE MOTTE & BAILIE CASTLES WERE COMMON IN SCOTLAND BUT VANISHED OR RE-USED TO BUILD STONE CASTLES.
BASS
THE BASS IS THE PRINCIPLE MOUND KNOWN AS THE ‘MOTTE’. THE BOTTOM’S CIRCUMFERENCE IS OVER 150M, THE TOP CIRCUMFERENCE IS NEARLY 75M WITH A HEIGHT OF 12M. AN 1883 EXCAVATION REVEALED THE REMAINS OF A GANGWAY MADE OF OAKEN. THIS WAS JOINED ONTO THE SOUTH FACE.
LITTLE BASS
THE LITTLE BASS OR ‘BAILEY’ AT 5M HIGH, HAS TWO SLIGHTLY RAISED PLATFORMS. THESE MEASURE 17M X 9.5M & 11M X 9.5M, THESE ARE POTENTIALLY THE REMAINS OF BUILDINGS. THESE SIT ON AN OVAL FLAT TOP. THE TOP MEASURES 30M FROM EAST TO WEST X 23M NORTH TO SOUTH.
EXCAVATION HAS UNCOVERED A DITCH SURROUNDED BOTH MOUNDS. ESTIMATED TO BE 3M WIDE X 2M DEEP. DURING GRAVE DIGGING IN THE DITCH SOME 14TH CENTURY POTTERY WAS FOUND. A PATH WAS CUT BETWEEN THE MOUNDS IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY WITH POSSIBLE LANDSCAPING.
PREHISTORY
AROUND THE FOOT OF THE MOUNDS. NEOLITHIC WORKED FLINT IMPLEMENTS, CORES & FLAKES HAVE BEEN FOUND, DURING EXTENSIONS TO THE CEMETERY. THIS SUGGESTS A NEOLITHIC OCCUPATION. A POLISHED STONE ADZE ‘CUSHION’ MACE HEAD WAS FOUND NEAR THE BASS IN 1928. THIS SUGGESTS OCCUPATION IN THE BRONZE AGE.
FROM THE TOP OF THE BASS, THE FEMALE HILL OF MITHER TAP CAN BE SEEN IN THE DISTANCE.
NOTE THE SIMILARITY OF THE MOTTE & BAILEY TO THE NEOLITHIC MOUNDS OF SILBURY HILL, SILBABY & MARLBOROUGH MOUNT IN ENGLAND. THESE DATE TO 2400BC. IS IT POSSIBLE THE INVERURIE BASS IS A PREHISTORIC MANMADE CONSTRUCTION WHICH WAS LATER TAKEN ON TO BUILD A MOTTE & BAILEY? THE SITE SITS IN AN AREA RICH IN PREHISTORIC REMAINS.
Bass Of Inverurie, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
A journey through Scotland's ancient sites....
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INTRO
IN INVERURIE CEMETERY ON KEITHHALL ROAD. YOU WILL FIND TWO VERY LARGE EARTHWORK MOUNDS. THESE ARE THOUGHT TO BE A MEDIEVAL MOTTE & BAILEY. METERS AWAY YOU WILL FIND A ROW OF PICTISH INSCRIBED SYMBOL STONES. IN THIS GRAVEYARD WE HAVE REMAINS FROM VARIOUS HISTORICAL PERIODS.
OVERVIEW
NEAR WHERE THE RIVER DON & RIVER URIE MEET IS THE BASS OF INVERURIE. IT IS THOUGHT TO BE A NATURAL MOUND THAT HAS BEEN SHAPED BY SCARPING THE SIDES. DIRECTLY OPPOSITE IS THE LITTLE BASS, A SHORTER CONSTRUCTION. THE MOTTE & BAILIE CASTLES WERE COMMON IN SCOTLAND BUT VANISHED OR RE-USED TO BUILD STONE CASTLES.
BASS
THE BASS IS THE PRINCIPLE MOUND KNOWN AS THE ‘MOTTE’. THE BOTTOM’S CIRCUMFERENCE IS OVER 150M, THE TOP CIRCUMFERENCE IS NEARLY 75M WITH A HEIGHT OF 12M. AN 1883 EXCAVATION REVEALED THE REMAINS OF A GANGWAY MADE OF OAKEN. THIS WAS JOINED ONTO THE SOUTH FACE.
LITTLE BASS
THE LITTLE BASS OR ‘BAILEY’ AT 5M HIGH, HAS TWO SLIGHTLY RAISED PLATFORMS. THESE MEASURE 17M X 9.5M & 11M X 9.5M, THESE ARE POTENTIALLY THE REMAINS OF BUILDINGS. THESE SIT ON AN OVAL FLAT TOP. THE TOP MEASURES 30M FROM EAST TO WEST X 23M NORTH TO SOUTH.
EXCAVATION HAS UNCOVERED A DITCH SURROUNDED BOTH MOUNDS. ESTIMATED TO BE 3M WIDE X 2M DEEP. DURING GRAVE DIGGING IN THE DITCH SOME 14TH CENTURY POTTERY WAS FOUND. A PATH WAS CUT BETWEEN THE MOUNDS IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY WITH POSSIBLE LANDSCAPING.
PREHISTORY
AROUND THE FOOT OF THE MOUNDS. NEOLITHIC WORKED FLINT IMPLEMENTS, CORES & FLAKES HAVE BEEN FOUND, DURING EXTENSIONS TO THE CEMETERY. THIS SUGGESTS A NEOLITHIC OCCUPATION. A POLISHED STONE ADZE ‘CUSHION’ MACE HEAD WAS FOUND NEAR THE BASS IN 1928. THIS SUGGESTS OCCUPATION IN THE BRONZE AGE.
FROM THE TOP OF THE BASS, THE FEMALE HILL OF MITHER TAP CAN BE SEEN IN THE DISTANCE.
NOTE THE SIMILARITY OF THE MOTTE & BAILEY TO THE NEOLITHIC MOUNDS OF SILBURY HILL, SILBABY & MARLBOROUGH MOUNT IN ENGLAND. THESE DATE TO 2400BC. IS IT POSSIBLE THE INVERURIE BASS IS A PREHISTORIC MANMADE CONSTRUCTION WHICH WAS LATER TAKEN ON TO BUILD A MOTTE & BAILEY? THE SITE SITS IN AN AREA RICH IN PREHISTORIC REMAINS.
PICTISH STONES
THE FOUR PICTISH SYMBOL STONES WERE BUILT INTO THE WALLS OF THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH. THIS WAS DEMOLISHED IN 1775. IN THE 19TH CENTURY THEY WERE MOVED TO THEIR PRESENT LOCATION, METERS FROM THE BASS
1. A 1.7M LONG X 0.5M WIDE, RECUMBENT, RED GRANITE STONE. THE GLYPHS ON SHOW ARE A CRESCENT, A V ROD, A CIRCULAR DISK & RECTANGLE (MIRROR CASE) A SERPENT WITH A STRAIGHT ROD, A DOUBLE DISK & Z ROD.
2. ANOTHER RED GRANITE, FRAGMENTED STONE FROM THE 7TH CENTURY, AT 0.75M HIGH X 0.60M WIDE. HERE WE HAVE TWO DISKS JOINED TOGETHER WITH INTERNAL DECORATION.
3. A BROKEN, PINK GRANITE STONE, CARVED WITH A DOUBLE DISK & Z ROD, JUST VISIBLE AT THE TOP IS THE ARC OF ANOTHER SYMBOL.
4. GALLOPING HORSE, LONG TAIL, POINTED EARS, CIRCULAR EYES. ANOTHER 7TH CENTURY CARVING.
A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR ANCIENT ANCESTORS FROM PREHISTORY. THEY ERECTED THESE FASCINATING MEGALITHIC SITES, WHICH WE CAN STILL VISIT TODAY.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE FOR WEEKLY CONTENT, FEEL FREE TO SHARE, LEAVE ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS & THANKS FOR WATCHING.
Tyrebagger, Dyce, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
A journey through Scotland's ancient sites
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TYREBAGGER
DYCE
ABERDEENSHIRE
SCOTLAND
ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF DYCE & ABOVE ABERDEEN AIRPORT IS TYREBAGGER RECUMBENT STONE CIRCLE. THIS IS AN UNRESTORED SITE WITH A COMPLETE ARRANGEMENT OF ELEVEN STONES. THE RING IS SITUATED ON TYREBAGGER HILL. OUR ANCIENT ANCESTORS ERECTED THIS CIRCLE WITH COMMANDING VIEWS TO THE SOUTH.
THE DARK GREY GRANITE RECUMBENT IS 24 TONNES & TILTS INWARDS. IT RESTS ON A FOUNDATION OF SMALL STONES. AT OVER 3M LONG X 3M HIGH, OUR ANCESTORS ORIENTATED THIS MEGALITH DUE SOUTH. THE INNER FACE HAS BEEN DAMAGED BY FIRES, OVER HUNDREDS OF YEARS. THE RECUMBENT FACES BRIMMOND HILL, 2.5 MILES AWAY.
TWO FLANKING STONES SURVIVE EITHER SIDE OF THE RECUMBENT. THE WEST FLANKER IS OVER 3M & HAS A BLOCKING STONE BETWEEN IT AND THE RECUMBENT. THE EAST FLANK IS UNDER 3M HIGH & POINTED AT THE TOP. THE FLANKERS ARE THE TALLEST STONES IN THE RING.
THE STANDING STONES FORM A DIAMETER OF OVER 18M. THEY ARE OF RED GRANITE AND ARE NEARLY 3M HIGH TO 1.3M TALL. THEY REDUCE IN SIZE FROM THE SOUTH ARC FLANKERS TO THE NNE. DIRECTLY OPPOSITE THE RECUMBENT. ONE OF THE MEGALITHS IN THE NE ARC HAS FALLEN.
INSIDE THE CIRCLE IS THE REMAINS OF AN INTERNAL RING CAIRN WHICH IS 11.5M ACROSS. NINE STONES OF THE CAIRN CAN BE SEEN IN THE NW ARC. THE CAIRN POSSIBLY PRE-DATES THE OUTER STONE CIRCLE. AT PRESENT THE STONE CIRCLE SITS ON PRIVATE LAND. THE NEW ABERDEEN CITY BYPASS IS VERY CLOSE BY.
SCOTTISH ARCHAEOASTRONOMER ALEXANDER THOM, MEASURED TYREBAGGER IN 1955 & FOUND A TRUE CIRCLE. THE SITE WAS USED AS A CATTLE ENCLOSURE IN THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY. THE FIRST RECORD OF THE CIRCLE WAS IN AN ESTATE MAP FROM 1748.
A BIG THANKS TO OUR ANCIENT ANCESTORS.
Aberdeenshire - From the Sky.
A few locations in Aberdeenshire, North East of Scotland. Filmed using a DJI Phantom 3 Advanced.
Locations included:
Thainstone House
Haddo House
Castle Fraser
Aquhorthies Stone Circle
Lethenty Mill
Westgate, Inverurie.
The Prop of Ythsie
Stanton Drew Stone Circles - Strange Energy
LINKS TO ALL MY BOOKS AND HUNDREDS OF ARTICLES AND VIDEOS HERE
Moon Magic
Four recumbent stone circles in north-east Scotland: Loanhead of Daviot, Easter Aquhorthies, Tyrebagger, and Aikey Brae.
How might the ancient architects, and people, have used them to interact with the moon?
The video is imaginary, but based on the theory that the stone monuments may have been used to mark and to predict the lunar 'standstill' cycle of 18.6 years.
The beautiful music is gratefully borrowed from Robin Williamson.
Rothiemay Recumbent Stone Circle, Milltown of Rothiemay, Aberdeenshire.
A Journey Through Scotland's Ancient Sites.
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ROTHIEMAY
RECUMBENT STONE CIRCLE
MILLTOWN OF ROTHIEMAY
ABERDEENSHIRE
SCOTLAND
NORTH OF HUNTLY AND JUST OFF THE B9117 ROAD AT THE SMALL VILLAGE OF MILLTOWN OF ROTHIEMAY IS ROTHIEMAY RECUMBENT STONE CIRCLE. SITUATED NEAR THE DEVERON RIVER, THIS IS THE BIGGEST PREHISTORIC CIRCLE IN THE AREA. OUR NEOLITHIC ANCESTORS ERECTED THESE STONES BETWEEN 6000-4500 YEARS AGO.
REV JAMES SIMMIE RECORDED THE SITE AS ‘PRESERVED ENTIRE’ IN 1797. BY THE MID 1860’S THE SITE WAS REDUCED TO IT’S PRESENT STATE. THE CIRCLE IS SITUATED ON PRIVATE LAND WITH LIVESTOCK. CHECK OUT THE STONES OF WONDER WEB PAGE FOR ASTRONOMICAL POSSIBILITIES.
FOUR STANDING STONES SURVIVE, TWO STONES IN THE SOUTH EAST ARC AND TWO IN THE NORTH WEST. THE TALLEST STONE IN THE SOUTH SOUTH EAST HAS AT LEAST FOUR CUP MARKS ON ITS OUTER FACE. ALL FOUR STANDING STONES ARE ROUGHLY 2M HIGH. THE CIRCLES INTERIOR HAS BEEN CULTIVATED INTENSIVELY.
BETWEEN TWELVE AND FOURTEEN MEGALITHS WOULD HAVE ORIGINALLY COMPLETED A 28M DIAMETER RING, NOW ONLY FIVE REMAIN. A LARGE, PHALIC LIKE, BASALT RECUMBENT IS THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE CIRCLE, NO FLANKERS REMAIN. THE MEGALITH IS AROUND 4.5M LONG BY 2M HIGH.
THE TOP IS RAISED AT THE EAST SIDE, THE WEST END IS SUPPORTED BY A STONE UNDERNEATH. THE RECUMBENT IS OFFSET TO THE CIRCUMFERENCE AND ORIENTATED SOUTH WEST. THIS MAY BE CONNECTED TO THE WINTER SOLSTICE SUNSET.
WHAT MAKES ROTHIEMAY STAND OUT IS ITS HEAVILY CUP MARKED RECUMBENT. THIS HAS MORE CARVINGS THAN ANY OTHER MEGALITH IN ABERDEENSHIRE. THE EXACT NUMBER VARIES, THE TOP HAS AT LEAST NINETEEN CUPS. THE INNER FACE HAS WELL OVER ONE HUNDRED GLYPHS, TEN OF THESE ARE SURROUNDED BY A SINGLE RING.
F R COLES VISITED THE SITE IN 1902. HE MENTIONED A POSSIBLE INNER CIRCLE THAT HAD AN INTERVENING EMBANKMENT THAT CARRIED ROUND THE CIRCLE TO THE EAST AND NORTH EAST. THEN ITS DITCHES WERE TURNED OFF TO FORM A SORT OF AVENUE BY WHICH THE CIRCLE WAS APPROACHED.
A GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY WAS CARRIED OUT IN 1998, A FEW FINDS WERE ANOMALIES THAT COULD BE SEVERAL STONE HOLES AND AN INTERNAL CAIRN. THESE POSSIBLE FINDS GIVE SUPPORT TO F R COLES DOUBLE CIRCLE.
A BIG THANKS TO OUR ANCIENT ANCESTORS
Cothiemuir Wood, Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
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COTHIEMUIR WOOD
ALFORD
ABEREENSHIRE
SCOTLAND
NEAR THE VILLAGE OF KEIG & CASTLE FORBES, IS COTHIEMUIR WOOD STONE CIRCLE. THIS IS ANOTHER MUST VISIT NEOLITHIC RING, IN THE GORDON DISTRICT OF NE SCOTLAND. OUR PREDECESSORS FROM AROUND 3000BC, ERECTED THE MOST IMPRESSIVE RECUMBENT SETTING, OF ALL THE GRAMPIAN CIRCLES.
A VISIT TO COTHIEMUIR WOOD WILL REWARD YOU WITH A BIG & BEAUTIFUL RECUMBENT STONE. THIS WAS A HUGE FEAT OF ENGINEERING BY OUR NEOLITHIC ANCESTORS. THE CIRCLE IS SURROUNDED BY TREES, MAKING LANDSCAPE OBSERVATIONS DIFFICULT. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING YOU WILL SEE A CIST SLAB WHICH IS VERY UNUSUAL.
AT PRESENT EIGHT STONES REMAIN, FIVE STANDING & THE THREE STONE RECUMBENT SETTING. THIS ENCOMPASSES A 20M DIAMETER. THE SURVIVING STONES ARE IN THE SE TO N ARC. TWO STONES IN THE NW AREA ARE LEANING HEAVILY. IT IS THOUGHT AROUND THIRTEEN STONES WOULD HAVE ORIGINALLY COMPLETED THE SITE. THE CIRCLE ENCLOSES A WELL PRESERVED CAIRN.
THE SSW ORIENTATED RECUMBENT IS 20 TONS & MADE OF BASALT. THIS MEGALITH RESEMBLES A MALE PHALUS. IT IS 4.2M LONG X 1.25M HIGH. UNDERNEATH THE WEST END IS A SUPPORT STONE. ON THE OUTER SURFACE THERE IS NATURAL MARKINGS (KNOWN AS THE DEVILS HOOFMARKS) THERE IS ALSO POSSIBLE MAN MADE CUP MARKS ON THE OUTER FACE.
THE TWO FLANKERS ARE THE HIGHEST STONES. THEY REDUCE IN HEIGHT FROM THE SSW TOWARDS THE NNE. THEY ARE ROUGHLY THE SAME HEIGHT AT 2.7M. THE EAST FLANK SEEMS RECTANGULAR SHAPED AND MAY REPRESENT THE MALE. THE WEST FLANK IS MORE TRIANGULAR WHICH COULD BE SYMBOLIC OF THE FEMALE.
THE FIRST NOTE OF COTHIEMUIR WOOD WAS IN 1692 BY JAMES GARDEN. JOHN HOME MADE THE FIRST DESCRIPTION OF THE CIRCLE, ON AN ESTATE MAP OF CASTLE FORBES IN 1771. AN OLD TRACK SLICES THROUGH THE WEST SIDE OF THE RING.
DR RICHARD BRADLEY EXCAVATED COTHIEMUIR WOOD & PUBLISHED INFORMATION IN A BOOK CALLED ‘THE MOON AND THE BONFIRE’ “AN INVESTIGATION OF THREE STONE CIRCLES IN NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND”. THE OTHER TWO CIRCLES BEING AIKEY BRAE & TOMNAVERIE.
A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR ANCIENT ANCESTORS.