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.
Aikey Brae Stone Circle, Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
A journey through Scotland's ancient sites
Before Caledonia YouTube
Before Caledonia Facebook
Thanks for watching
Please subscribe, comment, share and leave any questions
A big thanks to our ancient ancestors.
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.
Nine Stanes Stone Circle, Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
A journey through Scotland's ancient sites
Before Caledonia YouTube
Before Caledonia Facebook
INTRO
NINE STANES IS ONE OF THE BETTER KNOWN RECUMBENT STONE CIRCLES IN NE SCOTLAND. IT IS SITUATED IN A FORESTRY PLANTATION BETWEEN MULLOCH HILL & GARROL HILL, 8 MILES SE OF BANCHORY. HERE YOU WILL FIND A NEAR COMPLETE SITE WHICH OUR ANCIENT ANCESTORS ERECTED IN THE NEOLITHIC ERA.
OVERVIEW
THE 1ST RECORD OF NINE STANES WAS FROM 1692 IN A NOTE BY JAMES GARDEN. ORIGINALLY THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN 11 MEGALITHS WHICH SURROUNDED A RING CAIRN. ONE STONE IS MISSING IN THE NW ARC WHILE ANOTHER ON THE WEST SECTION IS PRESENTLY A STUMP. NINE STANES IS THOUGHT TO BE A LATER MEGALITHIC RING.
RECUMBENT
THE 2.5M LONG X 1.3M HIGH RECUMBENT STONE IS ORIENTATED SSE, MOST RECUMBENTS ARE ON THE SOUTH TO SW ARC. THE RECUMBENT SETTING LOOKS AS IF IT HAS BEEN SKEWED FROM ITS ORIGINAL POSITION TO FIT WITH THE ORIENTATION OF THE INTERNAL CAIRN.
FLANKERS
THE TWO FLANKERS REMAIN, THE WESTERN FLANK IS 2M HIGH. THE FALLEN EAST PILLAR IS JUST OVER 2M.
SCOTTISH ARCHAEOASTRONOMER ALEXANDER THOM, MEASURED NINE STANES IN 1955 & FOUND A TYPE B FLATTENED CIRCLE, WHICH IS QUITE UNUSUAL. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THIS TYPE B FLATTENED RING IN ABERDEENSHIRE IS SOUTH YTHSIE STONE CIRCLE.
VARIOUS
F.R COLES EXCAVATED IN 1904. THE INSIDE AREA WAS VERY STONEY AND PROBABLY AN INTERNAL CAIRN. SIX STONES (ONE WAS MISSING) FORMED A PIT WHICH WAS FUNNEL SHAPED. THIS PIT WAS FULL OF BURNT BONE.
ANOTHER PIT TO THE NORTH, CONTAINED URN FRAGMENTS & CHARCOAL. FOUR SPOTS SURROUNDING THIS PIT CONTAINED BONE.
Daviot House, Ayr
Daviot House, 12 Queens Terrace, Ayr, South Ayrshire, KA7 1DU, Scotland
Click on the blue link above to read more about the Daviot House or to book your stay there.Or visit for bargain prices on many more hotels in South Ayrshire in the UK and around the globe.
Bass Of Inverurie, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
A journey through Scotland's ancient sites....
Before Caledonia YouTube
Before Caledonia Facebook
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.
Wantonwells Stone Circle, Insch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
A journey through Scotland's ancient sites
Before Caledonia YouTube
Before Caledonia Facebook
Thanks for watching
Please subscribe, comment, share and leave any questions
A big thanks to our ancient ancestors.
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.
A stone circle in Scotland
Im in a lazy mood and I dont feel like typing up all sorts of info about this so let me share some links about this stone circle.
This is really fascinating but like I said, I cant be arsed so if it looks interesting to you, check out the links!
Activating a Stone Circle
Bill Holding of Ridings Dowsers describes how his group energised a new stone circle in Yorkshire
Monument View, Inverurie - The Perfect Place
Welcome to Monument View – Set in Inverurie, one of Aberdeenshire’s most prosperous market towns, Monument View presents you with a wonderful opportunity to live in the heart of an
established and thriving community in one of the fastest growing towns in Europe.
This stunning development is surrounded by beautiful views and open space, yet has a wealth of amenities on the doorstep and the cosmopolitan attractions of Aberdeen, just a stone’s throw away.
Monument View offers a range of 2, 3 & 4 bedroom, energy efficient homes all featuring high specification and differing in size and character. Whether you are a couple wishing to upgrade to a stylish villa, a family needing space to grow, if you are looking to downsize or simply wishing to invest in a stunning low-maintenance home – Monument View is the perfect place for you.
Michael Tellinger - Stone Circles in SAPPI Plantations Dec 2017
Michael Tellinger shows a ringing stone on a walk through the SAPPI plantation near Waterval Boven - highlighting that the stone circles continue for miles into these forests - unseen to people. Thousands of stone circles have been destroyed by SAPPI, farming, roads, and town development.