Building record MAB12243 - THE AULD KIRK

Remains of a ring cairn, formerly interpreted as a stone circle, of which all that remains is a stony dyke (ring bank) surmounted by the remains of a ring of trees.

Remains of a ring cairn, formerly interpreted as a stone circle, of which all that remains is a stony dyke (ring bank) surmounted by the remains of a ring of trees. The ring bank is The dyke does not appear to have been part of original structure and probably built at time of destruction of circle and planting of trees. Coles (1901) described it as the disturbed remains of a triple concentric circle of stones 33 ft (circa 10 m) in diameter, the interior flat and enclosed by a rounded ridge partly shaped on the outside to a dyke. The innermost circle was of long, rather narrow blocks set on edge of which eight are in situ, the middle one of broad massive stones of which three remained, the outer of long narrow stones of which two remained. At the time of OS site visit in 1968 all that was visible was a circular stone dyke circa 9.5 m in diameter and surmounted by the remains of a ring of trees. OS concluded that Coles assessment of the site as a triple, concentric circle is suspect in that several of the larger stones are loose and obviously not in situ and some are merely the base of the dyke. RCAHMS site visit 1999 interpreted the site as a possible robbed ring cairn, the centre largely removed by stone robbing. Overall the ring bank is cairn is 11 m in diameter, 3-3.5 m wide and up to 0.7 m high. although some of the visible is probably the result of modern field clearance, There are two stones on edge on the south, although it is not clear whether these belong to an inner or outer kerb. The ring-bank recorded by Coles is extant though much altered and added to. A break in the bank on the south may relate to removal of a tree.

Period Notes
Scheduled 07/02/1925

COLES, FR, 1901, PSAS 35(1900-01) 187-248, 208-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB231.

KEILLER, A, 1927, INTERIM REPORT UPON SUCH OF THE STONE CIRCLES OF ABERDEENSHIRE AND KINCARDINESHIRE AS HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED AS ANCIENT MONUMENTS, 2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1033.

Record last edited

Sep 11 2023 2:22PM