Monument record MAB17882 - SUNHONEY STONE CIRCLE

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Summary

Remains of a recumbent stone circle, 25.4 m in diameter, which consists of the recumbent, two flanking pillars and nine other standing stones located on a well defined but low hill shoulder.

Protected Status/Designation

  • Scheduled Monument 44

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Location

Grid reference Centred NJ 7159 0570 (64m by 59m) Centred at - Polygon: Known Site Extent
Map sheet NJ70NW
Authority Aberdeenshire
Civil Parish Midmar

Type and Period (6)

Full Description

Remains of a recumbent stone circle, 25.4 m in diameter, which consists of the recumbent, two flanking pillars and nine other standing stones located on a well defined but low hill shoulder. The recumbent, which has slumped and part broken off, bears 31 cup-marks. The recumbent is a fine grained grey granite but all the other stones are a reddish granite or gneiss. Traces of a low ring cairn can be seen in the interior. Dalrymple, when excavating in 1865, found deposits of cremated bone and some fire-marked stone in the 2.43 m diameter central space. A 'circular' cist with some pottery fragments lay at the south side of ring cairn. Each circle stone stood in a little low cairn, although today the stones appear to be in a low bank, suggesting that the circle may have undergone some restoration. The circular plan of Sunhoney places it early in the development of such circles.


Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 05/03/82 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.

LOGAN, J, 1829, ARCHAEOLOGIA 22,55-58,198-202, 202 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1060.

SMITH, RA, 1880, NOTES ON STONE CIRCLES IN DURRIS, KINCARDINESHIRE, AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. IN PSAS 14(1879-80) 294-309, 308 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1811.

COLES, FR, 1901, REPORT ON THE STONE CIRCLES OF THE NE OF SCOTLAND, INVERURIE DISTRICT PSAS 34(1899-1900) 139-98, 181-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB230.

RITCHIE, J, 1918, PSAS 52(1917-18) 86-122, 88-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1511.

BROWN, GF, 1921, ANTS.IN NEIGHBOURHOOD,DUNECHT, 56-60 (Bibliographic reference). SAB95.

KEILLER, A, 1927, INTERIM REPORT UPON SUCH OF THE STONE CIRCLES OF ABERDEENSHIRE AND KINCARDINESHIRE AS HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED AS ANCIENT MONUMENTS, 11 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1033.

BURL, H. A. W., 1970, RECUMBENT STONE CIRCLES OF N-E SCOTLAND. PSAS 102, 64 (Bibliographic reference). SAB107.

KENWORTHY, JB, 1972, RING-CAIRNS IN NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND. IN SCOT ARCH FORUM 4, 24 (Bibliographic reference). SAB998.

THOM, A, 1980, BAR 81, 196-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1922.

MARREN, P, 1990, GRAMPIAN BATTLEFIELDS, 11 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1169.

SHEPHERD, I, 1996, ABERDEEN AND NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND (2ND ED), p. 163-4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4829.

TREVARTHEN, D, 2001, WINTER 2000/2001 FIELDWORK (Bibliographic reference). SAB1986.

MacGREGOR, G, 2002, Making monuments out of mountains:the role of colo (Bibliographic reference). SAB4618.

RES (RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS LTD), 2023, HILL OF FARE WIND FARM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT, EIA (Bibliographic reference). SAB3213.

Aug 23 1988 , HQ 21, HQ 21 (Ground Photograph). SAB14027.

Jan 1 1904 , AB 2527, AB 2527 (Ground Photograph). SAB20520.

Jan 1 1921 , DP 043063, 98, DP 043063, 98 (Ground Photograph). SAB20518.

Jan 1 1925 , AB 4834,40 PO, AB 4834,40 PO (Ground Photograph). SAB20521.

Jan 1 1976 , AAS/GR/76/CT203-4, AAS/GR/76/CT203-4 (Ground Photograph). SAB32460.

Jan 1 1984 , AAS/GR/84/CT23-25,71,130, AAS/GR/84/CT23-25,71,130 (Ground Photograph). SAB32617.

Jan 1 1990 , AAS/GR/90/CT119,518, AAS/GR/90/CT119,518 (Ground Photograph). SAB33149.

Jan 28 1997 , AAS/97/02/CT15-17, 19, AAS/97/02/CT15-17, 19 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16602.

Jan 28 1997 , AAS/97/02/G3/15-20, AAS/97/02/G3/15-20 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16601.

Jul 1 1902 , AB 2475, 79-80, AB 2475, 79-80 (Ground Photograph). SAB20519.

Other Statuses/References

  • Authority: ASH;
  • HES Scheduled Monument Number: 44;
  • NMR Card Number: NJ70NW9;
  • NRHE Numlink: 18543;
  • Old Historic Environment Record Ref: NJ70NW0008;

External Links (2)

Sources/Archives (25)

  • --- Bibliographic reference: KEILLER, A. 1927. INTERIM REPORT UPON SUCH OF THE STONE CIRCLES OF ABERDEENSHIRE AND KINCARDINESHIRE AS HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED AS ANCIENT MONUMENTS. 11.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: LOGAN, J. 1829. ARCHAEOLOGIA 22,55-58,198-202. 202.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: BURL, H. A. W.. 1970. RECUMBENT STONE CIRCLES OF N-E SCOTLAND. PSAS 102. N. 64.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: MARREN, P. 1990. GRAMPIAN BATTLEFIELDS. 11.
  • --- Ground Photograph: Aug 23 1988 . HQ 21. Black & White. HQ 21.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: Author unknown. . PRESS & JOURNAL. 05/03/82.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: RITCHIE, J. 1918. PSAS 52(1917-18) 86-122. 88-9.
  • --- Air-oblique Photograph: Jan 28 1997 . AAS/97/02/G3/15-20. Black & White. AAS/97/02/G3/15-20.
  • --- Air-oblique Photograph: Jan 28 1997 . AAS/97/02/CT15-17, 19. Colour Transparency. AAS/97/02/CT15-17, 19.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: SMITH, RA. 1880. NOTES ON STONE CIRCLES IN DURRIS, KINCARDINESHIRE, AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. IN PSAS 14(1879-80) 294-309. 308.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: THOM, A. 1980. BAR 81. Y. 196-7.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: TREVARTHEN, D. 2001. WINTER 2000/2001 FIELDWORK.
  • --- Ground Photograph: Jan 1 1921 . DP 043063, 98. Digital. DP 043063, 98.
  • --- Ground Photograph: Jul 1 1902 . AB 2475, 79-80. Black & White. AB 2475, 79-80.
  • --- Ground Photograph: Jan 1 1904 . AB 2527. Black & White. AB 2527.
  • --- Ground Photograph: Jan 1 1925 . AB 4834,40 PO. Black & White. AB 4834,40 PO.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: COLES, FR. 1901. REPORT ON THE STONE CIRCLES OF THE NE OF SCOTLAND, INVERURIE DISTRICT PSAS 34(1899-1900) 139-98. 181-7.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: RES (RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS LTD). 2023. HILL OF FARE WIND FARM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT. EIA.
  • --- Ground Photograph: Jan 1 1976 . AAS/GR/76/CT203-4. Colour Transparency. AAS/GR/76/CT203-4.
  • --- Ground Photograph: Jan 1 1984 . AAS/GR/84/CT23-25,71,130. Colour Transparency. AAS/GR/84/CT23-25,71,130.
  • --- Ground Photograph: Jan 1 1990 . AAS/GR/90/CT119,518. Colour Transparency. AAS/GR/90/CT119,518.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: MacGREGOR, G. 2002. Making monuments out of mountains:the role of colo. N.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: SHEPHERD, I. 1996. ABERDEEN AND NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND (2ND ED). p. 163-4.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: BROWN, GF. 1921. ANTS.IN NEIGHBOURHOOD,DUNECHT. 56-60.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: KENWORTHY, JB. 1972. RING-CAIRNS IN NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND. IN SCOT ARCH FORUM 4, 24.

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Record last edited

Mar 20 2026 2:09PM

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