Monument record MAB42944 - AQUHORTHIES

Recumbent stone circle.

Recumbent stone circle. It was described by Morrison as being three concentric circles of upright stones of which the largest were in the outermost circle. Before 1792 the stone cist was found between the middle and the outermost rings on the east side. Within the innermost ring other small finds were discovered. The outermost circle consisted of 13 stones, of which two were fallen, on a platform, circa 0.91m high. The recumbent is described as vertical and is marked R on the plan. No further information was found concerning the bone remains and urn fragments. The stones of the circle are relatively small and not markedly graded. The east flanker is missing. Most of the stones are of reddish granite but the recumbent and west flanker are a coarse-grained grey granite seamed with white quartz. Like other Dee Valley Recumbent stone circles the recumbent is placed east of south and lies well inside the circumference of the ring. In the interior is one of the best preserved ring-cairns. There is an outer circle of kerbstones, 15.2m across, with a well-defined central space about 3.4m wide. The ring cairn curves noticeably out to join the recumbent at its south.

Period Notes
c. 2500 - 1500 BC

3366/2, 3366/2 (Ground Photograph). SAB16206.

Author unknown, 1799, OLD STATISTICAL ACCOUNT, No4(1792) 456 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1845.

THOMSON, A, 1863, PSAS 5(1862-3) 130-5, 33-4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1963.

SMITH, RA, 1880, NOTES ON STONE CIRCLES IN DURRIS, KINCARDINESHIRE, AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. IN PSAS 14(1879-80) 294-309, 305-6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1811.

COLES, FR, 1901, PSAS 35(1900-01) 187-248, 225-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB231.

Recumbent stone circle.

COLES, FR, 1901, REPORT ON THE STONE CIRCLES OF THE NE OF SCOTLAND, INVERURIE DISTRICT PSAS 34(1899-1900) 139-98, 145-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB230.

Recumbent stone circle.

MOW, 1961, A M'S SCOT, 24 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1166.

HENSHALL, AS, 1963, CHAMBERED TOMBS OF SCOT 1, 34 (Bibliographic reference). SAB724.

Recumbent stone circle.

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

THOM, A, 1980, BAR 81, 226-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1922.

Recumbent stone circle.

Jul 1 1979 , AZ 28, AZ 28 (Ground Photograph). SAB16205.

Jul 1 1989 , AAS/GR/89/CT235-224a, AAS/GR/89/CT235-224a (Ground Photograph). SAB32740.

Jun 18 1989 , JB 6-13, JB 6-13 (Ground Photograph). SAB33698.

Record last edited

Apr 1 2026 10:18AM