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In northeast Scotland, there stands a series of reminders of our prehistoric past. Some 4000 years ago, nomads began to herd animals in the clearings they created from tilling. In northeast Scotland, these nomads erected mysterious monuments, which are now classified as Recumbent Stone Circles. What are these structures, of which surprisingly many still remain?
They all follow a similar pattern. A huge block of stone, weighing around 20 tons, lies prostrate in the southwest of the circle. It is wedged to ensure that the upper surface is level. This is the “Recumbent Stone.” On either side of this are two upright stones (the “flankers”), touching the Recumbent. These are frequently taller than a man, and they are the tallest of the perimeter stones. Around the circumference of the circle, other upright stones are placed, which descend in height towards the northeast. The diameter of the circle is usually around 12 to 18 meters.
Near the renowned Abbey of Deer, some 35 miles north of Aberdeen, is a forestry plantation called Loudon Wood. The heart of this wood is a dark and eerie place, and here lies one of the best preserved and most imposing circles in the area. Only its anonymity and inaccessibility have preserved it during these thousands of years. Few of its uprights still stand; most lie partly submerged in the boggy ground.
Of course, there are many tales of dancing, ritual, fires, and sacrifices that have been handed down. There are complex theories about solar or astral or lunar alignments. Were the circles positioned in accordance with the midsummer sunrise? Were they a primitive calendar for a society experimenting in agriculture?
Cremated bone has been found buried in most of these circles, but only in small quantities. The circles do not appear to be burial grounds or crematoria. The burnt bones may reflect some dedication ceremony at the time of construction.
And what is the origin of such peculiar monuments? Near Inverness stand some impressively preserved structures known as Clava Cairns. They consist of a central cairn, with a ring of twelve graded upright stones around the outside, and central burial pits. Apart from the missing Recumbent, these graded rings are identical to those found in Aberdeenshire, but they are of an earlier date. Eastwards along the Moray Coast there are traces of movement of people around this time, so it is reasonable to assume that they brought their concept of stone rings with them.
Around the same time as Clava Cairns were built, passage graves were constructed in Eastern Ireland that had a large Recumbent stone to mark the entrance. There is clear evidence of migration of people from Ireland to northeast Scotland at that time; relics, including porcellanite axes from County Antrim, have been found en route by Loch Lomond and up into the Grampians. Irish pottery of that period has been found in Aberdeenshire Cairns. These peoples met and apparently co-existed in the northeast for many generations. So it would seem that the Recumbent Stone Circles may be a fusion of ideas and customs from Inverness and Ireland.
But many questions remain as to the true purpose of these stone circles. And while they remain unanswered, the popular tales of sacrifice, dancing in the moonlight, and rituals by funeral pyres will continue to flourish.
If you have the opportunity to visit this area and want to have a closer look at the stone circles, here are a few of the most accessible.
Loudon Wood
This is near Mintlaw. You can access it via forest tracks. On Forestry Commission land and surrounded now by commercial forestry, it is not immediately apparent that it stands on a crest, with the ground falling away on all sides. Before afforestation, this circle, like most others, would have been visible for miles around. There is no recorded excavation of this site.
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Strichen
There is excellent access by public footpath from the village of Strichen. This circle was almost destroyed by a tenant farmer around 1830. Fortunately, he was caught in the act by the landlord, Lord Lovat, who immediately instructed the circle’s reinstatement. Less fortunately, it was grudgingly reassembled with little regard for accuracy. However, the circle was eventually restored correctly by volunteers in 1981.
Aikey Brae
This can be accessed from an unclassified road northwest of the village of Old Deer. Arguably, this circle is the most outstanding example amongst the Aberdeenshire Recumbent Stone Circles. It was the first to be excavated, early in the nineteenth century.
Berrybrae
This is visible and very accessible, from an unclassified road northwest of the village of Crimond. This circle is probably the most thoroughly excavated and explored. Excavated in 1975, it was found to be an elliptical bank of stones from which most of the standing stones had been removed in recent times. The Recumbent stone occupies a position exactly on the short axis at 241 degrees, and it is believed it would have, at the time of its creation, occupied a May Day solar alignment.
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