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Loanhead of Daviot Stone Circle

Aberdeenshire, Scotland

10 stones and a recumbent, in a 20.5m (67ft) circle.

Around each standing stone are small stone settings, some of which contained cremation burials and fragments of deliberately smashed pottery.

Note that the stone beside the E flanker has 5 cup marks and that the recumbent was originally one block.

Another account says that the flanking stone on the far side of the recumbent has twelve cup marks.

Such recumbent stones are often associated with moon observations and are particularly numerous in Aberdeenshire.

Within the circle is a very low cairn with a pronounced kerb and a 'reserved' area around the recumbent.

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The excavation of 1934 revealed:

  • a fire marked patch in the centre of the circle, beneath the cairn
  • a 50mm (2") thick layer of black earth and charcoal over the whole central area
  • patches of burnt bones of adults' and infants' skulls.

Another area of cremation burials is to be found beside the circle. The two low curved dykes and small stone piles represent an enclosed cremation cemetery of the Bronze Age. Excavation revealed cremated burials in urns beneath the little cairns and a central burial consisting of the cremated body of a man laid straight in a slight hollow beneath his funeral pyre.

Dated approximately 2500BC.

One of 3 circles:-

  • There is another circle (remains of) marked on the map half a mile north of the 'A' road into New Craig NJ745297. You can see it from further up the road north from the one above. The recurrent and flankers remain.
  • The third circle in this group (along with New Craig) was rumoured to have stood near Daviot Church. According to Burl it was demolished in the 1800's to make way for a house.

There are more than 15 megalithic sites in the same area.

See also

Our section on stone circles

The discussion on the purpose of stone circles


Planning Grid

Location:

Loanhead of Daviot Stone Circle, Daviot, Aberdeenshire

Grid Reference

NJ748289   Landranger Map 38

Map Link:

Multimap

Getting there:

On the right under half a mile north of Deviot

5 miles NW of Inverurie, lying between the A920 Old Meldrum/Colpy and the B9001 Inverurie/Rothienorman roads. Signposted.

Access:

100m walk from the car park.

Parking:

Car Park

Facilities:

 

Things To Do, See and Photograph:

 

What to take:

 

Nature highlights:

 

Best Times to Visit:

 

Address:

 

Postcode:

 

Telephone:

 

E-mail:

 

Website:

 

Opening times:

open at all times

Charges:

none

Photo Restrictions:

none

Other Restrictions: none
Special Needs Access: not known
Special Needs Facilities:  
Children Facilities:  
Dogs Allowed: no restrictions specified anywhere

Other useful websites:

http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=98

http://www.veganfamily.co.uk/daviot.html

http://www.stonepages.com/scotland/loanheadofdaviot.html

CIN Page Ref:

loanhead_of_daviot_stones

Date Updated:03/08

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