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Pitglassie

Recumbent Stone Circle (Neolithic) - (Bronze Age)

Site Name Pitglassie

Classification Recumbent Stone Circle (Neolithic) - (Bronze Age)

Alternative Name(s) North Pitglassie

Canmore ID 18359

Site Number NJ64SE 8

NGR NJ 6862 4348

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/18359

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Aberdeenshire
  • Parish Auchterless
  • Former Region Grampian
  • Former District Banff And Buchan
  • Former County Aberdeenshire

Archaeology Notes

NJ64SE 8 6862 4348.

(NJ 6862 4348) Stone Circle (NR)

F R Coles 1903.

An amorphous heap of the stones that formed a recumbent stone circle until the mid-19th century, now gathered beside the recumbent stone which is probably in situ, being too large to move.

The stones, twelve in all, now occupy a roughly oval area 17' long and 10' broad. All are of whinstone.

The recumbent stone, 8'3" long, 4'8" thick and 3'6" across, leans slightly to the north, and is partially covered by other stones. On its east is a pillar-like stone, 5' 5" by 3' 1" by 2' 7", which bears eight cup-marks from 2 1/2" to 3" in diameter and 1/4" to 1/2" deep. Of the other ten stones two are over 5' long by 3' broad, three are over 4' long by 2' 6" broad and three are over 3' long and 2' broad. Smaller boulders of quartz and various other stones are thickly strewn about.

F R Coles 1903; J Ritchie 1918.

All that survives of this stone circle is the recumbent stone as described by Coles (1903) and the prostrate cup-marked pillar on its E side. The recumbent stone leans to the N over two small stones and its long axis lying at 89 degrees Mag Bearing suggests that if in situ it was originally slightly E of S on the circumference. The remainder of the circle has been entirely ploughed out.

Resurveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (ISS) 17 January 1973.

A recumbent stone circle showing both early and late features.

H A W Burl 1973.

Activities

Field Visit (6 April 2005)

Largely cleared away into a heap in the mid 19th century, this recumbent stone circle has now been reduced to little more than the recumbent and what may be its prostrate E flanker, which lie on a slight terrace on a gentle ESE-facing slope. At the time of its demolition, the circle may have comprised as many as twelve stones; measuringd about 18m in diameter (Coles 1903a, 109, 117), there was probably once a cairn within its interior. The recumbent block (2) faces SSE and measures 2.45m in length by 1.25m in height. Its summit is slightly convex, but rises into a low lump at the E end. The E flanker (3), if indeed this stone was originally part of the recumbent setting (see below), bears at least fifteen shallow cups on its upturned face. Largely hidden beneath the soil to the rear of the recumbent there are at least two roughly rectangular blocks that might also have belonged to the ring.

Visited by RCAHMS (ATW and KHJM) 6 April 2005

Measured Survey (6 April 2005)

RCAHMS surveyed the remains of Pitglassie recumbent stone circle on 6 April 2005 with plane table and alidade producing a plan and an elevation of the recumbent setting at a scale of 1:100. The plan and elevation were used as the basis for an illustration, produced in ink and finished in vector graphics software, that was published at a scale of 1:250 (Welfare 2011, 438).

Field Visit (1 May 2011 - 1 November 2011)

Cultural Heritage assessment for the proposed Greeness wind farm development. The assessment forms part of an Environmental Statement. The Cultural Heritage assessment identifies all historic environment features within the development area (through desk-based assessment and field survey), and key external receptors up to 10km from the proposed development. An assessment of the direct and indirect impacts of the development on these features is included.

Farmstead depicted as roofed on First Edition Ordnance Survey, now in ruins. No associated remains were discovered within the area.

Information from OASIS ID: cfaarcha1-207671 (H Tweedie) 2011

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