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Field Visit
Date 6 October 2015
Event ID 1014697
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1014697
Both John Henderson (1907) and James Ritchie (1917) refer to the remains of a stone circle at Tombeg, the latter maintaining that this standing stone is the sole survivor of the ring. However, no stone circle is shown at this location on either the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map, or on the earlier plans of the Monymusk estate prepared by Alexander Ogg (1846) and George Brown (1774). Nevertheless, when viewed in profile from the east, this stone bears a remarkable resemblance to an orthostat shown standing in front of the partly demolished remains of an hitherto unlocated recumbent stone circle depicted in an oil painting by James Cassie dated to 1859 (Welfare 2011, 553).
The back of the board on which this is painted bears an old typed label with the title 'Standing Stones near Bennachie'; and this ridge with Mither Tap to the right in the composition, forms the backdrop to the remains of the ring in the left foreground. Although the view is consistent with the location of Tombeg, the ridge and its foothills have been dramatically pulled forward by the artist for emphasis. The surviving orthostat is shown in its present position following its reprieve from destruction by gunpowder and its re-erection for use as a cattle-rubbing stone in front of the despoiled recumbent setting, which was evidently orientated SE. The latter, with the rest of the recumbent stone circle was probably destroyed soon after the painting was made. The OS surveyors were unaware of its former presence and so failed to map its site. Ritchie observed a second stone, some 7.3m south of the orthostat, but he doubted whether this formed part of the ring and it has not been noted since. It is uncertain whether a large, partly covered stone tipping over the edge of the pit 14m NNW of the orthostat could be part of the broken-up recumbent, but this seems unlikely.
A plan was taken to show the relationship between the standing stone, the east end of the pit (NJ61SE 56) and the whin mill to its north (NJ61SE 40.1).
Visited by HES (ATW and AMcC), 6 October 2015.
