Archaeology Notes

Event ID 666404

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/666404

NJ26SE 7 2895 6407

(NJ 2895 6407) Stone Circle (NR) (remains of)

OS 6" map, (1970)

Stone Circle, Innesmill: The remains of this stone circle stand at 30m OD, in the NW angle of cross roads. Known variously as the Devil's Stanes, the Nine Stones and the Standing Stones of Urquhart, today only five stones remain of what may have been an original twelve stones on the circumference of a circle 33.5m in diameter. (Another two fallen stones lie within the circle, apparently not in situ) They range in height from 1.0m to 1.9m, and appear to be graded towards the S-SSW. This, together with the 19th century reference by the minister of Urquhart to 'nine tall stones in a circle, two of them at the entrance to the altar' suggest that this may have been a recumbent stone circle from which the recumbent and its flankers have subsequently been removed. It is noteworthy that the westernmost stone has several small cupmarks on it a pillar which would have been close to the recumbent in that restricted area where cupmarks are to be found in recumbent stone circles.

Some time before 1870 the interior was dug over but no traces of graves or anything significant was found.

NSA 1845; J Morrison 1888; F R Coles 1906; I A G Shepherd and I B M Ralston 1979; A Thom, A S Thom and A Burl 1980.

This stone circle was as described above when seen in 1965 and 1972. The marks on the westernmost stone ('B' on plan) were recognised as cupmarks by OS (R D), though OS (R L) considered that they had been caused by weathering. None of the names given above (by Coles) were known locally. (However, it is scheduled as 'Standing Stones of Urquhart', stone circle.)

Visited by OS (R D) 26 January 1965 and (R L) 18 January 1972.