Archaeology Notes

Event ID 723093

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/723093

NT66NW 14 6254 6549.

(NT 6254 6550) Nine Stones (NR)

OS 6" map (1957)

'The Nine Stones': A circle of nine stones. It is believed that some treasure is hidden beneath these stones and various attempts, all unsuccessful, have been made to find it.

Name Book 1853

'The Nine Stones': Stone Circle. This stone circle, just above 1000 ft OD, is on a SE-facing slope above Kingside Burn.

Only eight stones remain, three on the NW arc being still upright and five protrate. Six stones enclose a three-quarter circle approximately 22ft in diameter, and the S arc being open. One stone, almost buried, lies outside the NE arc, and another, the most southerly, lies several feet outside this line. The largest erect stone, on the NW, is 5 ft long, 2ft wide and 3ft above ground level, while the five that are overthrown vary from 2 to 7ft in length. There is a slight excavation at the centre and another to the S that may have been occupied by an outlying stone nearby.

RCAHMS 1924, visited 1913

NT 6254 6549. 'The Nine Stones': name verified. There are in fact nine stones comprising the remains of this probable stone circle. It appears that stone 'A' on plan, which is a loose, rounded 0.5m high boulder, is a recent placement in the southernmost hollow shown on the RCAHMS plan. Although generally as described, it is difficult to estimate the original form and dimensions of the circle as it is possible that only stone 'C', a squarish block 0.7m high, is in its erected position.

Stone 'B' is rounded and loose, and D, E, F and H are large tapered slabs up to 2.0m long and 1.0m wide that are now earthfast. They have no symmetry in their present positions. Stone 'J', a square block 0.5m high, would appear an outlier in any configuration.

The ragged central depression is of doubtful significance and could be a late feature.

Surveyed at 1:10,000.

Visited by OS (JRL) 25 April 1979

These stones once stood on the perimeter of a ring about 6.4m in diameter. At the S of the circumference is a hollow where stone 'J' noted by OS (JRL) may have stood. The uneven interior suggests digging has taken place here (see Name Book 1853).

A Thom, A S Thom and A Burl 1980