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Arran, Machrie Farm

Four Poster Stone Circle (Neolithic) - (Bronze Age)

Site Name Arran, Machrie Farm

Classification Four Poster Stone Circle (Neolithic) - (Bronze Age)

Canmore ID 39686

Site Number NR93NW 1

NGR NR 90851 35112

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/39686

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Bluesky International Limited 2025. Public Sector Viewing Terms

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Digital Images

Administrative Areas

  • Council North Ayrshire
  • Parish Kilmory
  • Former Region Strathclyde
  • Former District Cunninghame
  • Former County Buteshire

Archaeology Notes (1952 - 1978)

NR93NW 1 9084 3510.

(NR 9084 3510) Cairn (NR)

OS 6" map, (1924)

A small setting of 4 stones about 2ft high. They stand on the outline of a rectangular figure, and are not placed with their faces to a common centre, but rather in angular fashion. The stones are placed 6 - 7ft apart, and measured diagonally one pair are separated by 8ft 11ins, and the other by 7ft 2ins. The centre was dug out by Balfour in 1909 but nothing was found.

Source: J Balfour 1910.

NR 9084 3510. A stone setting, overgrown with bracken, situated on the end of a low curvilinear SW - facing ridge. Four granite stones, 'A-D', are arranged in a rough square, the long axis orientated approximately N-S. From centre to centre they are almost exactly 2.5m equi- distant, with the diagonals measuring 3.4 and 3.8m. 'A' is 0.3m high,'B'- 0.7m, 'C' - 0.5m and 'D' - 0.6m. The interior and surrounding area is featureless, and the stones would appear to represent a 'four-poster' type monument. (c/f NS92NE 2)

Surveyed at 1:10 000.

Visited by OS (J R L) 20 October 1977.

A 'four poster'

Source: H Fairhurst 1977.

Activities

Field Visit (2003)

NR 9081 3508 This group of four stones is located within the forest to the north of Machrie Farm. The stones are spaced 2.0m apart all round with diagonal distances of 2.70m from northeast to southwest and 2.80m form northwest to southeast. Site identified during an archaeological survey on Arran and Jura by the ACFA.

Anne Wood and Scott Wood, 2003.

Airborne Laser Scanning Interpretation (11 July 2018)

The location, classification and period of this site have been reviewed.

HES Survey and Recording 11 July 2018

Barber 1997

References

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