Twelve Apostles (NX 947794) is the name given to a large stone circle situated between the villages of Holywood and Newbridge, near Dumfries, Scotland. It is the fifth largest stone circle in Britain and the largest on the mainland of Scotland.[1]
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The circle is composed of eleven stones, of which five are earthfast. The highest upright stone is around 1.9 meters tall. The longest, lying in the south-western sector, is 3.2 meters long.[1] The circle measures 89 meters at its maximum diameter. It is not a true circle in formation; rather, it is an example of Alexander Thom's Type B 'flattened circle'.[2]
To the north-east of the circle, running parallel with the A76 road, is a cursus, now only visible from the air.[1]
In 1882 it was reported that a four inch bronze figure was uncovered at the circle some years before. This has since been identified as Saint Norbert, and dated to the twelfth century. It is now housed in the Dumfries Museum.[2]