List of stone circles

A stone circle is a monument of stones arranged in a circle or ellipse. Such monuments have been constructed in many parts of the world throughout history for many different reasons. The best known tradition of stone circle construction occurred across the British Isles and Brittany in the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, with over 1000 surviving examples, including Avebury, the Ring of Brodgar and Stonehenge. Another prehistoric tradition occurred in southern Scandinavia during the Iron Age, where stone circles were built to be mortuary monuments to the dead. Outside of Europe, examples of stone circles include the 6300~6900 BCE Atlit Yam in Israel and 3000~4000 BCE Gilgal Refaim nearby, and the Bronze Age monuments in Hong Kong.

This is an incomplete photographic list of these stone circles.

Britain, Ireland and Brittany

Aubrey Burl's gazetteer lists 1,303 stone circles in Britain, Ireland and Brittany. The majority of these are found in Scotland, with 508 sites recorded. There are 316 in England; 187 in Ireland; 156 in Northern Ireland; 81 in Wales; 49 in Brittany; and 6 in the Channel Isles.[1]

Channel Islands

Aubrey Burl records six sites in the Channel Islands, four on Guernsey and two on Jersey. All six are Cist-in-Circle monuments, which are influenced by chambered tomb design. Their relationship with the stone circle tradition of Britain, Ireland and Brittany is unclear.[2]

Guernsey

 La Plate Mare

Jersey

 Ville-ès-Nouaux

England

Cornwall

 Boscawen-Un – Stone circle with a leaning pillar in its interior.
The Hurlers are a group of three stone circles on Bodmin Moor.
The Merry Maidens – near St Buryan in West Penwith.
Tregeseal East – also known as the Tregeseal Dancing Stones, near St Just in West Penwith.

Cumbria

 Castlerigg – A 33m diameter ring consisting of 38 stones.
 Gamelands – Near Orton, Eden: grid reference NY640081.
 Long Meg and Her Daughters – Around 51 stones set in an oval shape measuring 100 m on its long axis.
 Swinside – A near perfect circle located in Lollage Lake District.

Derbyshire

 Arbor Low – near Youlgreave in Derbyshire.
 Doll Tor – near Birchover in Derbyshire.
Nine Ladies – Nine stones located on Stanton Moor.

Devon

 Brisworthy stone circle
Grey Wethers stone circles
Ringmoor Down
Scorhill
 Shovel Down
 Yellowmead stone circle

Dorset

 Kingston Russell – An 18 stone Bronze age circle near Abbotsbury. 50°41′18.7″N 2°35′56.2″W / 50.688528°N 2.598944°W
 The Nine Stones – A small nine stone circle near Winterbourne Abbas.

Shropshire

 Mitchell's Fold – A 30 stone ring (15 still standing).

Somerset

Large stones, some lying and some standing on end in grassy area.
 Stanton Drew – One of three circles located near the village of Stanton Drew.

Warwickshire

 The King's Men – one of three monuments that make up the Rollright Stones, found near the village of Long Compton.

West Yorkshire

 Twelve Apostles, West Yorkshire – grid reference SE12614506

Wiltshire

 Avebury – A large stone circle surround the village of Avebury.
Stonehenge – A World Heritage site.

Northern Ireland

Down

 Ballynoe stone circle

Fermanagh

 Drumskinny stone circle

Tyrone

 Beaghmore – Located outside Cookstown.

Republic of Ireland

There are 187 stone circles in the Republic of Ireland. The vast majority of these are in County Cork, which has 103 circles. There are 20 circles in County Kerry and 11 in County Mayo.[3]

Cork

 Ardgroom SW – Known locally as "Canfea", located southwest of the village of Ardgroom on the Beara peninsula.
 Carrigagulla – About 18 stones located to the north of the village of Ballinagree.
 Derreenataggart stone circle
Drombeg stone circle – Located west of Rosscarbery.
Knocknakilla – Located between Macroom and Millstreet.
Glantane east – Located between Macroom and Millstreet.
Templebryan Stone Circle – Located between Bandon and Millstreet.

Donegal

 Beltany stone circle

Kerry

 Kenmare stone circle
Lissyvigeen stone circle
Shronebirrane stone circle

Scotland

Aberdeenshire

 Cullerlie Stone Circle near Echt, Aberdeenshire.
 Easter Aquhorthies Recumbent Stone Circle, near Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.
 Kirkton of Bourtie Recumbent Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire: grid reference NJ 80091 24883.
 Hill of Fiddes Recumbent Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire: grid reference NJ 9350 2432.
 Inschfield Recumbent Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire: grid reference NJ 6233 2934.
 Loanhead of Daviot Recumbent Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire.
 Loudon Wood Recumbent Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire: grid reference NJ 96105 49740.
 Midmar Kirk Recumbent Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire: grid reference NJ 69940 06493.
 Old Keig Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire: grid reference NJ 5965 1939.
 New Craig Recumbent Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire: grid reference NJ 7455 2966.
 The Nine Stanes, Aberdeenshire: grid reference NO 7233 9122.
 Potterton Recumbent Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire: grid reference NJ95291636.
 South Ley Lodge Recumbent Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire: grid reference NJ76671325.
 St Brandan's Stanes, Aberdeenshire: grid reference NJ60756105.
 Strichen Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire: grid reference NJ9367454479.
 Stonehead Recumbent Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire: grid reference NJ60102869.
 Sunhoney, Aberdeenshire: grid reference NJ7159205701.
 Tillyfourie Recumbent Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire: grid reference NJ64311350.
 Tomnaverie Recumbent Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire.

Angus

 Balkemback stone circle, Tealing: grid reference NO38183844.
 Colmeallie stone circle, grid reference NO56567811.

Argyll and Bute

 Cultoon stone circle, Islay: grid reference NR19565697.
 Ettrick Bay stone circle, Bute: grid reference NS0443466794.
 Lochbuie stone circle, Mull: grid reference NM6178025117.
 Temple Wood stone circles, grid reference NR82639782.

Dumfries and Galloway

Aubrey Burl lists 43 stone circles in Dumfries and Galloway: 15 in Dumfriesshire; 19 in Kirkcudbrightshire; and 9 in Wigtonshire.[3] The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland records 49 stone circles in the region. Of these 49, 24 are listed as 'possible'; one is an 18th-century construction; and a number have been destroyed.[4]

 The Girdle Stanes Near Eskdalemuir:grid reference NY2535196153
 Glenquicken Near Creetown:grid reference NX50965821
 Lochmaben Stone Just south of Gretna
 The Loupin Stanes Near Eskdalemuir:grid reference NY25709663
 Seven Brethren Near Lockerbie: grid reference NY21718269
 Standing Stones of Glenterrow Between Stranraer and New Luce:grid reference NX14536251
 Twelve Apostles Stone Circle, situated between Holywood and Newbridge, near Dumfries.
 Torhouskie

North Ayrshire

The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland records 20 stone circles in North Ayrshire, all on Arran.[5] Five of these are listed as 'possible'.[5] Aubrey Burrel's gazetteer records 19 stone circles on Arran.[3]

 Auchagallon Stone Circle Arran grid reference NR892834643
 Aucheleffan Arran grid reference NR 9784 2505
 Machrie Moor 1 Arran grid reference NR9119832393
 Machrie Moor 2 Arran grid reference NR9113032420
 Machrie Moor 3 Arran grid reference NR9100632457
 Machrie Moor 4 Arran grid reference NR9100132355
 Machrie Moor 5 Arran grid reference NR9087832353
 Machrie Moor 11 Arran grid reference NR9121232416

Orkney

There are two stone circles on Orkney, both on the Mainlaind.[6] The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland records a possible third at Stoneyhill, also on the Mainland.[7]

 Ring of Brodgar – A 60 stone ring (27 still standing).
 Standing Stones of Stenness, Orkney

Scottish Borders

The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland records 16 stone circles in the Scottish Borders. Of these, three are marked as 'possible'.[8] Aubrey Burl's gazetteer lists the same number: 2 in Berwickshire; 2 in Peebleshire; 10 in Roxburghshire; and 2 in Selkirkshire.[3]

 Five Stanes grid reference NT75261686
 Harestanes grid reference NT12404432
 Ninestane Rig

Shetland

Aubrey Burl's gazetteer lists seven sites in Shetland, but notes that all are dubious.[9] The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland records three stone circles.[10] It does not include Hjaltadans, which is instead categorised as a 'stone setting'.[11]

 Hjaltadans Fetlar

Western Isles

 Callanish I Lewis.
 Callanish II Lewis, a smaller stone circle.
 Callanish III Lewis, a smaller stone circle.
 Callanish IV Lewis, a smaller stone circle.
 Callanish VIII Lewis, a smaller stone semicircle.
 Pobull Fhinn North Uist, grid reference NF8427465010.

Wales

 Moel Tŷ Uchaf Llandrillo, Denbighshire. 52°55′N 3°24′W / 52.92°N 3.40°W
 Bryn Cader Faner, Gwynedd 52°53′54″N 4°00′41″W / 52.8982°N 4.0114°W
 Bryn Gwyn stones, Anglesey 52°53′54″N 4°00′41″W / 52.8982°N 4.0114°W

Israel and The Golan Heights

 Atlit Yam (6300-7000 BCE: oldest known in the world, as of 2014) – Located south of Haifa.
Gilgal Refaim (4~3000 BCE) – Located northeast of Lake Kinneret.

Poland

 Odry – Odry in Poland.

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stone circles.
  1. ↑ Aubrey, Burl (2000). The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany. New Haven; London: Yale University Press. p. 395.
  2. ↑ Burl, Aubrey (2000). The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany. New Haven; London: Yale University Press. p. 403.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Burl, Aubrey (2000). The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany. New Haven; London: Yale University Press. p. 394.
  4. ↑ "Canmore Advanced Search: Stone Circle: Dumfries and Galloway". Retrieved 2014-12-31.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Canmore Advanced Search: Stone Circle: North Ayrshire". Retrieved 2015-03-19.
  6. ↑ Burl, Aubrey (2000). The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 210.
  7. ↑ "Canmore: Stoneyhill". Retrieved 2015-03-19.
  8. ↑ "Canmore Advanced Search: Stone Circle: Scottish Borders". Retrieved 2014-12-31.
  9. ↑ Burl, Aubrey (2005). A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany. New Haven; London: Yale University Press. p. 214.
  10. ↑ "Canmore Advanced Search: Stone Circle: Shteland Islands". Retrieved 2015-01-12.
  11. ↑ "Canmore: Fetlar, Gravins, Fidler's Crus". Retrieved 2015-01-12.