Aikey Brae recumbent stone circle

Clustered in the foothills of the Grampians there are a group of remarkable stone circles, the recumbent stone circles of north-east Scotland. They are to be found no-where else and they date back to about 4000 BC.

The circles take the form of a ring of stones graded in height and usually with the two tallest to the south-west where they flank a huge prostrate or recumbent stone. Sometimes there is a small ring-cairn within the circle, containing cremated human bones.

This is the hilltop, recumbent circle at Aikey Brae. The circle is in the form of an ellipse with dimensions of 16.6 x 12.8 m. and a recumbent estimated to weigh 21 tons. Aikey Brae circle is unusual in having no evidence of cremated remains.

The purpose of the recumbent stone has intrigued antiquarians for centuries. In 1527 Hector Boece, the first Principal of Aberdeen University, wrote of them, in his History of Scotland -

"In the times of King Mainus .... huge stones were erected in a ring and the biggest of them was stretched out on the south side to serve for an altar, whereon were burned the victims in sacrifice to the Gods."

Modern archaeologists would prefer functions to do with celestial orientations and suchlike but I rather like the idea of a good old-fashioned hilltop sacrifice!