Loanhead Stone Circle
Loanhead Stone Circle hero image gallery
Admire the atmospheric setting of this fine stone circle, in the rolling hills above Oldmeldrum.
Loanhead Stone Circle is one of the best examples of a monument type known as a recumbent stone circle.
These monuments are only found in north-east Scotland. They’re defined by a ring of upright stones, with a massive stone slab laid on its side (recumbent) between two upright pillar stones – usually in the south-west arc of the circle.
The recumbent stone circle is the main feature, but it surrounds a ring cairn, and adjacent are the remains of an enclosed cremation cemetery.
Loanhead Stone Circle is a complex funerary and ritual monument with a long and varied history of use, which likely began in the late Neolithic period.
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