East Aquhorthies Stone Circle

Written by Chris Thornton | 3rd of May 2024
East Aquhorthies Stone Circle

East Aquhorthies Stone Circle is one of the finest remaining examples of recumbent stone circles, of which Aberdeenshire is famous. Over 70 examples of the "recumbent stone circle type" of ancient stone circles can be found all over north east Scotland.

Our visit to East Aquhorthies Stone Circle

My wife and I were on a tour of Aberdeenshire, and this particular stone circle was high on my list of must-visit sites. We travelled west out of the town of Inverurie nearby, passing Andersons of Inverurie. A brown tourism sign marks the way, which starts as a minor road but soon degrades the further you travel into a poor farm track with many potholes. Don't take your fancy sports car to this stone circle! The road doesn't look bad on Google Maps Streetview, but the road seems to have significantly worsened since those photos were taken in 2021.

East Aquhorthies Stone Circle Car Park

The stone circle has a dedicated car park on the corner at the end of the long, horrible road. There is space for about four or five cars, but luckily, there was just one car there when we visited. An information board exists near the gate leading to the stone circle.

We turned left out of the gate and walked a short distance up the tarmac road. Then we saw the right turn ahead marked with a black Historic Scotland sign. A short track led us to the Easter Aquhorthies Stone Circle site.

East Aquhorthies Stone Circle Car Park
The car park at East Aquhorthies Stone Circle.
 
East Aquhorthies Stone Circle signage
Signage marking the car park.
 
Car park information board and gate at East Aquhorthies Stone Circle
The information board and gate to the monument.
 
Historic Scotland sign to East Aquhorthies Stone Circle
This Historic Scotland sign marks the way to the stone circle.
 
Dirt path to East Aquhorthies Stone Circle
Follow this track to reach the stone circle.

Arriving at the Stone Circle

This stone circle is amazing. Considering its age, it is in remarkable condition, retaining its entire circle of stones and the recumbent stone. At many other sites, only the recumbent stone remains (Like at Stonehead Recumbent Stone we visited earlier), so it was nice to see a complete version.

The circle is almost perfectly circular (about 20 metres in diameter) and is protected by a boundary wall built in the 1800s. The wall gives it an extra special look as it angles inward like a dish; it feels like any mystical ancient energies would be concentrated at the centre! I stood there but didn't feel imbued with magical powers, unfortunately. I guess this small stone dyke is how this stone circle is so well preserved and not dug up by farmers over the last couple of centuries.

East Aquhorthies Stone Circle wide angle photo
Wide angle view of the stone circle and protective stone dyke.
 
East Aquhorthies Stone Circle north view
Drone photo looking north.
 
East Aquhorthies Stone Circle north east view
Drone photo looking north east.
 
East Aquhorthies Stone Circle east view
Drone photo looking east.
 
View of Mither Tap, Bennachie from East Aquhorthies Stone Circle
Mither Tap in the Bennachie hills framed by two of the standing stones.

Recumbent stone circles

The recumbent stone is large and impressive, flanked by two standing stones, as is typical of most stone circles in Aberdeenshire. It must weigh at least 25 tons, a fantastic achievement for the people living here almost 4500 years ago!

There are twelve standing stones in total, nine arranged in the circle and three to make up the recumbent stone. One interesting feature of the standing stones is their colours, which range from red and grey to whiteish pink. The circle builders used red jasper, red granite, and grey granite. The stones are also graded in height to draw the eye to the recumbent stone naturally. The tallest stones are closest to the flat stone.

Recumbant Stone looking southwest. Pinkish porphyry stones. Grey granite stones flank the flat stone.
Looking south west through the recumbent stone.
 
Recumbent stone north view. Circle stones.
Looking north through the recumbent stone.

What was the stone circle used for?

No one truly knows the purpose of these stone circles found all over the northeast. Given the precise placement of the recumbent stone circles to perfectly frame the midsummer moon, it must be linked to the seasons somehow.

Signs of cremations at the site have been discovered - burnt stones, charcoal, and even bones have been found here within a ring cairn. Perhaps they were used for the dual purpose of tracking the seasons and for the dead.

East Aquhorthies Stone Circle as seen from directly above. The circle appears in the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.
Drone photo looking directly down on the circle.

FAQs on East Aquhorthies Stone Circle

Here are a few frequently asked questions about the stone circle:

How do you get to East Aquhorthies Stone Circle?

  1. From the A96, take the Blackhall Roundabout west along Blackhall Road.

  2. Continue straight ahead at the next two roundabouts.

  3. Take a right following the brown tourism sign marked "East Aquhorthies Stone Circle".

  4. Remain on this minor road (watch out for the many potholes) until you arrive at the dedicated car park.

  5. From the car park, exit via the gate near the information board and walk left up the tarmac road. You should see the stone circle on your right.

  6. When you see the Historic Scotland sign, take a right; the stone circle is a short distance up a grassy track.

East Aquhorthies Stone Circle
Janette reading the information panel at the entrance.

Why do some people call it Easter Aquhorthies Stone Circle?

This is just a slight variation of the name originating from old Scots Gaelic, the most common use is "East" instead of "Easter".

Where does the "Easter Aquhorthies" name come from?

This is old Scottish Gaelic, but there are many different interpretations of its meaning. Some say it means "field of prayer," and others say "field of pillar stone."

Are there any facilities at East Aquhorthies Stone Circle?

Just a car park with a bin and information board. Another information board exists at the circle itself. There are no toilets or visitor centre.

East Aquhorthies Stone Circle with protective stone wall
Looking southwest towards the recumbent stone. Protective dyke in the foreground.

Key information on East Aquhorthies Stone Circle

  • East Aquhorthies Stone Circle is an ancient recumbent stone circle a short distance west of Inverurie.

  • The stone circle is about 4300 years old.

  • This stone circle is in fantastic condition, with nine standing stones and three stones making up the recumbent section.

  • It is thought cremations of the dead occurred here due to the many burnt stones and incinerated bones found on the site.

  • The recumbent stones frame the rising and setting of the moon at midsummer.

  • Mither Tap, one of the finest peaks in the Bennachie hill range, can be seen from the stone circle.

East Aquhorthies Stone Circle south west view
Drone photo looking south west.

Conclusion

If you only visit one stone circle in AberdeenshireEast Aquhorthies Stone Circle should be high on your list due to its close proximity to the A96 and Inverurie, as well as the impressive, fully intact condition of the circle itself. Just be aware of the poor access road.

We loved visiting this stone circle, but it was getting late in the day, so we moved on to our accommodation at Stonehaven for the night. Tomorrow, we would visit Dunnottar Castle and Stonehaven War Memorial.

All information was correct at the time of writing, please check things like entry costs and opening times before you arrive.

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