It is located in farmland at an altitude of c. 100 metres (330 ft) on a terraced hillside leading up to a prominent summit called Mither Tap. The circle originally consisted of 12 stones.[3] Four remain standing, with another four fallen, the final four presumed to have been moved.[4]
The recumbent altar stone is 3.8 metres (12 ft) wide, 1.7 metres (5.6 ft) high and 1.05 metres (3.4 ft) deep, it has been estimated to weigh over ten tonnes. It is made of a type of white grained granite that has been suggested to have been brought some distance to the location.[3] The eastern flanker stone is 2 metres (6.6 ft) wide and made of dark grey basalt with a round top. The western flanker stone is 2.25 metres (7.4 ft) wide and made of reddish quartzite bearing inclusions of white quartz and having a pointed top. The stone east of the east flanker is made of red granite. There is also an outlying stone 6 metres (20 ft) to the southeast of the circle that is 3.1 metres (10 ft) high and made of white quartz with roseate seams.[5][6][7]
The circle has been estimated to have been between 18.3 metres (60 ft) to 21.3 metres (70 ft) in diameter. Alexander Thom suggested the circle had been 20.7 metres (68 ft) and Fred Coles of only 19.5 metres (64 ft).[8][9][10] The circle also displays suggested rock art including cup marks and a noticeable rounded bump on the recumbent stone that resembles the outline of the prominent hill behind it.
Astronomical alignmentsedit
It was discovered in the 1980s that Balquhain had lunar associations. The eastern flanker is aligned to the most southerly moonrise at 172 degrees, whilst the western flanker is aligned to the minor moonset at 232 degrees. The major moonset is aligned over the central hump of the recumbent stone at 190 degrees.
Referencesedit
^Burl, A. The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany, p. 227, Yale University Press, 2000, Newhaven & London.
balquhain, also, known, stone, circle, recumbent, stone, circle, miles, from, inverurie, scotland, scheduled, ancient, monument, stone, circle, shown, within, aberdeenshirelocationaberdeenshire, scotlandcoordinates57, 3066, 4415, 3066, 4415architectural, style. Balquhain also known as Balquhain Stone Circle is a recumbent stone circle 3 miles 4 8 km from Inverurie in Scotland 1 It is a scheduled ancient monument 2 BalquhainBalquhain stone circle shown within AberdeenshireLocationAberdeenshire ScotlandCoordinates57 18 24 N 2 26 29 W 57 3066 N 2 4415 W 57 3066 2 4415Architectural style s British pre Roman ArchitectureScheduled monumentOfficial nameMains of Balquhain stone circle 715m NE ofDesignated4 March 1977Reference no SM3961 Balquhain Stone Circle Contents 1 Description and measurements 2 Astronomical alignments 3 References 4 External linksDescription and measurements editIt is located in farmland at an altitude of c 100 metres 330 ft on a terraced hillside leading up to a prominent summit called Mither Tap The circle originally consisted of 12 stones 3 Four remain standing with another four fallen the final four presumed to have been moved 4 The recumbent altar stone is 3 8 metres 12 ft wide 1 7 metres 5 6 ft high and 1 05 metres 3 4 ft deep it has been estimated to weigh over ten tonnes It is made of a type of white grained granite that has been suggested to have been brought some distance to the location 3 The eastern flanker stone is 2 metres 6 6 ft wide and made of dark grey basalt with a round top The western flanker stone is 2 25 metres 7 4 ft wide and made of reddish quartzite bearing inclusions of white quartz and having a pointed top The stone east of the east flanker is made of red granite There is also an outlying stone 6 metres 20 ft to the southeast of the circle that is 3 1 metres 10 ft high and made of white quartz with roseate seams 5 6 7 The circle has been estimated to have been between 18 3 metres 60 ft to 21 3 metres 70 ft in diameter Alexander Thom suggested the circle had been 20 7 metres 68 ft and Fred Coles of only 19 5 metres 64 ft 8 9 10 The circle also displays suggested rock art including cup marks and a noticeable rounded bump on the recumbent stone that resembles the outline of the prominent hill behind it Astronomical alignments editIt was discovered in the 1980s that Balquhain had lunar associations The eastern flanker is aligned to the most southerly moonrise at 172 degrees whilst the western flanker is aligned to the minor moonset at 232 degrees The major moonset is aligned over the central hump of the recumbent stone at 190 degrees References edit Burl A The Stone Circles of Britain Ireland and Brittany p 227 Yale University Press 2000 Newhaven amp London Historic Environment Scotland Mains of Balquhain stone circle 715m NE of SM3961 Retrieved 8 March 2019 a b Burl Aubrey 1999 Circles of Stone The Prehistoric Rings of Britain and Ireland London Harvill Press p 24 ISBN 978 1860466618 Logan J Archaeologia 22 pp 200 2 1829 Ritchie J Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 52 p 98 1917 18 Bradley R Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1 p 9 2000 Bradley R Antiquity 74 pp 465 66 2000 Thom A Thom A S Megalithic Rings B A R 81 pp 172 3 1980 Oxford Burl A in Thom A Thom A S Megalithic Rings B A R 81 p 173 1980 Oxford Coles F R Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 35 pp 230 7 1900 1 External links editIllustrated entry in the Megalithic Portal Map sources for Balquhain nbsp History portal nbsp Scotland portal Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Balquhain amp oldid 1127052129, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
