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Remains of a stone circle and enclosure. It now consists of a scoop in the southwest facing hillside, overlooking a long burial mound, bounded by an enclosing ditch with external bank on all but the north portion. The central area now contains one earthfast stone, although Watt records there having been six stones along with a flat stone supported by smaller stones in centre. Dalrymple's excavation in the 19th century revealed nine cremation burials, (six located in pits against the inner edges of the monoliths). Three of these burials were associated with Cordoned Urns, Beneath a flat slab, possibly a cist cover, in the centre of the site there were another three unurned burials and a charcoal-filled pit. Two of the cremations were accompanies by small fragments of bronze. Excavation was carried out in 2011 to establish (a) the original plan of the stone setting, (b) the nature of the earthwork perimeter, (c) the character of any surviving deposits within the enclosure. The present monument differs significantly from its state in the mid 19th century, and the 2011 work indicated damage on several occasions, by Dalrymple's excavation which also appears to have encouraged rabbit activity, deliberate destruction resulting in the disappearance of substantial fragments of at least five of the six monoliths (possibly during a period of agricultural improvement), and by subsequent planting of trees over the site. From the excavation results it seems likely that the stone circle and earthwork 'henge' were conceived as a single design, probably in the later Early Bronze Age. It was directed to the southwest, and the structure appears to have been aligned on the flank of Midmill long cairn (NJ71NE0024). Two further burials, one in a collared urn, were found near the centre of the site. One contained a bronze razor, with surviving residues suggesting that it was originally inside an animal hide sheath. Smaller amounts of bone were found in a series of pits in the same part of the site. The combination of 'henge' and stone circle at Tuach has no precise parallel among excavated monuments in Britain.
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Historic Environment Records (HER)