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Relocated and reconstructed stone circle enclosing a ring cairn. The original site (NO90719734) is an inconspicuous position in a hollow. The inner circular stone setting suggested that this was a Clava-type ring-cairn. When excavated in 1858, there were 15 stones, but only three remained prior to re-excavation in 1994. The slabs of the inner stone-setting were on their long sides. Some of the stones had been displaced by the 19th Century, but originally the setting was carefully constructed and an accurate circle. A. Thomson, in 1865, stated that the kerb, which could only be traced intermittently, 'Consists of a tolerable close wall of small stones, nearly touching each other, set on edge'. Fragments of an urn found in the cairn during the 19th Century excavations have since been lost. Complete excavation of the cairn was carried out by AOC in 1994 prior to its reconstruction nearby. After excavation, the structure was reconstructed 175 m to the northwest (at NO 9063 9750). The ring cairn was found to have three main structural elements: (1) the ring cairn, composed of an outer and inner kerb with rubble between, (2) a stone circle, enclosing the ring cairn, which had three stones in situ and excavation revealed a fallen stone and 3 possible stone sockets, (3) a later deposit of rubble with an outer revetment. Beneath the ring cairn, an earlier timber enclosure was found. Within the site, five possible cremation pits were located. The site originally comprised an arc of pits, in use by the Middle Neolithic period, surrounding a stone circle which may have been of similar date. After a long hiatus, a pyre was burnt within the stone circle. A timber enclosure, with an entrance to the south, was then erected within the stone circle and five urn cremations interred in pits in the centre of the enclosure. Later the timber enclosure was replaced by a stone ring-cairn which respected the interior area delimited by the timber enclosure. This ring-cairn was subsequently expanded to incorporate the stone circle.
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Historic Environment Records (HER)