Scheduled Monument

Corrstone Wood, stone circleSM15

Status: Designated

Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

Summary

Date Added
17/08/1925
Last Date Amended
29/11/2004
Type
Prehistoric ritual and funerary: stone circle or ring
Local Authority
Aberdeenshire
Parish
Auchindoir And Kearn
NGR
NJ 51021 27134
Coordinates
351021, 827134

Description

The monument comprises the remains of a recumbent stone circle, lying in a small woodland situated on the summit of a hill at 230m OD, 220m to the west of Mains of Druminnor. It was first scheduled in 1925 and rescheduled in 1961. The monument is being rescheduled to clarify the extent of the protected area.

The circle has been reduced to six stones, of which only one of the stones (the W) flanking the recumbent is still erect. The large recumbent stone on the SW has fallen in towards the centre of the circle, while the E flanker has fallen outwards. The other three stones are on the NW arc. The recumbent stone, which is broken, measures 4.1m in length by 0.65m in thickness and would have stood to a height of at least 2m. The W flanker measures 0.95m by 0.75m and 2.6m in height, while the fallen E flanker measures 2.5m in length. The largest of the three fallen stones on the NW measures up to 2.4m in length.

The area to be scheduled is a circle 35m in diameter, centred on the centre of the circle. It includes the remains of the stone circle and an area around in which traces of activities associated with the construction and use of the monument may survive, as shown in red on the attached map extract.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as the remains of a recumbent stone circle, a group of monuments unique to the north-east of Scotland. Although incomplete, the monument remains substantially intact, and has the potential to provide important information about prehistoric ritual activity in this area and to improve our understanding of regional variation in monument construction and ritual practice in prehistory.

References

Bibliography

The monument is recorded by RCAHMS as NJ62NW 4.

References:

Burl H A W 1973a, 'THE RECUMBENT STONE CIRCLES OF NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND', Proc Soc Antiq Scot 102, 78.

Burl A 1976a, THE STONE CIRCLES OF THE BRITISH ISLES, London and New Haven, 351.

Coles F R 1902a, 'REPORT ON STONE CIRCLES IN ABERDEENSHIRE (INVERURIE, EASTERN PARISHES AND INSCH DISTRICTS) WITH MEASURED PLANS AND DRAWINGS OBTAINED UNDER THE GUNNING FELLOWSHIP', Proc Soc Antiq Scot 36, 537-8.

ORDNANCE SURVEY (NAME BOOK), Original Name Books of the Ordnance Survey, Book No. 41, 60.

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

Images

There are no images available for this record, you may want to check trove.scot for images relating to Corrstone Wood, stone circle

There are no images available for this record.

Search trove.scot

Printed: 27/07/2025 11:24