A reconstructed ring stands near Strichen after destruction, rebuilding, and excavation changed its form more than once. Strichen stone circle is a megalithic recumbent stone circle, now restored after being destroyed twice.
Its modern appearance is inseparable from antiquarian visits, a mistaken nineteenth-century rebuild, use as a folly and tea garden, twentieth-century destruction during tree felling, and excavation-led reconstruction in the early 1980s.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
Strichen stone circle stands on a hill near the ruins of Strichen House. In its present state it has seven orthostats plus the recumbent and two flankers.
James Boswell visited in 1758 with his father and returned in 1773 with Samuel Johnson. Around 1830 a tenant farmer completely destroyed the ring.
Thomas Alexander Fraser compelled the tenant farmer to rebuild it, but it was rebuilt in the wrong place. The rebuilt circle became a folly with six standing stones.
Alexander Thom planned the six-stone circle in 1956 when it was a tea garden for tuberculosis sufferers at Strichen House. The circle was destroyed again in the 1960s when surrounding trees were felled.
Excavations led by Aubrey Burl, Philip Abramson, and Iain Hampsher-Monk took place between 1979 and 1982. Finds included hammer stones, rubbing stones, and Beaker fragments.
People
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Portrait: Joshua Reynolds / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain James Boswell
visited the circle in 1758 and 1773.
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Samuel Johnson
visited in 1773.
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Aubrey Burl
co-leader of the 1979-1982 excavation.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 57.5804°N · 2.1074°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Moderate walking
Opening & admission
The source pack does not provide reliable current admission details; verify before travelling.
- The reconstructed circle stands near Strichen House; check local access before travelling.
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Questions people ask
- Is Strichen stone circle original?
- Its present form is reconstructed; the circle was destroyed twice and excavated before restoration.
- Who visited it in 1773?
- James Boswell returned with Samuel Johnson, who wanted to see a Druid’s Temple.
- What did the 1979-1982 excavation find?
- Finds included hammer stones, rubbing stones, and Beaker fragments.
- Why is the restoration debated?
- The pack notes Adam Welfare questioned aspects of the reconstruction, including the position of the smallest orthostat.
Sources
Explore more: Tomb or burial places · Prehistoric · Aberdeenshire
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