Two taller stones and several worn stumps stand on a low ridge near Hermitage Castle. Ninestane Rig is a stone circle, a prehistoric ring of upright stones, with one fallen stone lying inward from the circle.
Ninestane Rig matters because a small monument carries a wide story: Late Neolithic or Bronze Age ritual, nearby standing stones, later settlement traces, and a fierce Border legend about William de Soules. The place is both an archaeological survival and a remembered court of judgment.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
The stone circle was probably built between about 2000 BC and 1250 BC.
Eight stones remain upright or stump-like, while a ninth has fallen inward.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument.
Nearby ancient features include Buck Stone standing stone and a standing stone at Greystone Hill.
Local legend claimed that William II de Soules was boiled at the stones, though historical accounts place his death in prison.
People
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William II de Soules
Border lord attached to the best-known legend of the site.
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Walter Scott
Discussed the Lord Soulis tradition and its historical problems.
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Portrait: Stickertime / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 John Leyden
Used the tradition in the ballad Lord Soulis.
Connections
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Hermitage Castle
Nearby castle associated with the Lord Soulis legend.
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Buck Stone
Nearby standing stone in the same ancient group.
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Greystone Hill
Another nearby standing stone site.
What to look for
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Stone circle
The circle is slightly oval rather than perfectly round.
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Fallen ninth stone
One stone lies flat inside the ring.
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Surviving monoliths
A monolith is a single standing stone; two taller stones remain most prominent.
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Nearby ritual group
Other standing stones nearby suggest a broader prehistoric ritual landscape.
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Legendary setting
The stones are linked to the Lord Soulis boiling story.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 55.2675°N · 2.7609°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Rough ground — reasonable boots advised
Opening & admission
- Rural stone circle near Hermitage Castle; use responsible access and expect uneven ground.
Nearby places
Fortified place · Medieval
Hermitage Castle
Scottish Borders
A brooding Border stronghold whose walls witnessed centuries of frontier warfare, treachery and the famous ride of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Questions people ask
- What is Ninestane Rig?
- It is a small prehistoric stone circle near Hermitage Castle in the Scottish Borders.
- How many stones survive?
- Eight stones remain set in the earth, and a ninth has fallen inward.
- How old is Ninestane Rig?
- It was probably made between about 2000 BC and 1250 BC.
- Was William de Soules really boiled there?
- The story is legendary; historical evidence says William II de Soules died in prison at Dumbarton Castle.
Sources
Explore more: Tomb or burial places · Prehistoric · Scottish Borders
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