Machrie Moor Stone Circles

Machrie Moor Stone Circles
Colin · CC BY-SA 3.0

Also known as: Am Machaire, Machrie, Machrie Moor

Machrie Moor Stone Circles comprise six stone circles on Machrie Moor, Isle of Arran, Scotland, representing the island's best-known archaeological site. The earliest activity dates to around 3500 BC with pit-digging, followed by timber circles erected circa 2500 BC, and stone circles built on exactly the same sites around 2000 BC. Some circles use granite boulders while others feature tall red sandstone pillars reaching up to 5.5 m high. The circles align with a prominent notch at the head of Machrie Glen where the midsummer sunrise would have been visible, suggesting astronomical significance.

TypeStone circle
Period4500 - 3000 BC
CountryScotland
Coordinates55.5409° N, 5.3136° W

Related resources

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