Loanhead of Daviot
Stone circle
NJ 747 288
This site is clearly sign posted from the A920 and is just north of Daviot village. There is a car park and path to the circle. Drive into the village and turn right and it leads to a large car park.
This is an extremely pleasant and calm site to visit. A short walk takes you to the circle inside a fenced area with plenty of space around the stones and it is not cramped like many others we have visited. Originally a ledge was cut into the hill slope to provide a level platform and beside the circle to the east is a later Bronze age cemetery.
The 20m diameter circle is made up of 8 large stones, a recumbent and two flankers. The recumbent has split along it’s length probably by frost action. One of the circle stones has cupmarks to the east of the recumbent.
Inside is a kerbed ring cairn and in the centre was found the skull fragments of around 50 children aged between 2 and 4 years as well as flint tools and knives. In the nearby cemetery skull fragments of eight 3 to 6 year olds were found.
July 2006