The Recumbent Stone Circle of Aikey Brae

Aikey Brae is a recumbent stone circle located on the summit of Parkhouse Hill near Old Deer in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It features a massive recumbent stone weighing about 21.5 tonnes, which lies horizontally with its long axis generally aligned with the perimeter of the ring between the south and southwest. This type of stone circle was constructed in the early Bronze Age.

Two flanker stones stand on each side of the recumbent, which are typically the tallest stones in the circle, while the smallest stone is situated on the northeastern aspect. The circle is between 15 and 16.5 metres wide and is surrounded by a ring bank. Archaeological excavations by Chris Ball and Richard Bradley in 2001 found that Aikey Brae resembled other Buchan circles and was not slowly built over time like Tomnaverie stone circle.

The precise function of these circles is not known, although cremated remains have been found at some sites. Excavations at Aikey Brae uncovered 43 items of worked stone, quartz flakes, and flint scrapers. Kerbstones in the ring bank were found to be alternately red and white, and anomalous radiocarbon dating suggested the circle was from the Late Bronze Age.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons