A Stone Circle of Ancient Origins in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Auld Bourtreebush, situated near Portlethen in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is a large Neolithic stone circle. Its construction dates back to a time before Stonehenge, making it an ancient relic worth knowing about. The circle lies 200 meters west of Old Bourtreebush, within sight of the Aquhorthies recumbent stone circle. While it was once considered a recumbent stone circle, it is no longer the case according to current archaeological opinion. The circle, which is about 25 meters in diameter, was once composed of up to 15 orthostats, of which only four remain standing, though several others are lying fallen.

Auld Bourtreebush is a scheduled monument. Subsequent to its prehistoric origins, Auld Bourtreebush has a tangled story. It sits near the Causey Mounth, an ancient trackway that connected the Scottish Lowlands to the Scottish Highlands. William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal and the Marquess of Montrose led a Covenanter army of 9000 men through the area in 1639, passing by Auld Bourtreebush en route from Stonehaven to Aberdeen. The trackway was situated near the present Bridge of Dee.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons