Machrie

Machrie Moor is a multiple of megalithic monuments Fund space. It lies in the middle of the west coast of the Isle of Arran, which lies on the west coast of Scotland in the Sound of Bute. The marked along a path, south of the river " Machrie Water" on the heath location area is a long -used complex.

There are or have been here six stone circles, several stone cists, menhirs, Timber Circles and chamber tombs from the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age Cairns and foundations of beehive huts from the Iron Age or a later period.

Located near the street monument is a cairn with large edge stones of granite, which is reminiscent of the nearby " Cairn of Auchagallon ". On both sides of the path that leads to the former farm Moss, where are the stone circles, are hut foundations. North of the path is a menhir, followed by the remains of a second megalithic site. Part of the former chamber can be seen between the path and the fence in the south. Two other tombs, one of them a well-preserved tomb Clyde lie south of it, a bit away on the heath.

The stone circles

In addition to the abandoned farm is the first ( officially listed as No. 5) of six stone circles that were probably built 1800-1600 BC. It is called " Fingal 's Cauldron Seat" and consists of two rings of low granite blocks. The inner ring has 11.5 m in diameter and the oval, not properly located concentric outer ring, a circle of former border stones appears to be. In the center of a multi-phase used stone box was found in the 19th century.

From the second circle ( officially No. 4) only four low boulders are obtained. However, it is possible that it is not a circle but a stone setting. Again, was excavated a central cist. It contained a bronze pin, a clay pot and a few flint tools.

The third circle ( officially listed as No. 3) originally consisted of nine stones, but five have gone out and only three still exist as stumps. Only one remained. The stones were probably destroyed for the construction of the farm. In the circle, two stone boxes are to have found.

The fourth Monument ( officially No. 2) dominates the landscape. Although you can have only three stones, but the elegant columns of red sandstone reach a height of 5.5 m. Other stones of the circle, which originally consisted of seven or eight stones, lying on the ground. Two stone cists were found inside of the circle. One contained a cremation and a clay pot, the other a funeral.

The fifth circle ( officially No. 1) is from a combination of sandstone slabs and low granite blocks. He probably consisted of twelve stones.

Nearby, a sixth group was ( officially No. 11 or 1a) discovered with ten low, previously covered in the bog peat bricks later. Excavations revealed that these two stone circles wooden versions were preceded, so that they are the successors of Henges that stood on the same site.