Altar Stone, Hillhead

Until within the last thirty years, there existed in the northern division of the parish, the distinct remains of a Druidical temple, of which only the supposed altar-stone, and a few of the upright stones, which were placed in the circumference, now remain.

The stone supposed to have formed the sacrificial altar in the centre, was of large dimensions, consisting of 10 feet in length, 9 feet in breadth, and 4 feet in thickness. It was placed at an angle of about 45 degrees with the dip in the direction of the meridian. At each extremity, longitudinally, there stood a perpendicular stone of about 6 feet in height, vulgarly styled "the Horns of the Altar," and in the line of the circle, of about 25 yards diameter, there were placed, at equal distances, seven upright stones, from 5 to 6 feet in height. The whole space within the circumference was rudely paved with stones to the depth of about three feet. Within the precincts of this heathen temple, no relic of the olden time has been discovered; but at a distance of about a quarter of a mile, in different directions, several tumuli have been opened, some of which contained ornamented earthen jars full of bones in a calcined state.