The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

   

Tomnaverie

Stone Circle

<b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by postmanImage © Chris Bickerton
Nearest Town:Ballater (15km SW)
OS Ref (GB):   NJ486035 / Sheet: 37
Latitude:57° 7' 10.51" N
Longitude:   2° 50' 56.18" W


Show map   (inline Google Map)

News

Add news Add news

Music To Create Homecoming Legacy In Aberdeenshire


A renowned musician has written an iconic composition which will be the basis for a lasting Homecoming legacy in the North-East.

Fiddler Paul Anderson was commisioned by Aberdeenshire Council to compose a piece of music and created Land Of Standing Stones to celebrate Homecoming Scotland... continues...
drewbhoy Posted by drewbhoy
29th August 2009ce
Edited 6th September 2009ce

Images (click to view fullsize)

Add an image Add an image
Photographs:<b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by thelonious <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by thelonious <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by ruskus <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by ruskus <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by ruskus <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by ruskus <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by Nucleus <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by Nucleus <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by GLADMAN <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by ironstone <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by thelonious <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by Nucleus <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by Nucleus <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by drewbhoy <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by drewbhoy <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by Vicster <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by hamish <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by hamish <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by hamish <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by hamish <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by postman <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by postman <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by postman <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by postman <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by Chris <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by Chris <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by Chris <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by greywether <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by greywether <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by greywether <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by greywether <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by greywether <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by greywether <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by greywether <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by greywether <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by Adam Kadmon <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by Adam Kadmon <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by Adam Kadmon <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by Moth <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by Moth <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by Moth <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by pure joy <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by a23 Maps / Plans / Diagrams:<b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by Nucleus Artistic / Interpretive:<b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by summerlands <b>Tomnaverie</b>Posted by summerlands

Fieldnotes

Add fieldnotes Add fieldnotes
What can I say, easy access, beautifully restored site. What a setting,you can see for miles,when I was there you could see Dark Lochnagar.What more could you want. hamish Posted by hamish
30th June 2008ce

High up on a raise and viciously quarried right up the edge, this lovely place seems to teeter like a potential suicide at Beachy Head.

It has been recently restored and now boasts roadsigns, a car park, some picnic tables and a well constructed, unobstrusive path suitable for wheelchairs. Historic Scotland wants this one on the map! And why not? I just wish they'd do more like this and show that people really do care for our ancient monuments instead of them being an embarrassment, like Old Keig. The views are spectacular from the little platform and the sky seems very big.
Jane Posted by Jane
30th July 2006ce
Edited 30th July 2006ce

After its restoration, this is now a rather good recumbent stone circle. Quite a lot of the internal ring cairn is now visible.

This is another one I haven't seen for 18 years. Before restoration (see photo), the flankers had fallen but otherwise it looked ok.

The circle lies at the W edge of the distribution of RSCs. It also has the most westerly orientation of the recumbent (235 degrees).

Access. A Historic Scotland site with all the usual car parking and picnic tables. No obstacles between the car park and the site.

Visited 20 March 2005
greywether Posted by greywether
23rd March 2005ce

Tomenaverie (22.8.2002)

I'm not saying that it's good that the quarry has eaten into and messed up this site, but it didn't seem it was as bad as I had expected. Maybe I had just set myself up for the worst, in order to feel good. But it was yet another ancient site that was fascinatingly different to the others. After King Arthur's Round Table all chopped up by roads, Mayburgh aloofly overlooking the aforementioned site, Long Meg and her Daughters showing what big site looks like, and The Cairns of Clava complex in a sexy woodland glade, this is on the top of a hill with fantastic (if rain soddened) views all around.

Aubrey Burl in his 1995 book, 'A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany' calls the circle 'a wreck', and says that Tomenaverie means 'the hill of worship'.

PS - Some sort of restoration project was still going on.......i.e over a year since the fieldnote below......
pure joy Posted by pure joy
27th November 2002ce

Heading north 6 miles out of Aboyne brings you to this site - turn L into a parking area beside the stones. There's a quarry behind the stones which has encroached very near the circle itself - there was info about a restoration project at the site, so perhaps the balance will be addressed! Most of the uprights are toppled (and some disappeared into the quarry), leaving an impressive recumbent and her flankers, nicely bracketing Benachie in the distance. This is a difficult site to get a "feel" for with the desolation/destruction around, but it's got a lot to offer if you take the time to absorb what's around you... Posted by a23
26th August 2001ce

Folklore

Add folklore Add folklore
This also has the name of "Tuam-an-fhamaire". Translated as the "Grave of the Giant".

The Place Names Of West Aberdeenshire
drewbhoy Posted by drewbhoy
29th December 2009ce

Links

Add a link Add a link

Extreme Stonefeelers' World of Hard Rock & Standing Stones


Pics of Tomnaverie stone circle
new abbey Posted by new abbey
11th April 2010ce

Friends of Grampian Stones - Tomnaverie page


account of the excavation and restoration of Tomnaverie
BigSweetie Posted by BigSweetie
2nd September 2004ce

Stone Pages - Ancient Stones of Scotland


Not much info, but an interesting picture (certainly different to my rainy day in Scotland one)
pure joy Posted by pure joy
27th November 2002ce