Drewbhoy's note and splendid winter images of a possible unrecorded stone circle remnant at Newton of Wardhouse fired my imagination.
In particular, I wondered if further evidence might lie beneath the snow, and decided to investigate.
The location was easily established through Google and BING Maps, which clearly show the huge recumbent lying in an area of rough pasture surrounded by gorse scrub, just north of west from Newton Farm.
Sadly, no further stones were in evidence, but the site gives breathtaking views towards both Dunnnideer and Tap O'Noth, and is well worth visiting on a clear summer day.
The recumbent stone (if that is what it is) certainly faces the southwest arc of a putative stone circle while the other prostrate stone is pointed at one end and rounded at the other as with many typical flanking pillars.
Following a Canmore field visit to the stones in 2012 they have established that "... their resemblance to a recumbent stone and a flanker is superficial and their natural origin is not in doubt.".
Whilst parking at Newton farm I was approached by the farmer who asked what I was about to do. I replied that I was looking for a nearby cairn. The answer to that was that he'd show me something better. Intrigued we walked the half mile west from the farm to the site.
In an area teeming with RSCs this location was perfect. It is on the same side of the valley as Dunnydeer and more famously Stonehead. Now I thought I knew about most of sites up here but how did I miss this. The recumbent stone is massive being over 5 meters in length, 11/4 meters tall the same wide. Chokes appeared to holding the stone level underneath. Looking carefully to the hills in the south west it appeared, to me, that the recumbent was aligned to the nearby Correen Hills. Also one flanker remains lying on the ground, when standing this would have been well over two meters. Some cairn material remains but was hidden by the deep snow.
The farmer has said that he will look out all the details, old plans and maps, he can for my next visit, he also added that as far as he knew these stones had always been there. This time the cairn will be found and hopefully more light will be shed on these stones which I think must be the remains of a ruined RSC.
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Posted by LesHamilton
Posted by drewbhoy
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