Images

Image of Borve (Isle of Skye) (Stone Row / Alignment) by markj99

SE Stone of Borve Stone Circle viewed from NE.

Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Image of Borve (Isle of Skye) (Stone Row / Alignment) by markj99

Central Stone of Borve Stone Circle viewed from NE.

Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Image of Borve (Isle of Skye) (Stone Row / Alignment) by markj99

NW Stone of Borve Stone Circle viewed from NE.

Image credit: Mark Johnstone
Image of Borve (Isle of Skye) (Stone Row / Alignment) by drewbhoy

Are the two wee stumps put either side to ‘make the sign of the cross’?

Image credit: drew/A/B
Image of Borve (Isle of Skye) (Stone Row / Alignment) by postman

The third smaller hidden stone can just be seen furthest right, between two white flowers.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Borve (Isle of Skye) (Stone Row / Alignment) by postman

The two taller stones, to be honest the third stone is so low the grass hid it from and I didn’t realise it was there til now, even though ive been here before, but it was in my defence a decade ago.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Borve (Isle of Skye) (Stone Row / Alignment) by Zeb

These stones have their own traffic warning. Drivers seemingly swerve as they pass them and have a quick look.
As seen on 28 May 2007 CE.

Image of Borve (Isle of Skye) (Stone Row / Alignment) by Kammer

Taken 30th July 2004: The two north westerly stones.

Image credit: Simon Marshall
Image of Borve (Isle of Skye) (Stone Row / Alignment) by Kammer

Taken 30th July 2004: The middle stone, which is by far the most interesting of the three. It looks like a fair few lumps have come off of it over the centuries.

Image credit: Simon Marshall
Image of Borve (Isle of Skye) (Stone Row / Alignment) by Kammer

Taken 30th July 2004: The row viewed from the north west, with our trusty car full of holiday stuff in the background.

Image credit: Simon Marshall

Articles

Borve (Isle of Skye)

The first stop of this trip was at the Borve Stone Row or possible circle at the tiny village of Borve , just to the east of the A87.

Many people have various ideas of what is going on here and after a good look round I also had some thoughts.

The three standing stones have wee stones either side of them, could this be the ‘sign of the cross’? Probably not, but it’s an idea that has stuck in my head, much like many a song better to get it out!

Visited 19/7/2019.

Borve (Isle of Skye)

Visited 29.7.13

Directions:
To the east of the A850 / A87 junction.
Right next to the minor road.

The two taller stones are about 5ft high. The smaller standing stone is about 2ft high.
Between the two taller stones I noticed the stump of another standing stone?

All the stones were covered in lichen.
Good views to the south.

Worth a quick look when in the area.

Borve (Isle of Skye)

Accessible indeed! Roadside stones, in the verge.

Even if you’re in a hurry, it’s probably worth the tiny detour past the little row of houses you can see from the A-road. I barely had time to jump out and bob about for a minute or two, so I was left with a strong sense of wishing I’d had longer to try and ponder these stones in relation to the putative circle and the landscape around it.

Borve (Isle of Skye)

Visited 30th July 2004: This is one of those sites where access couldn’t be much better. Wheelchair, pushchair and car friendly.

Three stones remain standing in the village of Borve, overlooked by modern houses on the other side of the road. They are thought by some to be the remains of a stone circle. The row is aligned approximately in a north-westerly (or south-easterly) direction, with the road running parallel. The smallest stone is in the north west but the other two are approximately the same height. Look out for the friendly sheep. They’ll want to know what you’re looking at.

Miscellaneous

Borve (Isle of Skye)
Stone Row / Alignment

The NMR, available via the PastMap web site, describes the stones at Borve:

Stone Circle (Remains), Clachan Erisco
There are three erect stones forming a very flat curve, the axis of the extreme stones running NW-SE. The stone to the E, an irregular six-sided prism, is 6ft high and 6 1/2ft in girth at the ground; the central stone, 13 3/4ft distant, is 5 1/2ft in height, 3ft 2ins in breadth and 13ins thick; while the third stone, 13 1/2ft further on to the NW, measures 3 1/4ft in height, 2ft 8ins in width and 15ins in thickness; the two latter are set up radially. In the line of the curve formed by these three stones, at a distance of 21ft 10ins to the NW, is a fourth stone 1 1/2ft high, 2ft 4ins broad and 11 ins thick, which may have been one of the component parts of the ring of stones.

In the immediate neighbourhood are three prostrate monoliths, which possibly had formed part of the circle, as no other stones of their magnitutude or appearnace are to be found in the adjoining drystone dykes. One of these is built into a dyke about 20ft to the W of the standing stones and measures 6ft long, 2ft broad and 12ins thick; another lying within two yards of it is 4 1/2ft long, 1 1/2ft broad; and the third, on the opposite side of the road 50 yards to the E, is 5ft 2ins long, about 2ft in breadth and 8ins thick.

Sites within 20km of Borve (Isle of Skye)