Images (5)
Fieldnotes (1)

Images

Image of An Reidhean (Stone Circle) by LesHamilton

Looking across An Reidhean stone circle from the south.

Image credit: Les Hamilton

LesHamilton Sep 18, 2017

An Reidhean stone circle, little more than a grassy oval, viewed from the east.

Image credit: Les Hamilton

LesHamilton Sep 18, 2017

An Reidhean stone circle viewed from the northeast.

Image credit: Les Hamilton

LesHamilton Sep 18, 2017

Looking north across the stone circle from the low rise to its south. The hill at upper right is Beinn na Caillich, near Broadford.

Image credit: Les Hamilton

LesHamilton Sep 18, 2017

The view north, along Loch Slapin, from An Reidhean stone circle.

Image credit: Les Hamilton

LesHamilton Sep 18, 2017

Articles

An Reidhean

Stone Circle

LesHamilton Sep 18, 2017

Visited: May 23, 2017

The existence of this ‘possible’ stone circle was announced following a Discovery and Excavation in Scotland exploration on Skye’s Strathaird estate in 1998. Don’t go expecting to see a monumental structure: like most of Skye’s stone circles, there is really very little remaining.

The site is located half a kilometre north of the small community of Drinan, situated half-way down the western margin of Loch Slapin. To visit, step on to the moor immediately north of the cattle grid (on the road, just before entering Drinan) and head north for 450 metres, uphill of the fence (you will have to park down in the village). The walking is excellent on firm, short heather and there are no fences to cross.

Make for the slightly higher ground and look down. The circle occupies a conspicuous grassy spot in the otherwise dark heather of the moor, about 40 metres west of the fence line. Three earthfast stones stand on the southern arc of the slightly raised grassy oval: the rest of the perimeter is devoid of stones. A trickle of stream runs close by it.

This location is about 30 metres northwest of the Grid location quoted by Discovery and Excavation in Scotland. However, I don’t consider this significant: after all, the Grid reference they gave for the Cuidrach Stone Setting in 1989 proved to be more than a hundred metres in error.

The walk to the site is rather featureless but, as the map above shows, there is a slight ‘greening’ of the vegetation where the small stream trickles down past the circle. Also, looking east towards the loch, you should be level with a band of trees that straddles the path to the cottage beyond.