Images
Tough choice between a photo containing the invasively-close information boards or the picnic bench....
The stones on the western arc are being slowly swallowed by the vegetation.
Cist in the circle.
The replica slab with cupmarks and cup and rings.
The cist with (replica) cupmarked side slab. The slab is now leaning inwards at an alarming angle.
Looking east across the three cists and paved area in the centre of the circle.
Eastern arc.
Relocated and rebuilt, this circle still has a lot of charm.
From the SW
The ground level of the cist with the cup-and-ring marked stone has risen a little over the years.
This old photo shows rather more of the design.
Daylight shot of the cist showing cup marks (note, this is a replica, the real stone got taken to Edinburgh and stuck in a museum).
You can make out the cup and rings on the top stone.
It was dusk, and we could only get these close ups of the cists.
Articles
It’s been twelve years since my first happy time at Balbirnie, I was on my own then as I am now, though this time they’re in the car waiting and not the hotel.
Last time I approached on foot from the north, early in the morning. It’s morning now too but I’ve sensibly approached from the south in the car, and parked just thirty yards from the circle.
The storm that got us a few days ago has left it’s mark at the circle, there’s big branches all over the place, I surreptitiously remove them all before photography begins. I don’t want to get caught tidying up, they might think I care or something, emotions are they? we don’t hold with them.
The branches weren’t the only difference, it was a lot more overgrown, sure the grass was short but the nettles and other “weeds” were right up to the stones on the north side. The information boards have been replaced too, once there were two now there is only one. They have been replaced at Balfarg henge too, there we can learn the true sacred place where these stones belonged. The henge’s entrance was aligned on the stones of Balbirnie. There is a roundabout north west of the big henge, where Pitcairn road meets western Avenue(B969) this is where the stones should be, they moved them all the way to the far other side of the henge. The far side of the henge, there’s chapter nines title.
I’d wondered for ages where it was moved from, I was surprised to find the answer.
But the circle is still a good one and even seems to have brought some of it’s sacredness with it from the B969. People still look at you oddly when they pass you by and your intricately trying to photograph the decorated stone. Weirdo.
Oh right, we’re the weirdos
Heading south on the A92 take the first minor road east south of the B969 junction. Take the first street south, called Tofthill, and at the first corner the circle can be found.
After wondering what it would have looked like in its original position I think this is a wonderful reconstruction and along with the nearby henge at Balfarg is a fantastic introduction to prehistory.
Glenrothes might be described as a new town but its fairly obvious that a settlement has been here for a long long time.
Visited 30/12/2015.
I got to this site via Balbirnie Park. I drove up to the Golf Club and parked just beside the first tee.
The walk to the circle is a lovely 10 minute traipse along the beck side path which was covered in snowdrops.
I had mixed feelings about visiting this site, especially after reading the posts here. I needn’t have worried, this is a beautiful site and so what if it has been moved, it’s been moved with love and respect and the reconstruction is beautiful.
I like the urban setting and the fact there are houses a few feet from the site. It’s nice to see people co-existing with a sacred space. I would love something like this on my doorstep.
This circle has everything, lovely stones, cists, rectangular cairn-like thang, and rock art (o.k. its a replica). But surely to have a monument like this out in the open air is far better than in some museum.
Important in all the sites in this web site is the landscape that these monuments are set in. The particular points in the land where these sites are, were chosen, I’m sure, and not by chance. The whole monument was dismantled, moved, and reconstructed at the present site in 1970, (stones, burial cists and all), to fit in with the neat planning of the new-town road network. As if out of conscience for what happened to this site (and Balfarg), the planners have built a standing stone theme roundabout nearby.
I find this all a bit strange, and I didn’t have a good feeling after visiting this place.
The reconstructed stone circle represents a number of phases of use.
The latter phases include the insertion of burial cists within the stone circle and after the third of these was inserted (the one next to the square paved area) the whole central area was covered by a cairn.
The ceremonial monuments do not end here.
A ring ditch and ring cairn were built around the time of the stone circle near the Balfarg Riding School sites.
Topics
Sites within 20km of Balbirnie
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Balfarg Riding School
photo 13 description 2 -
Balfarg
photo 36 description 5 link 2 -
Newton Of Balbirnie
photo 4 description 1 -
Pitcairn
photo 7 description 1 -
Markinch Hill
photo 4 link 1 -
Law Head
photo 4 description 1 -
Purin
photo 5 description 1 -
East Lomond
photo 18 description 2 -
East Lomond
photo 8 description 1 -
Strathendry
photo 9 description 2 -
Earlseat
photo 10 description 4 -
Standing Stane Road
photo 1 description 1 -
Bowden Hill
photo 2 description 1 -
Down Law
photo 12 description 1 -
Maiden Castle (Lomonds)
photo 13 description 1 -
Bogleys
photo 10 description 5 link 1 -
Wemyss Caves – The Court Cave
description 7 link 4 -
Balgrummo
photo 5 description 2 -
West Lomond Hill
photo 15 description 3 link 1 -
Lady Mary’s Wood
photo 9 description 3 -
Collessie
photo 2 description 1 -
Collessie Farm
photo 9 description 1 -
Easter Nether Urquhart
photo 4 description 1 -
Lundin Links
photo 38 forum 3 description 10 -
Norrie’s Law
photo 9 description 5 -
Orwell
photo 14 description 2 -
Benarty
description 1 -
Macduff’s Cross
photo 3 forum 1 description 4 link 2 -
Black Cairn
photo 11 description 1 -
Glassmount
photo 4 description 2 -
Clatchchard Craig
photo 1 description 1 link 1 -
Castle Law (Abernethy)
photo 11 description 2 -
Abernethy Den
photo 8 description 1 link 1 -
Glenduckie
photo 10 description 1 -
Binn
photo 9 forum 1 description 3 link 5 -
Norman’s Law
photo 11 description 4 -
Creich Manse
photo 16 description 4 -
Green Craig
photo 10 description 1 -
West Blair
photo 3 description 1 link 1 -
Abbots Deuglie
description 1 -
Grey Stane
photo 4 description 1