Crofts of Shielburn

Nearest town:
Turriff (5km ENE)
OS reference:
NJ676463
OS sheet:
29
Latitude:
57° 30' 20.89 N
Longitude:
2° 32' 26.75 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Crofts of Shielburn (Standing Stone / Menhir) by thesweetcheat

Looking towards the Carlin Stone (in light brown field, centre).

Image credit: A. Brookes/AMJ (4.10.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Oct 23, 2012
Image of Crofts of Shielburn (Standing Stone / Menhir) by thesweetcheat

Note thin vein of quartz running through the stone. The ubiquitous presence and use of quartz marked stones in monuments in this part of Aberdeenshire is very striking.

Image credit: A. Brookes/AMJ (4.10.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Oct 23, 2012

Articles

Crofts of Shielburn

drewbhoy
drewbhoy Mar 30, 2009

This is easily found in a middle of a field just off the B9024, behind Shielburn Croft, near the Backhill of Drachlaw and the Carlin stone. Both of these sites are on the other side of the road. Easy stroll! Canmore says only one stone survives but I counted two as the images will show. It is almost like a small Carlin Stone, which is across the road!

Re-visited 13/07/09.

Folklore

Crofts of Shielburn
Standing Stone / Menhir
drewbhoy
drewbhoy Mar 30, 2009

The farming community, as well many of Turriff’s older generation many of whom worked on farms, often say that a remains of a circle near Drachlaw were taken and put into a wall at Mill of Laithers. This happened during the nineteenth century. On the Hill of Laithers, nearer Armiddle and beside the B9024, another standing stone can be seen. This would seem to tie with Aubrey Burls “Guide to Stone Circles” in which he says, concerning a circle near Backhill of Drachlaw at Newton Of Fortrie,

“A similar ring just to the south-west was destroyed to make way for farm buildings in the nineteenth century.”

One stone was left to remind locals and visitors alike that once something better and bigger stood here. More probably it was left to ward away evil spirits and the like!

Sites within 20km of Crofts of Shielburn