Eslie the Greater
Banchory, Aberdeenshire
Stone Circle (Recumbent); Ring Cairn Canmore HES
Also known as Esslie the Greater; Esslie Major

A beautiful recumbent stone circle with the recumbent stone and two flankers still in place along with five other circle stones still standing. A fallen stone lies by the ring and three (or four) of the original eight (or nine) circle stones are no longer standing.

The recumbent stone is nearly 3 metres long and the standing stones are between 0.8 and 1.5m tall. The whole circle is about 24m in diameter.

Within the stone circle is a (very much robbed) ring cairn about 18m in diameter and with a clear court area in the centre about 6m in diameter. This was dug into in 1873 and a cist with some charcoal and bone fragments was discovered.

The photos are from 2000 (B&W) and 2003 (colour).

Images ©2018 Martin McCarthy, Theasis Photography

Nearby Sites

0km Ninestanes Recumbent Stone Circle Stone Circle (Recumbent)
4km Cairnfauld Stone Circle Stone Circle
10km Glassel Stone Circle
14km Cullerlie Stone Circle
14km Midmar Kirk Stone Circle (Recumbent)
14km Sunhoney Stone Circle (Recumbent)
16km Kempstone Hill Standing Stones
18km Dunnottar Castle Castle
20km Castle Frazer Stone Circle Stone Circle
20km Castle Frazer Stone Row Stone Row
(NB: All distances are as-the-crow-flies. Lochs, mountains and beautiful winding roads will make it further. Sometimes much further.)