Temple Wood, Stone circle and burial ground in Kilmartin Glen, Scotland.
Temple Wood consists of two separate stone circles positioned on sloping ground in Kilmartin Glen. The southern circle contains thirteen standing stones arranged around a central burial chamber, and this protected arrangement was typical for burial sites of this period.
This location developed over thousands of years, starting with wooden structures around 3000 BC and later replaced by stone constructions. These changes show how the burial practices and building techniques of early communities evolved across generations.
For the people who lived here, these stone circles were gathering places where the community came together to mark important moments. The careful arrangement of the stones shows how much they valued honoring and remembering their dead.
Access is by a footpath from the Lady Glassary Wood car park, located about 400 meters away across working farmland. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear since the ground is uneven and can become slippery when wet.
One of the stones displays a spiral pattern that resembles designs found in Irish burial structures from the same era. This carving suggests that early communities here had contact and exchanged ideas with people living across the sea in Ireland.
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