Balquhain, Neolithic stone circle near Chapel of Garioch, Scotland.
Balquhain is a stone circle near Chapel of Garioch in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It contains four standing stones and a large recumbent stone, which lies flat and measures about 3.8 meters in length.
The circle dates to the Neolithic period and originally contained about twelve stones arranged in a ring. Today, only a few of these original stones remain standing in their positions.
The name comes from a nearby farm and reflects the local landscape where it stands. People who built it chose this location to watch and mark the movements of celestial bodies in the sky.
You can reach the site by following tractor tracks from Balquhain Mains Cottages, and the stones are visible from the A96 road. The walk is straightforward, though the paths can become muddy in wet weather.
A white quartz stone stands outside the circle with a distinctive triangular shape. This outer marker stands out for its pale color and the reddish mineral patterns visible on its surface.
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