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Stone Circles, a Modern Builder's Guide to the Megalithic Revival

Stone Circles, a Modern Builder's Guide to the Megalithic Revival

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Druidtemple - Stone Circle in Scotland in Highlands

Submitted by vicky on Tuesday, 17 September 2002  Page Views: 32299

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Druidtemple Alternative Name: Farm of Leys, Druids Temple, Druid's Temple, Leys Castle
Country: Scotland County: Highlands Type: Stone Circle
Nearest Town: Inverness
Map Ref: NH685420  Landranger Map Number: 26
Latitude: 57.449195N  Longitude: 4.192964W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
 3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 5 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
 4 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
 4

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I have visited· I would like to visit

soulsurfer visited on 8th Jul 2012 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 An easy site to get to but you have to go through the farm. I asked at the house and they were quite happy to point me in the right direction and let me walk through. Well worth the trip and one particularly impressive large stone.

lizh have visited here

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by LizH : The tallest pillar (2.9 m) which may be aligned with the midwinter sunset (Vote or comment on this photo)
As with other sites in this area such as Dalcross Mains, Cullearnie and Carn Urnan, Druidtemple comprises a kerb cairn surrounded by a stone circle. Located to the south-east of the River Ness in a small forest on the Leys Castle Estate, the site is overgrown with oak trees and grass but nevertheless survives relatively well.

The kerb cairn itself is almost complete, while of the stone circle ten stones remain, five of them upright. The stone to the south-west of the entrance is particularly impressive standing at over 2.5m high. A drawing made before 1824 shows that there were 14 stones in the circle at that time, but this is believed to be inaccurate as there are only gaps for two more to the south wesy and north-north-east.

References
The Chambered Cairns of the Central Highlands, A.S.Henshall & J.N.G.Ritchie (Edinburgh Uni Press, 2001).
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Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by Anonymous (Vote or comment on this photo)

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by LizH : The cairn stones with the tallest stone of the circle (of which few stones remain) in the background (Vote or comment on this photo)

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by soulsurfer : Large stone 2.9m high. Aligned with winter solstice sunset? I like to think so. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by LizH : On overview of the site showing how jumbled it appears and overgrown. Nevertheless I felt it to be a really beautiful place (Vote or comment on this photo)

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by Swinside : The peace of this place and the feelings of well-being there were quite significant to me. It is always so special to visit a new Stone Circle and this one fit the bill for the day. A very enjoyable visit... (Vote or comment on this photo)

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by Swinside : A last look at the Circle from the "horseshoe gap" (1 comment)

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by Swinside : Step 6: Looking back at the stone circle from in front of the Menhir

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by Swinside : Step 5: The Menhir. As stone circles are widely believed to have been Celtic communal places of ritual/worship and possible other uses, I sometimes have the idea that when there is a single Menhir in place near to a cairn circle that this was maybe the area where a "leader" or "speaker" person could have directed the proceedings. I haven't really researched this point but would like to know more a...

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by Swinside : Step 4: Moving closer towards the Menhir now...

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by Swinside : Step 3: Next step around the Circle with the Menhir appearing in the background

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by Swinside : Step 2: The right hand side of the "horseshoe gap"

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by Swinside : Step 1: Point of arrival. The Stones are in the shape of an inverted horseshoe so I moved anti-clockwise around the Stones to get the full view of the Circle

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by Swinside : The short walk along the path that leads to the site which is visible on the right hand side on arrival. Through the gate and we're there...

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by Swinside : View of the Kessock Bridge in Inverness from the path in the woods that leads to the Druidtemple Stone Circle

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by soulsurfer : Ring of stones.

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by Anonymous : (5 comments)

Druidtemple
Druidtemple submitted by Anonymous

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 2.6km N 9° Essich House Class I Pictish Symbol Stone (NH69004456)
 3.1km N 3° Raigmore* Clava Cairn (NH6878445083)
 3.2km NNW 334° Broad Stone Early Christian Sculptured Stone (NH672449)
 3.2km N 8° Beechwood Farm Site Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry (NH6908045190)
 3.6km NW 319° Knocknagael* Class I Pictish Symbol Stone (NH662448)
 3.7km NNW 328° Inverness Museum* Museum (NH66684519)
 3.7km NNW 329° Clach-na-Crudainn* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NH66684521)
 4.3km E 100° Daviot Ring Cairn* Stone Circle (NH727411)
 4.4km WSW 247° Torbreck* Stone Circle (NH64384039)
 4.6km S 187° Tomfat Plantation* Chambered Cairn (NH678374)
 4.8km E 81° Forrest Cottage* Chambered Cairn (NH733426)
 5.0km NE 47° St Mary's Well (Culloden)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NH723453)
 5.2km SW 222° Essich Moor* Chambered Cairn (NH649383)
 5.4km NNE 22° Milton Stone Row Stone Row / Alignment (NH70704690)
 5.5km WNW 304° Craig Phadraig* Vitrified Fort (NH640452)
 5.9km WNW 289° Leachkin* Chambered Cairn (NH62964416)
 5.9km SSE 149° Midlairgs Stone Circle (NH714368)
 6.1km ENE 67° Culchunaig* Stone Circle (NH74194416)
 6.1km S 184° Gask Henge* Henge (NH67833590)
 6.2km S 183° Gask Cairn* Ring Cairn (NH6794435860)
 6.3km ENE 66° Leanach Stone Circle (NH743444)
 6.3km ENE 65° Leanach NE Chambered Cairn (NH74344444)
 6.4km NNE 27° Allanfearn* Chambered Cairn (NH716476)
 6.4km W 280° Ladystone Farm* Stone Row / Alignment (NH62204330)
 6.5km ENE 61° The Well of The Dead* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NH7431844971)
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"Druidtemple" | Login/Create an Account | 4 News and Comments
  
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Re: Druidtemple by thewisdomofodin on Wednesday, 10 August 2022
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Visited this site today, absolutely incredible. Wish we knew more of the ancient history here. The oak trees scream use by the druids. unlike other stone circles, I feel confident saying this was used for religious ceremony.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Druidtemple by Veteran44 on Friday, 07 July 2017
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I can remember well the "daring" adventures we had in the early fifties, as very young Boy Scouts, walking from our Scout Den in Hilton Inverness, to the Leys Castle Druid Stones, through the woods, where we believed that if we whistled, weasels would attack us and go for our throats! We stayed pretty quiet, just in case! Especially exciting and slightly frightening, were the night visits on dates of ancient Druid solstices and festivals. In the back of our minds, were thoughts that maybe, just maybe, the auld religion's Priests, would be aware of our presence and take revenge on us interlopers, in some supernatural manner. Wonderful life-lasting experiences. Part of the joys of childhood innocence, perhaps not experienced by current generations.
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THE STONE CIRCLES OF STRATHNAIRN AND NEIGHBOURHOOD OF INVERNESS, JAMES FRASEE by Andy B on Monday, 03 May 2010
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Some antiquarian information on the sites in the locality here

DESCRIPTIVE NOTES OF THE STONE CIRCLES OF STRATHNAIRN
AND NEIGHBOURHOOD OF INVERNESS,—WITH PLANS, &o. By
JAMES FRASEE, M. INST. C.E., INVERNESS.

Stone circles (locally known as " Druidical circles") are found in
various states of preservation, from the lower end of Stratlmairn to a
point twenty-five miles up the river. There are, or rather, there were,
twenty-five of these circles within the drainage area of the River Nairn,
and twelve or fourteen between the western watershed of the Nairn and
the Kiver Ness.
List of Circles.—Beginning at the upper end of the Strath, the follow-
ing are the localities of the circles in this district:—

1. Duhallow of Aberarder,—now entirely removed.
2. Tordarroch,— five miles farther down.
3. Croftoroy, near Tordarrooh.
4. Qask,—a mile and a half farther down.
5. Midlairg,—a mile and a half still farther down.
6. Daviut,—-about midway of the Strath.
7. Culdoich of Clava.
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Re: Druidtemple by LizH on Wednesday, 23 August 2006
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Condition: 3
Ambience: 5
Access: 4 - ask at the farm.
I thought this to be a beautiful site, despite the fact that trees interfere with the layout. There would also be excellent views over the Inverness bridge if it weren't for the trees - and there are from the farmhouse door when asking for permission.
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