Auchagallon Stone Circle facts for kids
Auchagallon Stone Circle
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 Location in North Ayrshire
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| Location | Isle of Arran |
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| Coordinates | 55°33′35″N 5°20′34″W / 55.559789°N 5.342810°W |
| Type | Kerbed burial cairn |
| History | |
| Periods | Neolithic / Bronze Age |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | Historic Scotland |
| Public access | Yes |
The Auchagallon Stone Circle, also known as the Auchengallon cairn, is an ancient site in Scotland. It is found near Machrie on the beautiful Isle of Arran. This special place is what's left of a very old burial mound. It was built during the Neolithic (New Stone Age) or Bronze Age periods.
The site is surrounded by a circle of fifteen large stones. These stones have stood for thousands of years. They tell us about the people who lived here long, long ago.
What is the Auchagallon Stone Circle?
This ancient monument sits on a small, raised area. It looks out over Machrie Bay towards the west. The stone circle is made up of fifteen big stone blocks. These stones are different heights. Some are about half a metre tall, while others reach up to 2.3 metres.
Most of the stones are made of red sandstone. However, two of them are a pale grey granite. The circle itself is quite wide, measuring up to 14.5 metres across.
The Cairn and Burial Site
In the middle of the stone circle, there is a large stone cairn. A cairn is a pile of stones, often built as a monument or a burial place.
In the 1800s, people who studied old things, called antiquarians, dug around this site. They discovered a burial cist in the centre of the cairn. A cist is like a small stone box or chest. It was used for burying people. Sadly, there are no records of what else they found inside the cist.
Even though we call it a "stone circle" today, it was probably first built as a kerbed cairn. This means it was a burial mound with a border of stones around its base. It's a fascinating glimpse into the past lives of people on the Isle of Arran.
