Auld Bourtreebush facts for kids
Stones in 2020
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 Location in Aberdeen
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| Alternative name | Old Bourtree Bush, Old Bourtreebush |
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| Location | Scotland |
| Region | Aberdeenshire |
| Coordinates | 57°05′58″N 2°16′06″W / 57.09944°N 2.26833°W |
| Type | stone circle |
| Diameter | 25 metres |
| Identifiers | |
| Historic Environment Scotland | SM980 |
Auld Bourtreebush is a big stone circle found near Portlethen in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was built a very long time ago, during the Neolithic period. This was a time when people first started farming. The circle is also called Old Bourtree Bush or Old Bourtreebush.
This amazing structure is close to another special place called the Aquhorthies recumbent stone circle. It is also near the Causey Mounth, which was an old path. This path connected the Scottish lowlands to the highlands. Auld Bourtreebush is protected as a scheduled ancient monument. This means it is an important historical site that must be preserved.
The Stone Circle
The Auld Bourtreebush stone circle is about 200 metres west of Old Bourtreebush. You can see the Aquhorthies recumbent stone circle from here. This site is a scheduled ancient monument, so it is protected by law.
The circle is 25 metres wide. Experts believe it once had up to 15 large standing stones. These tall stones are called orthostats. Today, only four of these stones are still standing. Several others have fallen over.
Inside the stone circle, there used to be a ring cairn. A ring cairn is a circular mound of stones. Over many years, this cairn has been destroyed. Some people used to think Auld Bourtreebush was a recumbent stone circle. But today, archaeologists believe it is not.
History of the Area
Besides the ancient stone circle, this area has a lot of interesting history from the Middle Ages. Auld Bourtreebush is very close to the old Causey Mounth trackway. This path was built on high ground. It was the only way to travel from places like Stonehaven along the coast to Aberdeen during medieval times.
The trackway connected the River Dee crossing to the south. Today, the Bridge of Dee is in that spot. The path went through Portlethen Moss, past Muchalls Castle, and on to Stonehaven.
An important event happened on this path in 1639. William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal and the Marquess of Montrose led an army of 9000 men. They were Covenanter soldiers fighting in a Civil War battle.
