Clava cairns of Aviemore Facts for Kids

Clava cairns are special ancient stone structures found mostly in Scotland. They were built a very long time ago, during the Bronze Age, which was about 4,000 to 4,500 years ago. People used them as burial places or for important ceremonies. In the Scottish Highlands, near the town of Aviemore, there are three of these interesting stone circles. A man named Caleb George Cash, who was an expert in geography, wrote about them in 1906.

Delfour Stone Circle: A Ruined Mystery
Aviemore Stone Circle: In a Modern Town
Grenish Stone Circle: Near a Special Loch
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Delfour Stone Circle: A Ruined Mystery

This stone circle is about 4 miles southwest of Aviemore railway station. In 1906, it was near a small house. When Caleb Cash saw it, it looked very ruined. He said it was "a heap of stones" that a farmer had cleared from his fields.

However, one very tall stone still stands out. It is made of quartzite, which is a hard rock. This stone is about 9 feet 6 inches (2.9 meters) tall. It is also 5 feet 6 inches (1.7 meters) wide and 1 foot 6 inches (0.45 meters) thick. Because it gets narrower at the top, Caleb Cash thought it looked like a "cloaked human figure."

The main part of the circle was about 60 feet (18 meters) across. It seems that stones from other parts of the site were piled up here. There was also an outer edge, called a kerb, about 58 feet (17.7 meters) wide. Inside this was another ring of smaller stones.

Aviemore Stone Circle: In a Modern Town

The Aviemore stone circle is also a Clava cairn. It once had three stone circles, but now only parts of them are left. The outer circle was about 75 feet (23 meters) across. The middle circle was about 42 feet (12.8 meters) wide. The inner circle was about 26 feet (7.9 meters) wide. Most of the original stone mound, called a cairn, is gone. Only a few large stone slabs remain.

In 1877, seven stones were still standing in the center of the circle. By 2005, when another expert named Aubrey Burl looked at it, only five stones were left. One of these had fallen over. The tallest stone is about 1.5 meters (5 feet) high. Today, this ancient stone circle is found right in the middle of a housing area in Aviemore.

Grenish Stone Circle: Near a Special Loch

The Grenish stone circle is a bit over 2 miles northeast of the Aviemore railway station. It is about 350 yards east of the main road. This area used to be covered with pine trees. There is a small lake nearby, called a lochan. This lochan got its name from the stones! Its name is Loch nan Carraigean, which means "Loch of the Standing Stones."

The old Highland Railway line, which is now the preserved Strathspey Railway, runs very close to the west side of the stone circle. An old path from Aviemore to Boat of Garten also runs close by on the east side.