Midmar facts for kids
Midmar is a small, historic village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It's located north of Banchory and southwest of Inverurie. Midmar is famous for its three ancient stone circles and other standing stones. Two of these, Midmar and Sunhoney, are special types called recumbent stone circles. These circles have a large stone lying on its side, often with two tall stones next to it.
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The Story of Midmar
The name Midmar used to be Migmar. It comes from the Pictish language, which was spoken by ancient people in Scotland. The first part, mig-, means "bog" or "swamp." The second part, Mar, is the name of the area.
Midmar is mostly a farming community. It has connections to the old Midmar Castle and Midmar Manor House. The castle was built a long time ago, in the 1500s. The church you see today was built in 1787. Before that, there was an older church called St Nidian's. It was located about half a kilometer south and is now part of an important historical site. This site also includes a medieval mound called Cunningar Motte.
In the 1970s, when oil was discovered nearby, Midmar saw a short period of new buildings. This was because it was close to the city of Aberdeen, where many people worked in the oil industry.
Amazing Stone Circles
Midmar is home to several ancient stone circles, which are really cool places to visit!
Midmar Stone Circle
The Midmar stone circle is right next to the village church. It's about 17 meters wide, which is like the length of a school bus! Some of the stones stand as tall as 2.45 meters, which is taller than most adults. People have described these stones as looking like "fangs."
In 1914, some of the stones were moved a little when a new graveyard was built nearby. Because it's such an important historical site, the circle was officially protected as an ancient monument in 1925 and again in 1970.
Sunhoney and Cullerlie Circles
The Sunhoney stone circle is a bit east of the village, on Sunhoney Farm. The Cullerlie stone circle is even further east. Both Sunhoney and Midmar are recumbent stone circles. This means they have a large stone lying down, often with two upright stones on either side, like arms. Experts believe Cullerlie might be a slightly newer type of stone circle.
Besides these three main circles, there are other standing stones scattered around the area. These stones are from a similar time period. For example, there's a standing stone about 100 meters north of the Midmar circle itself.
Nearby Hamlets
Several smaller communities are connected to Midmar. One of these is called Bankhead. In Bankhead, there's an old church chapel that has been turned into a house. This building is considered a special historic building.
