Sheldon stone circle facts for kids
Sheldon stone circle is a prehistoric stone circle located to the south of Oldmeldrum in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Description
Sheldon, sitting like a crown on a ridge may not be a recumbent stone circle as no recumbent stone exists, but the circle is about the right size for one. This stone circle lies about 200m north of a minor road at Sheldon Farm. There are six large stones still standing, plus an equally large outlier close by at the east. The circle appears to be built on a raised platform, and the outlier stands at the end of a peninsula extension of this platform. The stones do not appear to be height graded, and there is no sign of a recumbent or possible flankers, but there are the remains of what could be a ring cairn in the interior. Unless the requisite stones have been selectively removed, this does not seem to be a recumbent circle.
The diameter of Sheldon is 32.9m. There are no magnetic anomalies. Astronomical alignments from this circle: Sun rise & set Dec +17.2 / -16.0. There are two outlier's which have sunrise declinations that may mark the Celtic festivals of Beltane and Imbolc.
