Torhousekie Stone Circle (Torhouse Stone Circle)

All pictures copyright © 2000,2002 Martin McCarthy

Location Map

CANMORE Record

Looking northwest towards the three central stones. Large Image (34kb 670x422) One of the larger stones at the southwest of the circle. Large Image (45kb 447x656) A view of the full circle, looking north. Large Image (22kb 685x436) A view of the full circle, looking east. Large Image (31kb 692x372) Stones on the southwestern arc. Large Image (37kb 646x436) Looking northeast from the edge of the circle to the three central stones. Large Image (74kb 904x619) Looking west towards the three central stones. Large Image (68kb 920x567) The southeastern arc of the circle. Large Image (94kb 880x619) Looking southeast. Large Image (62kb 904x540) The northeastern arc. Large Image (78kb 880x629) The same stones in colour. Large Image (63kb 880x467) The southern arc. Large Image (70kb 896x522) Stones at the east of the circle. Large Image (65kb 888x483) The central stones. Large Image (113kb 864x615) The nearby row of stones. The circle can be seen behind the stones and across the road. Large Image (52kb 696x483) The stone row. Large Image (38kb 816x401) The stone row. Large Image (62kb 904x403) The stone row. Large Image (79kb 840x555) The stone row. Large Image (51kb 752x475)

This fabulous circle is often likened to the recumbent stone circles of Kincardineshire and Aberdeenshire; Burl has described it as a link between the circles of southwest Ireland and northeast Scotland. The ninteen stones that make up the circle are graded in height with the tallest (around five feet tall) in the southeast and the smallest (about two feet tall) in the northwest. The "recumbent and flankers" are three stones towards the centre of the circle -- in a Kincardine recumbent circle the recumbent and flankers would be on or close to the southeast sector of the circle arc. The circle is a little over sixty feet in diameter and set on a raised platform of smaller stones. Legend has it that the three stones in the centre of the circle form part of King Galdus' Tomb. However, legend also has it that King Galdus was buried at Cairnholy II! Just across the road from the circle and on a low ridge is a row of three stones.