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020 Stone Circle, Harestanes, Kirkurd. |
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Description
This small stone circle sits at the south-west corner of the
garden at Harestanes Cottage garden and consists of four large
conglomerate boulders with a fifth broken off at low level and
with a diameter of about 4.00m. A sixth stone can be seen 2.00m
east of the broken one and may have been moved in recent times.
The thin sandstone slab standing on end is unlikely to be an
original part of the circle. The circle is partly overgrown the
garden plants and would have had a commanding view of the
surrounding area prior to the construction of the present
housing.
Directions
Kirkurd is on the A72 Biggar to Moffat road just to the south of
Blyth Bridge. Take the minor road at the junction with the A721.
The stones are in the garden of the houses on the right.
Parking
On verge beside house. Note: please ask permission before entering
the garden.
Folklore
No specific folklore or other traditions have been found
associated with this stone circle but the circle's name,
Harestanes, is of some interest. The circle's name does hint
at the association with the hare and witchcraft. There are
many traditions about how a witch could
"shape-shift" from human form into that of a hare
and back again at will. Numerous stories of hares
disappearing after being shot can be found in all parts of
the Country and in many cases an old woman is found soon
after with gun shot or arrow wounds.
Fieldnotes
I thought, stone circle, big stones, should be easy to find.
Well, I walked right past it initially and went to the wrong
house (actually Old Harestanes) where the newly moved-in
occupants had never heard of a stone circle in the area. Anyway,
backtracking took me to the correct house and with permission
sought from the occupant, found Harestanes Stone Circle almost
hidden by vegetation in their garden. Its easy to miss from the
road unless you know its there.
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