Historic Scottish kirk with 4,000 year old stone circle goes on market

The B-Listed kirk is now being sold off by the Church of Scotland as part of an ongoing cost-cutting exercise

Midmar Church in Aberdeenshire which has a 4,000 year old stone circle in its grounds

A historic kirk with a mystical 4000 year old stone circle in its grounds has gone on the market for over £50,000.

Midmar Kirk, near Echt in Aberdeenshire, was built in 1787 alongside the pre-existing Bronze Age recumbent stone circle once thought to have been linked to druids.

The B-Listed kirk is now being sold off by the Church of Scotland as part of an ongoing cost-cutting exercise.

While the stone circle "co-located with the church" it is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland and does not form part of the sale. However, the Church of Scotland said new occupants would "have a very interesting neighbour".

The stone circle, thought to be over 4000 years old, consists of eight stones making up an incomplete ring, measuring 17m across.

The horizontal "recumbent" stone is flanked by two standing stones 2.5m high, which have been likened to fangs.The church is thought to have been built deliberately close to the circle due to the 18th century belief that the monument was a druid religious structure, as druidism was once considered an offshoot of Christianity.

It was incorporated into the landscaped grounds of the church when the kirkyard was extended in 1914.

A Church of Scotland spokesman said: "The stone circle -- which was apparently built to reflect the lunar rather than solar cycle -- is in the care of Historic Scotland and the Church of Scotland.

"Any new owner of the church building will have no locus over the circle but they will have a very interesting neighbour."

Midmar Church has been put up for sale after its congregation joined the nearby Echt Parish Church to form part of Bennachie Parish. The Midmar Church building is now "surplus to requirements", although it currently remains in use.

The spokesman added: "Potential buyers will have the opportunity to buy a very attractive B-listed church building with views across the Aberdeenshire countryside, and in an atmospheric location with a unique religious heritage which dates back millennia.

"The church is still being used in the meantime. It holds services on the first Sunday of each month and is available for other services such as weddings and funerals."

According to David Ross, editor of the UK travel and heritage guide Britain Express, the combination of a "modern churchyard and an ancient stone circle is a peculiar one".

He adds: "At Midmar, the old and new cultures are brought together in rather startling fashion. Excavations reveal that there was once a cremation cairn at the centre of the circle but this was destroyed, perhaps when the 'new' kirk was built beside the circle in 1787."He added: "What is really striking about the Midmar circle is the sheer size of the recumbent stone -- it is huge, far larger than any other recumbent stone I've yet seen in Grampian. The recumbent stone has been estimated at 4.5 metres long and 20 tons in weight."The Church of Scotland has been downsizing its property portfolio amid shrinking congregations, plummeting income and falling numbers of ministers. The streamlining process has been stepped up with presbyteries across Scotland considering which church properties should be sold off in a bid to reduce costs. Under the five-year plan surplus or unsuitable buildings are being released for sale.