Exclusive:Three ancient stone circles go on market — including one of Scotland’s finest - in 'remarkable' sales

The ancient Bronze Age sites in Aberdeenshire are looking for a new owner.

Ancient, mysterious and revered, the stone circles of Scotland’s deep past are not something you expect to come across in an estate agent’s brochure.

But now, not one, but three Bronze Age stone circles have gone up for sale in Aberdeenshire - including one of the country’s finest.

Easter Aquhorthies stone circle near Inverurie is one of the finest examples of its kind. It is now on the market as part of a sale of farmland. Picture: Aberdeenshire Council. | Aberdeenshire Council

The scheduled monuments are included in sales of farmland across the area, with the archaeologist for the region describing the three listings as “remarkable” and a “rare chance” to acquire a piece of Scotland’s pre-history.

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Among the sales are Easter Aquhorthies near Inverurie, a recumbent stone circle that dates to around 4,000BC. Probably used as a cremation and memorial site, the location has been described as one of the best preserved of its kind.

The scheduled monument sits between two fields, which are part of six being sold for a combined price of £530,000 or as two separate lots.

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Archaeologist Bruce Mann, senior historic environment officer at Aberdeenshire Council, said the name of Aquhorthies hinted at the site’s past use and derived from the Gaelic word meaning “field of prayer”.

He said: “Easter Aquhorthies is one of the best-preserved recumbent stone-circles in the region and, as such, is incredibly important.”

Mr Mann added: “The fact that we have three stone circles for sale at the same time is remarkable as they rarely change hands, being often part of a wider farm or estate. The sales, especially that of Easter Aquhorthies, offers a rare chance for someone to purchase an important example of North East Scotland’s prehistory.

“Owing such a site, with its national designation as a scheduled monument, means careful management on behalf of the nation. The new owners will need to expect that people will continue to visit the stone circles, and that as owners they are custodians of part of our regional identity.

“They will also need to carefully consider what they will be able to do with the surrounding land, as the setting of these stone circles, within the land that is being sold, will need to be maintained.”

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Also for sale is the stone circle and ring cairn of Little Eslie near Banchory, which is being sold as part of 10.5 acres of land suitable for grazing.

The circle is part of an important landscape during the Bronze Age period, with the Nine Stanes and Greater Eslie stone circles found nearby.

South Ythsie, near Tarves, completes the stone circle sales. Made up of six upright stones, with the tallest measuring 2.4m high, the monument sits in 151 acres or arable and pastureland, which is being sold for a combined total of £740,000.

Mr Mann advised that anyone buying the sites should seek advice both from local authority planners and from Historic Environment Scotland.

James Presley, of Aberdeen and Northern Estates, who is handling the sales, said: “We do have lots of stone circles in Aberdeenshire, but to be selling three properties at once, all which have stone circles, is rare.”

He said there had been “strong interest” in the three separate land sales, but mainly from those interested in the farmland.

“There probably have been a few inquiries regarding the stone circles,” he said.

Historic Environment Scotland has been contacted for comment.