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Aird Sleitenish is a Bronze Age stone circle situated in Ross-shire, Scotland. The monument occupies high ground over bedrock of Proterozoic I gneiss, ancient metamorphic rock formed during the Mesoproterozoic era more than a thousand million years ago. This geological foundation, exposed across much of the northern Highlands, provided both the setting and material resources for Bronze Age communities who constructed such ceremonial monuments around four thousand years ago.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5326, recognising its archaeological and cultural significance. Stone circles of this period typically served as communal gathering places and ritual spaces, often associated with burial practices and astronomical observation. The positioning of Aird Sleitenish reflects Bronze Age preferences for elevated locations with extensive views across the landscape.
The monument's survival on the exposed Highlandterrain demonstrates the durability of stone construction, though the weathering of the local gneiss has shaped the appearance of the stones themselves over millennia. The circle remains an important witness to the ritual practices and territorial organisation of Bronze Age communities in the far north of Scotland.
Aird Sleitenish,stone circle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5326. View the official record →
Aird Sleitenish is a Bronze Age stone circle situated in Ross-shire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5326.
Aird Sleitenish,stone circle dates from the bronze age period, and is classified as a stone circle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Aird Sleitenish,stone circle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM5326.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Gearraidh na h-Airde Moire,shielings,Loch Resort (3.2 km), Tigh nan Cailleachan Dubha,settlement,Mealista (5.9 km), Meilein,burial cairn 150m NW of (6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Aird Sleitenish,stone circle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Aird Sleitenish,stone circle stands on Proterozoic I gneiss, bedrock that formed in the Mesoproterozoic. The rock here is gneiss; undifferentiated metamorphic.