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Buchanan's Stone is a prehistoric standing stone located near Larne in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The monument stands upon bedrock composed of mafic lava and tuff of Palaeogene age, part of the ancient volcanic rocks that form the foundation of this region. Like other standing stones of Ireland's prehistoric landscape, it represents a significant marker from the Neolithic or Bronze Age, though its precise original purpose remains uncertain.
The stone survives as evidence of early settlement and ritual practice in the Larne area, where such monoliths typically served functions ranging from territorial markers to ceremonial or burial-related monuments. The local geology of extrusive volcanic rocks would have presented specific challenges and opportunities for prehistoric communities selecting and positioning such a substantial stone.
Buchanan's Stone is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 3160, ensuring its preservation for future study and public appreciation. It forms part of the rich archaeological heritage of the Larne district, contributing to our understanding of prehistoric activity in the northeast of Ireland.
Buchanan's stone. standing stone is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 3160. View the official record →
Buchanan's Stone is a prehistoric standing stone located near Larne in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 3160.
Buchanan's stone. standing stone dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a standing stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Buchanan's stone. standing stone is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 3160.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Carn school house, slieve true, school house carn. round cairn (5.3 km), Coveknows. barrow (6.1 km), Dunrock. rectangular enclosure (6.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Buchanan's stone. standing stone'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.
Buchanan's stone. standing stone stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.