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Christchurch Stone Circle and Standing Stone is a Bronze Age ceremonial monument set on the Aberdeenshire plateau near Midmar. The circle comprises upright stones arranged in a roughly circular plan, typical of the ritual monuments that proliferated across northern Scotland during the Bronze Age. A separate standing stone rises nearby, completing what may have formed a unified sacred landscape.
The monument rests on felsic igneous bedrock of Early Devonian age, part of the deeply rooted igneous intrusion underlying this part of Aberdeenshire. This resistant crystalline foundation would have dominated the local topography throughout the Bronze Age, providing a stable, elevated setting for ceremonies and gatherings. The exposed rock outcrops visible in the surrounding landscape would have been a conspicuous feature to Bronze Age communities.
The circle survives as a rare and substantial example of regional stone circle tradition. Its preservation reflects both the durability of its upright stones and the remote moorland setting that has protected it through millennia of changing land use. The site is protected as a Scheduled Monument by Historic Environment Scotland, recognising its significance as evidence of Bronze Age ritual practice in the north-east Scottish landscape.
Christchurch, stone circle and standing stone, Midmar is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM32. View the official record →
Christchurch Stone Circle and Standing Stone is a Bronze Age ceremonial monument set on the Aberdeenshire plateau near Midmar. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM32.
Christchurch, stone circle and standing stone, Midmar dates from the bronze age period, and is classified as a stone circle and standing stone, midmar. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Christchurch, stone circle and standing stone, Midmar 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 SM32.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Midmar, Church, settlement and (Cunningar) motte (0.6 km), Sunhoney,stone circle 240m NW of (1.8 km), Craiglea, cairn 265m W of (2.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Christchurch, stone circle and standing stone, Midmar'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.
Christchurch, stone circle and standing stone, Midmar stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Late Silurian To Early Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is felsic-rock.