Sunhoney is a stone circle of the recumbent type, which is often found in the Grampian region, especially near the River Dee. It is located approximately 2 kilometers west of Echt in Aberdeenshire, close to the Cullerlie and Midmar stone circles. Sunhoney is protected as a scheduled monument.

Recumbent stone circles

A recumbent stone circle is a type of ancient monument built during the early Bronze Age. The most noticeable feature is the largest stone, called the recumbent, which is placed flat on the ground. This stone is usually positioned between the south and southwest sides of the circle. Two smaller stones, called flankers, stand on either side of the recumbent. These flankers are typically the tallest stones in the circle, while the smallest stones are often found on the northeastern side. The remaining stones in the circle are usually between six and ten upright stones, arranged by size. Builders often chose flat areas on hills that offered good views of other landmarks. More than seventy of these circles have been found in lowland Aberdeenshire, northeast Scotland. Similar monuments are the axial stone circles in southwest Ireland. These circles often surrounded a small stone mound, though many of these mounds have since disappeared. Some archaeologists believe these circles may have developed from nearby Clava cairns or followed the design of axial stone circles. Cremated remains have been found at some sites, but the exact purpose of these circles is still not clear.

Description

The circle has a diameter of 25.40 metres and is made up of 12 stones, including the recumbent, two flankers, and nine other stones. The recumbent stone is broken into two pieces and has several cup marks. These cup marks have been counted as 28, 30, or 31 in total.

Inside the circle is a ring cairn. During an excavation in 1865 by Charles Dalrymple, remains from cremations were found. Because the site is in relatively good condition, researchers have studied Sunhoney for its connection to archaeoastronomy. Norman Lockyer was the first to study it, followed by George Browne in 1906 and 1920. More recently, Alexander Thom, Aubrey Burl, and Clive Ruggles have also studied the site. The recumbent stone is aligned with Blackyduds hill. The most recent geological survey of the site was conducted in 2006 by Simon Howard, Diane Mitchell, and Nigel Ruckley.

The site is officially designated as a scheduled monument. Another recumbent stone circle is located about 2 km to the west, near the church of Midmar. The Cullerlie stone circle is also nearby.