Lochbuie Stone Circle

The Lochbuie stone circle is small and well preserved set on the beautiful southern coast of Mull and overlooked by Ben Buie.

The stone circle originally had nine granite stones, set in a ring about 12 metres in diameter, with the tallest stone being about two metres high. One of the original stones has been removed and replaced with a low boulder.

There are also three single stones set in the field at different distances from the circle. It is natural to assume that these stones mark the direction in which to look from a position in the centre of the circle.

The nearest of these outlying stones is 5 metres away to the south-east, and is only one metre tall.

The second outlier is a spectacular monolith 3 metres high and set about 40 metres away to the south-west. The azimuth of 223.6° with a horizon height of 0.4° gives a declination of -23.7°, and so indicates the position of the setting sun at the winter solstice.

South-west of the circle, 107m away, is the third outlier, over 2 metres high. The stone is broken at the top and was probably taller when erected. The bearing of 237° and an altitude of just over 2° gives a declination of -16.0°. This is the declination of the sun at the winter Quarter days in early November and early February.