Nether Largie Stone Row, Kilmartin Scotland
Location 56.121707 -5.495402
The point of midsummer sunrise here is difficult to establish as the height of the Eastern hills rise with the sun's rise. Thus the sunrise is extended across the horizon. If the first glimmer of sunlight is taken as the sunrise, then the North-Eastern stones line up with midsummer sunrise. The South-Western two stones line up with midwinter See diagram below. Hence although regarded as one structure, this may be two. One for the midsummer sunrise, which was then developed for the midwinter sunrise. The central stone gives an alignment via the brow of the distant Eastern hill for the spring and autumn.
A nearby stone structure, Temple Wood, also aligns on the first glimmer of midsummer sunlight.
This structure is ornate, and seems intact. It does not seem to have been damaged, although the accuracy of the stones' positions is unknown. The symmetry indicates some consideration of art and possible religion, with an implication of sun worship. Hence it may have an agricultural origin that developed into a political sacred monument.
An original structure may have been of stone 1 which would act a fixed observation point for the midsummer sunrise at the V point of two hills - as shown in the photos below. The addition of stone 2 would then provide an alignment for midwinter sunrise.
