Hjaltadans (Haltadans) Stone Circle
Haltadans · Fairy Ring · Fetlar circle
Early Bronze Age·Shetland Bronze Age·🇬🇧 Fetlar, Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom
About
About Hjaltadans (Haltadans) Stone Circle
Small Bronze Age stone circle on Fetlar island, Shetland: ring of 11 irregular boulders plus two outer stones forming ~9 m circle on moorland ridge overlooking Colbinstoft. Heavily weathered Shetland schist, stones to 0.8 m. One of only seven putative Shetland circles listed by Burl, classified as stone setting due to small dimensions. Associated with field systems and burnt mound nearby, indicating Bronze Age ritual-farming landscape.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Is it true circle or natural periglacial setting debated
Theories
- 01Small local adaptation of Mainland circle tradition on Shetland margin
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 2000–1500 BCE
- Period
- Early Bronze Age
- Culture
- Shetland Bronze Age
- Purpose
- Stone circle ritual monument
- Abandoned
- Iron Age
- Rediscovered
- RCAHMS survey; Burl gazetteer
- Excavation
- Unexcavated
c. 2000–1500 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1036 CE
Abandonment
On the ground
Structures & features
60.6102° N · 0.8656° W · 25 m · 1 mapped feature
Outer outlier pair
outlierTwo stones 1.5 m outside ring to NW
60.6103° N · 0.8657° W