Located on the outskirts of Glenrothes in Fife, Balfarg Henge is now incongruously surrounded by a modern housing estate. Encircled by hills, this was once a revered landscape and main centre of ritual, sacred to generations of prehistoric people. While there are only two of its original stones remaining and sadly, a rather underwhelming place to visit these days than other Neolithic monuments in Scotland, (such as Calanais in Lewis or Ring of Brogdar in Orkney) 4,000 years ago Balfarg Henge would have been equally as evocative.  The ceremonial, circular enclosure, measuring 60 metres across (known as a ‘henge’), was formed by a bank with an internal ditch and encompassed temples for the living and graves for the dead.  Evidence of ritual feasting, sacrifice, smashed pottery and human burial were found here and at the centre of the henge, lying level with the grass, is a massive stone slab which covers a stone cist, containing the remains of a teenage boy from that period.

The nearby Balbirnie Stone Circle was excavated then moved when the current main road was widened.  It originally had been only 300 metres from Balfarg Henge, in a much more prominent position with the circle facing the midsummer sun rising over Clatto Hill.  It had a hearth at its centre, perhaps for lighting up night-time ceremonies. Communities would have gathered here to celebrate seasonal festivals and to honour their ancestors. Balbirnie became a place of burial where the cremated bones of women and children were placed in stone cists, along with precious objects.

Neolithic peoples cleared woodland and introduced agriculture to Fife around 6,000 years ago.  They were also hunter-gatherers, moving from place to place throughout the year as seasons changed. The efforts made by these people to build shared sacred sites like Balfarg and Balbirnie affirms that their society was sophisticated and organised.