A standing stone circle has been restored and returned to its home after temporarily making way for a £250 million development.

The Sighthill Circle was completed at the Spring Equinox of 1979 and thought to be the first stone circle created in the UK in more than 3,000 years.

They were temporarily removed in April 2016 as part of a plan to transform the area and have now been relocated to a new landscape 200 metres from the former site which had not been suitable 40 years ago.

It is expected to welcome visitors from next summer, but can be viewed from a distance until then.

Sighthill Circle
Author Duncan Lunan and musician Stuart Braithwaite have been involved in the project (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Duncan Lunan, science writer and manager of the original Glasgow Parks Department Astronomy Project, guided the project.

He said: “It has been quite moving to learn how much the circle has meant to so many people since we built it in 1979, and I hope they’ll come to it again at its new location, where it will be more visible and accessible.

“On its specially created platform, this time the stones will stand at their true height, and several additional features have been added that were planned back in ’79.

“Using the observations compiled over the last 40 years, and computing methods which weren’t available back then, the alignment of the stones will be still more accurate than before.

“The contractors and the council have gone to great lengths to do that, so it’s exciting to see it all come together after so long.”

Standing stones restoration
It is thought to be the first stone circle created in the UK in more than 3,000 years (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Bailie Jacqueline McLaren, chair of the Sighthill Local Delivery Group, said: “It is fantastic to see the stones of the Sighthill Circle standing once again, and they really are a symbol of a Glasgow neighbourhood undergoing tremendous change.

“The Circle represents a connection between the area’s past and present, and will be a great attraction for locals and visitors as Sighthill continues its regeneration.

“Beyond the circle, just some of the things we can look forward to at Sighthill over the next couple of years include a new park, a new community schools campus, and a landmark bridge over the M8.”