Stonehenge's 'altar stone' originally came from Scotland and not Wales, new research shows

WASHINGTON — The ancient ritual meaning of Stonehenge is still a mystery, but researchers are one step closer to understanding how the famous stone circle was created.

The unique stone lying flat at the center of the monument was brought to the site in southern England from near the tip of northeast Scotland, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Nature. It's not clear whether the 16-foot (5-meter) stone was carried by boat or across land — a journey of more than 460 miles (740 kilometers).