The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Whitehills

Stone Circle

Fieldnotes

I spent my august hols in Scotland and visited a number of the Aberdeenshire sites and have fallen in love with the recumbant stone circles. I did East Aquhorthies and Loanhead of Davioy and Midmar Kirk but my absolute favourite was one I came across by following the signs on the way back from visiting Midmar - Whitehills stone circle. It is on Forestry commission land, Pitfichie Forest, signposted from the road and marked on the OS map. Parking at the little public carpark at the edge of the forestry commission bit it's a 1 mile walk, uphill along a forest road, round the bend and there she is.
I had seen the manicured show sites and this was a breath of fresh air.
Faced by trees on 2 sides, open on the other 2, logged land, it's a wonderful location and in a fine state of disrepair. It has a 8 - 9 ft long recumbant with 1 upright flanker and one now fallen. Behind the standing flanker is a strange mini flanker, looking like a canine tooth.
Only 1 other stone stands, the others lying in heather and scrub.
There was an inner circle of small stones inside of which the centre of the circle is entirely stone, rubble, slightly heaped - slightly overgrown. There was a slightly overgrown feel to the whole place and a sense that this is what the show sites probably looked like before they were manicured and mown.
On my first visit it had the signs on the roads and i green stake marking the site. ! week later when i returned (too good not to visit twice) other signs appeared, so I hope it's not to be over prettified, one of it's big attractions is the fact that the vegatation is slightly wild and this does look a bit more free range than some others.
I'd love to know if this site has ever been dug/investigated.
I visited a dozen or so circles in Aberdeenshire and around about, but visiting this site stuck out as the absolute highlight.
Posted by chrissieboy
6th September 2000ce

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