After the nice warm evening of Rock Ness last night (Glasvegas - magnificent!!!) Aberdeenshire was under water today. It adds to the atmosphere and creates another picture, there are always plenty of dry days. But this went to another level and getting lost didn't help. After leaving the B9119, south after Hatton Farm, I parked at the edge of Torshinach Wood. To the east are the Woods of Cairnie.
To get to Cairnie 1, you must walk past Cairnie which is quite easy to find, number 1 is a nightmare. So in the end I walked up and down tracks, crawled under trees and generally disturbed all matter of wildlife except one deer which was nosey and followed for a wee while. In a clearing is the splendidly shaped cairn (or barrow) sitting as it has always done undisturbed protected by the trees. Even trees supposedly planted on top of the cairn seem to have walked away leaving one of their kind. As for the cairn it is almost 12 meters wide and 1.3 meters high. A single stone sits in the west, lurking around possibly a last kerb. Then all matter of hell happened, it lashed down, trees don't offer much protection so head down I trudged on back west, I hoped.
Wonderfully shaped and beautifully hidden hopefully this cairn like it's near but seemingly faraway neighbour will be here many years yet.
Woods Of cairnie 2 is much easier to find than number 1. If you park or start where I did you will see a track heading south east. Give or take a tree or two this leads in the direction of the cairn. Many years ago I'd been here so I thought I knew the area quite well. Indeed I do, one problem I was coming from the east heading west, not the other way round. Finding the first cairn was a fluke, but a path heading west was found which eventually led back almost to my car. Heading south east it was easy despite the rain which by this time had eased to monsoon.
This cairn also is set in a clearing and has remained undisturbed, once again being hidden by the trees has done it a huge favour. Standing at 8.6 meters wide and 1.1 meters high, grass covered, it remains defiant in state of splendid isolation which in this case is a good thing.
Another wonderful place, if in the mood for walking Springhill Stone Circle is on the Kirkton Of Skene road, the next minor road north to the west.
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Posted by drewbhoy
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