I always get a thrill when visiting a new site. Obvioulsy this can range from relief from actually just finding the place, to the 'WOW' sites and on occasion the truly 'jaw dropping' sites. I also enjoy re-visiting sites but it is never quite the same as the first time you visit. Also, re-visiting sites at different times of the year / weather conditions can obvioulsy make a big difference. Avebury is my favourite area to visit - I try to make at least 2 or 3 trips per year and there are still many sites near Avebury I haven't seen yet. Just off the top of my head to name 3 'Jaw dropping' sites - Castlerigg Stone Circle, Avebury and Great Orme copper mine (the huge underground chamber).

I am always filled with excitement when I visit a site even if I have been there before.
Lanhill and Lugbury are two of my closet places and I never tire of seeing them even after being introduced to them over 30 years ago. I suppose I feel like I have a personal responsibility for them, to make sure they are ok.

I quite like to be on my own but also enjoy showing places to people who are interested. I also don’t mind chatting to other visitors about them either, it always nice to here other peoples views.
I love to visit Avebury but prefer to go outside the normal tourist visiting times. During those busy times I am often found visiting the much lesser know places around the complex. They are almost always peaceful.

When I arrive I will walk around and study both ‘it’ and the surrounds and take in as much as I can. I will then workout if I can get a few good photos worthy of TMA but if not I will take a few for my own benefit.
And then I will sit or stand and just look and listen and feel the weather (wind, rain, sun or snow).
It is such a relaxing and energising this hobby of ours :o)

I definitely used to be a "ticker". Whenever I was on my way somewhere (usually up to the Cairngorms for a walking holiday), I'd plan my route to take in as many TMA sites as I thought I could manage in the time available - arrive, have a quick look round, take a few pics, and then off to the next.

These days, I prefer to take my time visiting a site (not always possible if I've got the dog in tow!). I will admit to occasionally getting all serious and scientific, messing around with a tape measure and a compass trying to map a site out, but this always makes me feel ridiculously self-conscious so I normally just sit quietly, ponder, and try to absorb the ambience.

As for the type of sites, I much prefer an out-of-the-way jumble of stones in the middle of a moor to a "show site" - for example, whenever I'm up visiting my friend on Lewis, you're more likely to find me mooching around Na Dromannan than Calanish I. Likewise, when we went to Orkney I found Skara Brae was interesting but did nothing for me, unlike the cairns on Rousay which were such special places.

Many of the high moorland 'circles of Britain, where the stones barely break the surface, make it abundantly clear these were purely functional sites, the builders in awe of their surroundings and making no attempt to compete with nature. Castlerigg may be a photographer's wet dream, but I think, for example, the Burn Moor 'circles are actually the real deal instead.

To answer the 'upon arrival' bit, my first thoughts are often... 'is that it? stones aren't that high etc..' But first impressions, in my experience, are often very mis-leading.... just scratching the surface. My average visit time, I'd say, is about three hours.. sometimes longer if the vibe is really there, sometimes shorter if access is an issue. But I find it takes a while for the relationship to the landscape to become apparent, to try to understand why the monument was placed where it is. Very often the attention to detail with regards placement is astonishing, almost as if the form of the site is very much of secondary importance to where it is. Dunno, but in my view if you don't take the time to sit, look, absorb and think, you may as well be collecting stamps for all the insight you'll get. Less is most definately more.

Almost ten years ago my pregnant wife, daughter and myself were staying at a cottage in Skipness near the Isle of Arran with my parents, from there we drove north all the way to Scrabster for the Orkney ferry, we stopped by Loch Ness had food and threw stones at the monster for a while and failed to find The Clava cairns. Sailing past the Old man of Hoy was especially captivating as I'm as much into the natural world as I am our ancient heritage.

Arriving on Orkney we erected our tent at Stromness campsite and had more food, then we drove over to the Stenness circle, but it was off limits due to foot'n mouth, so we went on to Brodgar, by now our two year old girl was fast asleep in the back of the car and Hayley was nitting, I blamed it on nesting instincts away from home and went for a look see on my own.

It was pre inernet for me so all I had was two books with pictures so didnt really know what to expect, it was gone 9pm and I was all alone the sun was setting and the moon was mid transit, I dont know if it was the long trip up or something but I had the most freakiest of moments, goosebumps, inexplicable giggling, hairs standing up, it was like nothing I had ever experienced, the most healthy natural high ever.

Ive never had that same feeling again, but everytime I go out it comes back a little bit, it's a feeling I love, and all it costs is the time and petrol/legs to get there, whether its a mountain top, a couple of cairns, or a waterfall or a big famous monument, it makes me remember how much I love this world and being alive.