Fife farmer, 80, to face trial accused of carving path through ancient Angus standing stones site
What an ar*sh*le
An 80-year-old Fife farmer has denied damaging standing stones in a nationally important Neolithic or Bronze Age Angus site by carving a path through it for tree-clearing works.
More info :
I cannot imagine that the site were in any easier condition to make out that when last visited and field reported by TMA in 2003. Even our own site review from 17 years ago says of the site B stone alignment.. "This setting is about 40 yards from the first, and is pretty overgrown and difficult to make out at first."
And for Group C "Three small stones forming a rough triangle. Two stand about 2 feet proud of the ground, the most northerly is almost buried. Forestry work has been going on around them, and they are partially covered by felled trees." It was these two 2" stones which were damaged.
Even the possible recumbent is described as "It's pretty heavily scarred by ploughs, so may have been buried at some point. Hard to tell, I'll leave others to make their minds up about this one!"
The 80 year old farmer was based in Fife (this was not his farm). I don't think this is really a straightforward case of finger wagging or rapping of knuckles. I'll be interested to see the sentence when it is handed down.