A story about the giant of Bennachie and (presumably) Mither Tap, and that of Tap O’Noth- does anyone know the story?):
It is said that long ” before King Robert rang,” two giants inhabited these mountains, and are supposed to be the respective heroes of the two ballads [” John O’Benachie ;” and another, ” John O’Rhynie, or Jock O’Noth]
These two sons of Anak appear to have lived on pretty friendly terms, and to have enjoyed a social crack together, each at his own residence, although distant some ten or twelve miles. These worthies had another amusement, that of throwing stones at each other; not small pebbles you may believe, but large boulders. On one occasion, however, there appears to have been a coolness between them; for one morning, as he of Noth was returning from a foraging excursion in the district of Buchan, his friend of Benachie, not relishing what he considered an intrusion on his legitimate beat, took up a large stone and threw at him as he was passing.
Noth, on hearing it rebounding, coolly turned round; and putting himself in a posture of defence, received the ponderous mass on the sole of his foot: and I believe that the stone, with a deeply indented foot-mark on it, is, like the bricks in Jack Cade’s chimney, ” alive at this day to testify.”
In Notes and Queries, Volume s1-VIII, Number 204, 1853.