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Clune Hill

Stone Circle

<b>Clune Hill</b>Posted by ruskusImage © ruskus
Also known as:
  • Raes of Clune
  • Clune Wood
  • Monthammock

Nearest Town:Banchory (11km W)
OS Ref (GB):   NO795949 / Sheets: 38, 45
Latitude:57° 2' 41.07" N
Longitude:   2° 20' 16.44" W

Added by Moth

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Fieldnotes

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I parked at Monthammock farm and walked across the field to the east behind the farm. This is a beautiful place, stunning in many ways also astonishing as I'd never heard about it until coming back up the road from Glasgow today. (I'd to deliver a keyboard to somebody who lived in Durris nearby!) Why oh why is this site not better known complete with a kerb cairn next door, also a cairn.

One thing was against me hunting further, thunder and lightning ensured a thorough drenching for our intrepid hero. So it was back to the safety of the car, tho the lighting show was every bit as good as the previous nights, the music was somewhat scarier!

Visited 23/05/2010.
drewbhoy Posted by drewbhoy
24th May 2010ce

This is a gorgeous RSC and should be added to the list of 'essential' Aberdeenshire circles (Granted that list is getting rather long now).

This piece of Forestry Commission woodland has now had some waymarked trails installed, which makes it a pleasant place to spend a couple of hours, especially with small children.

The circle can be found on the red/green trails. If time is pressing, from the carpark take the left hand uphill trail & follow the red/green markers. Its uphill all the way, but you should be at the circle in about 15 mins. From this direction its on the left of the trail, adjacent to 2 of the story posts and the only bench on the walk. Follow the path through the bracken & planting for about 400 yards and you're there.

The circle sits on a fairly level shelf, and most of the planting has been cut down giving wide views over the recumbent. Once you return to the main trail, follow it a little way further to the left and you'll also find a ruinous chambered cairn.

You'll find this & other walks in a FC leaflet available from the Tourist office or you can try http://www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland

BTW this circle does not show up on my OS Explorer map, but it can be found on the Landranger. Clune Wood is clearly marked south of Kirkton of Durris though.
Chris Posted by Chris
20th March 2006ce
Edited 20th March 2006ce

Agreed Moth, this one should be better known (or, at least, documented) given its surviving condition and accessibility.

Open views on the recumbent side; in addition to the recumbent and flankers, three other stones remain standing. Not bad for a forestry site.

Being a Kincardineshire RSC, it is orientated towards the SE quadrant - 168 degrees.

Visited 14 March 2005
greywether Posted by greywether
29th March 2005ce

Definitely seems to be officially known as Clune Hill (thanks Zeppo!). Planning to revisit this one around xmas, I came across this: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/megalithics/scotland/clune/clunmain.htm

Found another alleged name for it - 'The Raes of Clune' on several sites that give no particularly useful info or pics.
Moth Posted by Moth
30th October 2002ce
Edited 16th August 2003ce

Interesting one this. I was just back up to Aberdeen for the weekend and got my OS maps out to check which one it was. Turns out it's also known as Clune Hill as well. In fact there is ( or was ) even a local council leaflet on the place - got a copy of it sitting back at my folks house in Aberdeen. ( There's a whole range of info. leaflets produced by the local councils on some of the stone circles, pictish things and the like which quite surprised me ).

Anyway, more to the point... Recently there has supposed to have been a "Deeside Offroad Centre" opened up which was going to be going through the woods round about that circle. In fact rumour had it that they may have destroyed the circle in the process. I wanted to get up there at the weekend to check it out but family issues meant I didn't get the time - might try to go when I'm there at christmas though and will post something again if I do. Meanwhile, if anyone can shed more light on the matter then give me a shout because I'd be very interested.

As for the circle itself... was quite a good one, on top of the hill, great view... and good vibes!

Zeppo
Posted by Zeppo
16th November 2000ce

Why isn't this one in any of the books I've seen ? (OK, not that many, but...)

I can see why it's not in the Modern Antiquarian as you've had to be selective, but it's not in Burl's 'A guide to the stone circles of...' either. And let's face it, most things are in there.

It's clearly marked 'stone circle' on the OS map, ref 38.795.949 by my reckoning.

The map seems to show it a bit closer to the edge of the forestry than it actually is, so it could be quite difficult to find. It's well worth trying though, and if I got lucky anyone can!!

It's a peaceful but quite striking circle of originally, I'd guess, around 6-8 stones of which 5 or 6 remain (6 on the map, for what it's worth).

The stones are around 5-6 feet tall I think, though I'm not too good at guessing measurements, especially after a couple of months.

Continuing to be less than helpful, I can't remember for sure whether it had a recumbent. I think it did, and considering where it is, you'd expect it to have one....

I do remember it had stones in the centre that could have been the remains of a cairn of some sort...though I'm by no means an expert. It could have been a pile of stones.

Sorry I couldn't send a photo, but my scanner blew up!!

Unfortunately my photos don't help that much as it's set in a bracken laden semi-clearing. The bracken was reaching about half way up the stones when I was there (the last week in June this year).

Just in case, I'll do my best at a quick vaguely Copesque description of getting there, but assuming you've found it on the OS map in front of you!

The circle is in the relatively small piece of forestry immediately SW of Durris Cott. You can park where the main track on the east of the forestry meets the lane from the school to Durris Court. Walk along the wide track, keeping going up the hill.

Carry on until about the point where you reach the brow of the hill and start to glimpse the fields beyond. The trees have lessened by this point, but there is a bit more forestry in front of you to the right (west).

Take the last obvious track on the right - towards the West, putting this last bit of forestry on your left. You may have to retrace your steps a little to find it. (I don't think this is the track leading west shown on the OS map.)

Follow this path for about 5 minutes keeping a sharp eye to your left for paths in the undergrowth, leading towards the trees mentioned above.

The circle is, at the most, about 100 yards along the first noticable path into the undergrowth to your left. (Well, it was the first path I noticed!)


Moth
Moth Posted by Moth
20th August 2000ce
Edited 20th June 2003ce

Folklore

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The Horned God

The horned god was the ancient pagan god of fertility. He was often half animal and half human. The Celts called him Vernunnus. He had the head of a stag and the body of a man.

When Christianity came to Britain the god of fertility was transformed into the Devil. His nickname 'Auld Hornie' is a link back to this older belief in the horned god.

(One of the stories found on various posts near the path.)
drewbhoy Posted by drewbhoy
6th July 2012ce