16/07/2021 – A lovely view looking down Glenshee. Great location for this one.
Images
16/07/2021 – a fine four poster overlooking Glenshee.
Looking west.
My old friend Ben Gulabin behind.
We know what happens next.
A diminutive ‘four poster’ upon glacial moraine. Apparently.
Beautiful four poster, this....
A cheeky monkey sneaks into view
Another view of the four poster
Looking north west, Ben Gulabin looming in the background
A rather gloomy view due east
Looking north east
The four poster looking S
A slightly sunnier view of the mound, four poster on top.
Looking south across the mound
Approaching the mound from the SE
Articles
16/07/2021 – Walking a few tops east of Spittal of Glenshee. A visit to a fine four poster in sunshine was a nice way to finish the day.
For years and years I’ve been meaning to visit this site and for years and years I’ve completely forgotten about it.
However no mistake this time, we parked at the outdoor centre at the Spittal of Glenshee, wished they would pull down the remains of the hotel and a shops, what an eyesore.
We walked across the A93 and over the burn onto the Cateran Trail. The four poster cannot be seen from the track, however as the track veers south head up the fairly steepish grass covered hill. After a short climb the circle will be staight in front perched on top of a natural mound. If old Diarmid was buried here, then what a spot.
The four stones are less than a metre in height and mark a very beautiful place.
I remember a long time ago the Spittal of Glenshee being a thriving ski, hill walking, fishing and mountaineering centre, the Devil’s Elbow was truly devilish. Modernisation and the upgrading of the road, the A93, may have improved driving, it most certainly destroyed the local businesses!
Visited 27/11/2018.
This is probably a site best visited in autumn, winter or spring. The stones are awfully wee, and were being dwarfed by the grass growing around them today. Access is via a farm track (no vehicles) and the stones are high up, so wet ground shouldn’t be a problem.
Although the mound on which the stones sit is was excavated in 1894 and reported to be a natural morain deposit, it does look very suspicious, and there are stones on the east side of it which could be the remnants of a kerb.
Although this mound looks like a barrow, it is in fact a glacial morain deposit. The four-poster sits neatly on top and has stunning views of Glen Shee from its vantage point. The mound lies about 500m ESE of Old Spittal farmhouse.
According to Canmore, “In 1894 the natural mound on which the stones are placed was excavated to a depth of 6.71m, and it is unclear if the stones are now in their original positions. The stones lie at the corners of a trapezium, with the two largest at the W end of the long axis; their heights are: A-0.75m, B-0.7m, C-0.3m, D-0.8m. No finds or structural features were recorded during the excavation, and the slight mound at the centre of the stones marks the site of the excavation.”
Pity, as it just looks so like a barrow – and what a dramatic place to be buried! The weather was a bit variable whilst I was here but at least it held off raining, though the clouds were well and truly gathering for a downpour. A really beautiful site, and the four poster, though small, is a real wee beauty!
Glen Shee comes from Gleann Sith, the Fairy Glen. This site is traditionally held to be the grave of the Gaelic hero Diarmid, killed during a boar hunt.
Directions – park at Spittal of Glenshee, and walk past the church and across the A93 to a stile in the fence, sign-posted Cateran Trail. Head down over the wooden bridge, and follow the farm track up past Old Spittal farmhouse (windows boarded up). The track climbs up and round a bend just after the old farm, and you will see a large flat-topped hill rising up to your left. Climb up it’s steep sides, and at the top you will clearly be able to see the morain deposit with the stones sitting atop.
Sites within 20km of Spittal of Glenshee
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Old Kirk (Spittal of Glenshee)
photo 16 description 2 -
Glen Shee
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Gleann Beag
photo 20 description 2 -
Gleann Beag
photo 4 description 1 -
Broughdearg
photo 11 description 3 -
Faire Na Paitig
photo 17 description 3 -
Corra-lairig
photo 6 description 1 -
Dalnaglar
photo 9 description 1 -
Lair
photo 13 description 1 link 1 -
Calamanach
photo 4 forum 1 description 1 -
Enoch Burn
photo 4 description 1 -
Glenkilrie
photo 6 description 1 -
Gleann Fearnach
photo 4 description 1 -
Tulloch
photo 10 description 1 -
Glenkilrie 2
photo 5 description 1 -
Croft House Stone
photo 13 forum 1 description 6 link 1 -
Giant’s Grave, Enochdhu
photo 4 description 3 link 1 -
Balvarran
photo 3 description 1 link 1 -
Whitefield
photo 5 description 1 -
Wester Enochdhu
photo 12 description 5 link 1 -
Glenkilrie 3
photo 4 description 1 -
Witch’s Stone, Straloch
photo 5 description 2 -
Glenkilrie 1
photo 8 description 1 -
Borland
photo 6 description 2 -
Straloch Stone
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Doonies
photo 5 description 1 -
Alrick
photo 4 description 1 -
Alrick Settlement
photo 4 description 1 link 1 -
Balchrochan
photo 5 description 1 -
Dalnavaid
photo 3 description 1 -
Balnabroich Settlement
photo 7 description 1 link 1 -
Balnabroich kerbed cairn 1
photo 4 description 1 -
Glen Derby
photo 3 description 1 -
The Grey Cairn
photo 10 description 1 link 1 -
Balnabroich Cairn
photo 5 description 1 -
Balnabroich
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Balnabroich Stone
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Balnabroich standing stone
photo 4 description 1 -
Balnabroich Two Poster
photo 15 description 4 link 1 -
Druim Dearg
photo 2 description 1 -
Cumin’s Cairn
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Pitcarmick Burn
photo 5 description 1 -
Pitcarmick Burn 2
photo 7 description 1 -
Pitcarmick Burn 3
photo 7 description 1 -
Dalnabreck
photo 6 description 1 -
Mains Of Persie
photo 9 description 1 -
Pitcarmick Burn 4
photo 4 description 1 -
Pitcarmick Burn
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Cairn Gleamnach
photo 16 description 1 link 1 -
The Priest’s Well
photo 4 description 3 link 1 -
Badyo
photo 5 description 1 -
Wester Peathaugh
photo 11 description 1 -
Rannagulzion
photo 3 description 1 -
Drumderg
photo 9 description 3 -
Easter Peathaugh
photo 16 description 2 -
Hill Of Cally
photo 8 description 1 -
Dun Mor
photo 12 description 1 -
Balnakeilly
photo 9 description 1 -
Cairn Motherie
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Cairn Plew
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Baledmond
photo 4 description 1 link 2 -
Happy Hillock
photo 9 description 1 -
Torrax
photo 11 description 1