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Glassel

Stone Circle

<b>Glassel</b>Posted by drewbhoyImage © drew/les
Also known as:
  • Glassel Dam Wood

Nearest Town:Banchory (6km ESE)
OS Ref (GB):   NO649997 / Sheets: 37, 45
Latitude:57° 5' 13.14" N
Longitude:   2° 34' 45.16" W

Added by greywether

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<b>Glassel</b>Posted by postman <b>Glassel</b>Posted by postman <b>Glassel</b>Posted by postman <b>Glassel</b>Posted by postman <b>Glassel</b>Posted by postman <b>Glassel</b>Posted by postman <b>Glassel</b>Posted by postman <b>Glassel</b>Posted by thelonious <b>Glassel</b>Posted by thelonious <b>Glassel</b>Posted by drewbhoy <b>Glassel</b>Posted by drewbhoy <b>Glassel</b>Posted by drewbhoy <b>Glassel</b>Posted by drewbhoy <b>Glassel</b>Posted by drewbhoy <b>Glassel</b>Posted by drewbhoy <b>Glassel</b>Posted by drewbhoy <b>Glassel</b>Posted by drewbhoy <b>Glassel</b>Posted by drewbhoy <b>Glassel</b>Posted by GLADMAN <b>Glassel</b>Posted by Chris <b>Glassel</b>Posted by Chris <b>Glassel</b>Posted by Chris <b>Glassel</b>Posted by Chris <b>Glassel</b>Posted by hamish <b>Glassel</b>Posted by hamish <b>Glassel</b>Posted by greywether <b>Glassel</b>Posted by greywether <b>Glassel</b>Posted by greywether

Fieldnotes

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Access to the site is very much simpler than noted here. There is a good path alongside the north side of the Canny Burn starting at the bridge in Glassel. Follow this path for about 500m and shortly after it joins the old railway line (you are walking on railway ballast), there is a path to your right uphill, marked out and supported by some pine logs. Follow that path and you are there! A fine wee site Posted by MarkT
12th June 2020ce

I parked up the road from the Glassel house main entrance, and started off up the track into the forest. Like everyone else we found the route very difficult to traverse, the deep ruts of the track were full of water and about half a dozen trees barred the way, at the end of the track I had no idea where to go, the map was still in the car, very useful, I wracked what's left of my brain and didn't come up with a great deal. A large clearing had tree stumps that looked like stones, I resisted Eric's temptation to go in and have a look, instead we took the dogs along the river, away from the forest track the going was much easier, the path we were following was quite worn, I was feeling hopeful. To our right was the river, to our left was a high bank, I mentioned my worry that the stones might be up the bank but from down here we could walk straight past it without ever spotting it. So I went up for a quick look, and there they were, maps, directions, who needs 'em.

This was another of those sweet little stone circles set within trees, the dappled light flicked across the small clearing, trees creaked in the breeze, Mia the Jack Russell pottered about the site unsupervised, whilst Arthur, same breed, sat with Eric who now and then yelled like a Bigfoot, Oooooooowhoooooooooo! No reply.

This stone circle is even more of a conundrum than Image wood from whence we've just come, in appearance it looked to me more like the Viking long ship stone settings they have in Scandawegia.
Burl calls it a four poster, with a very close outlier, Greywether suggests inlier.
Four stones are very much like a four poster, but then there's two low stones at one side three yards away is another flat stone, and there's that inlier, a variant recumbant stone circle, half way between RSC and 4 poster, is another theory, neither is very convincing, and then there's that old photo with another stone a standing.

One could sit and ponder what it is we have here for quite some time, and still not know. So we sit a while and listen to the birds, photograph the stones and then say goodbye.
Totally unwilling to go back the forest track way, where death by forest track is a definite worry, we follow the wee path by the river, it leads directly to the road right next to where it crosses the river. This is the route you should take, much easier.
postman Posted by postman
14th August 2017ce
Edited 14th August 2017ce

03/02/2013 - I don't know what it is about stone circles in woods but I love them. I guess that most were not originally in amongst trees but I think a nice clearing in a wood sure adds an enchanted feeling. Glassel stone circle is a special place. Five, small, upright stones, looking for all the world like they are deep in conversation and after a few thousand years they still haven't run out of things to say.

There's a nice photo on Canmore of the circle with the fallen stone re-erected from 1903, link below

http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/details/681377/#tb-form
thelonious Posted by thelonious
3rd February 2013ce
Edited 3rd February 2013ce

Visited back in May, this little beauty must be one of the easiest, yet hardest circles to see at the current time.

Easiest..... since it's just a short walk down a forestry track and through the trees to your left (where the dilapidated field wall begins to border the track).

Hardest... since I had to clamber over umpteen fallen, soaking wet trees in the process and nearly lost an eye and broke a shin or two along the way. Must have took a fair ten minutes.

Needless to say it's worth it!
GLADMAN Posted by GLADMAN
13th July 2009ce

Quite straight forward to find, especially if you have an OS map (a neccessity in this part of the world, as there's so many sites to find. Can someone buy me a whole set pretty please?)

The forest track you need is directly opposite the entrance to Glassel House. Big gates, very much of the 'get orf my land' type I chickened out and parked 100m up the road by the log piles (Sunday, no trucks about). If you look on the OS map, you will see the circle clearly marked parallel to the track, and there is a contour line that passes through the track to the circle. Simply walk down the track until it starts to dip down, turn left through the trees for 100m and you're there. The site sits on the edge of a steep slope, so once you hit that, you know you're near. I've also added a photo showing an old field wall & gate on the forestry track. Stop about 10 m short of them and you can turn left here and walk through.

The site? Nice, very compact and very different. A peaceful setting and a pleasant feel make this an essential site. As Greywether says, don't classify it, just enjoy it.
Chris Posted by Chris
17th September 2006ce

Gah! We followed greywether's directions precisely, but after stomping around in the forest for quite some time and losing gallons of sweat we failed to find it. Grrrrr! Very much more specific directions please! Jane Posted by Jane
30th July 2006ce

This is a delight. I didn't read Greywether's account , wish I had. Got hopelessly lost, found an old railway track scaled the embankment with the help of saplings and was rewarded with this. hamish Posted by hamish
11th October 2005ce
Edited 11th October 2005ce

This "four-poster" has five stones - eight if you count the low-lying ones. So you might be confused; I know I was.

Burl describes it as a four-poster with an outlier. OK, but it's a very close outlier - an "inlier" maybe?

And the other three stones? One may be a capstone from a cist apparently. The other two don't get a mention.

Let's try another source to see if they can clear it up. What about the Aberdeen Council Archaeology website?

"Five stone oval circle" (good) "transitional between recumbent stone circles and four-posters" (pardon?).

Oh I give up! It's a lovely site in a lovely setting. Let's just take some pictures.

Easier to get to than Burl suggests. Park at the gates of Glassel House on minor road S of Milton of Campfield. Walk along forest track opposite. After about 150m, look for path to left. This leads to the circle.

Visited 28 March 2004
greywether Posted by greywether
30th March 2004ce

Links

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Extreme Stonefeelers' World of Hard Rock & Standing Stones


Pics of Glassel stone circle.
new abbey Posted by new abbey
11th April 2010ce
Edited 11th April 2010ce