Visited April 20, 2013
Planning a day walking in Pitfichie Forest, I checked around to see if there might be any as yet unvisited sites of interest on the way. I hit upon Nether Coullie Stone Circle - a remnant that I had somehow never got around to visiting, just outside Kemnay.
It was a terrific sunny morning and I followed Drew's notes for my route. I was intially somewhat disoriented as Drew stated that the remaining stone lay 'just before the wood'. What wood? The trees had been felled and the nearest woodland looked an awful long way away. So the route from the crossroads is now to follow the path west almost to the far boundary of the 2nd field. The toppled stone lies approximately 100 metres into the field in the direction of Bennachie (i.e. north).
Apparently, this may have been a recumbent stone circle. It was reported in the 1870s that this was originally a circle of eight stones, though the recumbent was already missing. It was at this time that the farmer removed all but the two pillars. When the east pillar fell, it was apparently buried, leaving just the west pillar standing. This, too, has now fallen, and is the sole in-situ reminder of what used to be.
All that remains of this circle, maybe originally 9 stones, is a 9 feet tall fallen flanker which was probably left as a cow scratcher. However the other stones aren't far away as they have been removed and put into the walls beside the wood and the lane. As the B993 leaves Kemnay, heading towards Tillyfourie and Monymusk, take Riverside Road and head out of the village. Turn south at the Bogs Of Coullie until the farm track crossroads and there turn left. The stone, to the right, lies in the field just before the wood. When I was there the circle size could be seen thanks to the different shade of green in the grass. It is only a short walk from the track climbing over the dyke with circle stones in it.
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