drewbhoy

Druim An Tuirc could mean Ridge Of The Boars or Ridge Of The Turkeys. Boars are believable but the thought of turkeys running up and down this hill is hard to believe.

From Banchor we headed back to the minor road and went north to the famous whisky village of Tomatin. Just as the village is entered take the minor road east, indicated Balvraid, going under the rail bridge and the A9 trunk road. Go as far as the second track that heads north westish, just after Inverbrough Lodge. Go down a slight dip to an interesting looking bridge crossing the Allt Bruchaig burn, more like raging torrent. The only real flooding we saw that day was on this narrow, scary metal bridge and after a few moments of thinking what to do I drove straight across and parked at the meeting place of several tracks.

From here we walked almost to Edinchat, then swung north walking past the trees (a pheasant rearing place and fenced) to the south heading to the top of the hill.

Drium An Tuirc is 9 meters wide and 0.4 meters high. Several kerbs encircle the cairn which has a hill climbers’ cairn plonked in its centre. Easy to see why this was built as the views are stunning. Less easy to imagine are turkeys running about.

After the a good look round we headed back down this time heading north of the trees where – surprise surprise!! – a track led down to the track heading east to Edinchat and west to the warmth of the car.

Visited 4/1/2016.

as well as the two cairns at Banchor (and the cairn at Dalarossie) there is a field system with nice a hut circle with the same outstanding views. The hut circle is to the east of the cairns.

Stones stand at width of 15 meters and has a possible front door on the north east side. A small pile of ancient, most likely, field clearance stands near the entrance.

There is an another hut circle further along what was once a road but the field it was in was somewhat submerged.

With that it was back to the car and a meeting with the local ghillie who just parked beside the great unwashed. This poor chap has a lot of worries to keep him occupied over the next few weeks, loss of livestock, buildings, winter crop, no deliveries, no road etc etc, in an area that had no news coverage at all.

Visited 4/1/2016.

ALC, assisted by the cairn finding dog, found this cairn by continuing to walk westwards following the deer fence. It sits at almost 11 meters wide and is almost 1 meter tall being situated next to the deer fence on the southern side. Cairn material can be seen poking through the turf with maybe a couple of stones being the remnants of a kerb, the centre has received the normal houking.

To get to the cairns I climbed the deer fence, however to west of Banchor 2 there is a gap which made the walk to Dalarossie much easier.

Visited 4/1/2015.

From the A9 take the first minor heading west north of The Slochd, the highest point of this road, signposted Tomatin. Take the first minor road, Carse is on the sign, heading west/south and keep going until.........Now this is a wonderful road following the River Findhorn retracing its flow west. On maps the minor road runs out but keep going and go thru the mud bath that is Easter Strathnoon. Here the tarred road is replaced by hardcore as it has been washed away in recent years. Soon it returns to tar until the Wester Strathnoon Burn. This burn must have been ferocious as the road has been washed clean away in recent days.

Still plenty room to park the car and on we walked over the washed away section until normal road returned. Look for Dalarossie Church, on the north side of the river, and jump the fence heading south.

Head to the top of the hill and on the other side of the deer fence the cairn can be seen. This is a magnificent monument situated amongst a field system. A short wall of 3 meters runs to west, probably built with cairn stones, might be a wind break or grouse butt. As usual the centre of the cairn has been houked. It still stands at 12 meters wide and is just over 0.5 meters in height. Superb views over the River Findhorn and surrounding mountains can be seen. Harder to see is the nearby cairn but ALC solved that problem.

Visited 4/1/2015.

Like Fitz, I like this site despite the houses being nearby and perhaps that is a good thing as it allows your imagination to take over which is probably the reason the henge was built in the first place.

From the A92 take the B969 heading west, then take the first road south, Huntsman’s Road, then the first street east, Kilmichael Road and finally the second street heading in a southerly direction fittingly called, ‘The Henge’.

Visited 30/12/2105.

Head north on the B9130, from Markinch, and take the first minor road east which leads straight to Markinch cemetery.

The cairn is situated in the cemetery on its southern side. Trees, reported in 1955, have gone and the cairn now rests (it is a graveyard) beneath a well looked after green turf. It still sits at about 20 meters wide and is 1 meter high. Nearby is Balgonie Castle which is well worth a look and to the west The Lomonds are clearly visible.

Visited 30/12/2015.

Excavations took place on the small hill at Newton Of Balbirnie during 2009 and an Iron Age fort was discovered as part of the Markinch Heritage digs.

Luckily, for me, I met the farmer at Newton who described the digs in detail. Various ditches, ramparts and entrances had been found. He also added that after ploughing he’d contact members of the group so that they could look for artefacts that may have been ploughed up. Several finds have been recorded thanks to this, some from World War 2 also.

From the circle at Balbirnie head back up to minor road and follow this as it heads south east. Newton Of Balbirnie can be found on the first minor road that heads east.

Good to learn that some people are genuinely interested in what’s on their land. All good stuff!!

Visited 30/12/2015.

Heading south on the A92 take the first minor road east south of the B969 junction. Take the first street south, called Tofthill, and at the first corner the circle can be found.

After wondering what it would have looked like in its original position I think this is a wonderful reconstruction and along with the nearby henge at Balfarg is a fantastic introduction to prehistory.

Glenrothes might be described as a new town but its fairly obvious that a settlement has been here for a long long time.

Visited 30/12/2015.

As Mr Brand says, this is a dangerous site to take photographs as drivers seem intent in breaking all sorts of speed records on the A911 east of Leslie. To north east and west both Lomonds can be seen from the standing stone. Nearby, to the east, once stood the Gallant Knowe rumoured to be a Four Poster stone circle. Strathendry could be the sole survivor from that site.

Still this stone remains perched on the bank on the south side of the road standing at over 1.5 meters in height. Park at the house just to the east of the site.

Visited 30/12/2015.

This is a difficult place to find thanks to the maze of roads to get there but here goes. From Cadham Road look for Huntsman’s Road (which heads east), then head north on Pitcoudie Road (which swings east), then look for Harris Way, (which heads north east) and at last find Sandray Place. At the end of Sandray Place the road stops and becomes a track heading into woods. After a few meters heading east look north, up the hill, and the cairn can be seen.

Pitcairn is was originally oval shaped and stood at 30 by 22 meters. It now stands at almost 3 meters in height. Unfortunately it has taken a battering, been houked and has had a dyke built through the east side. Nothing remains of the wall that once surrounded the monument. On the plus side it still remains, despite one report that it had been ploughed out, looking impressive amongst the winter trees despite the house being only a few meters to west. Houking has shown how the cairn was constructed. As well as larger stones, smaller stones can be seen amongst the earth. Urns in excavations have also been found.

This once had been an impressive site, it still is, and it appears that the locals aren’t aware of the prehistory on their doorstep.

Visited 30/12/2015.

On the way up to East Lomond there is a rarely spoken about Iron Age hillfort on the small Purin Hill. Not much remains of the fort except changes of colour in the grass which represent the rampart. In my opinion it would have been quite similar to the nearby Maiden Castle. Luckily for me the farmer at Drums was in the field putting feed down for the sheep and said that he’d found several items including flints, an axe head, bits of pottery and handed them to the people at Falkland Palace. He also mentioned that ploughing churned up lots of stones in a circular shape around the small hill.

On a day of bad flooding for Scotland I somehow managed to tiptoe between the rain storms.

Visited 30/12/2015.

From the Maiden Castle we retraced our steps back to the main track heading west, all except one member of the party who was soon rounded up by the cairn finding dog.

When you get to the bottom of the climb to West Lomond there is a small quarry and two choices of path. One heads straight up and is very steep. The more sensible choice curves round the north and approaches from the north west. Being sensible for a change we chose the second route.

The cairn sits on top of the hill with a trig plonked on top it and has magnificent all round views. Sadly the site has taken an absolute battering and is scattered all over the place, much of the stones being used to make two enclosures or possibly massive wind breaks. However it is easy to imagine what it originally looked like and with the area full of prehistory what a setting.

People who played or have attended the T In The Park festival before its move to Strathallan will recognise the Lomonds as a spectacular backdrop.

To get back to East Lomond follow the path east. No climbing involved as the path leads to the south of the fort near some lime kilns and eventually heads back to the car parks.

Visited 18/10/2015.

From East Lomond head west following the path which is fairly steep and worn until it flattens out. After a couple of miles the path meets the minor road at Craigmead (toilets, marker boards etc). Keep heading west keeping an eye on the north looking for a small hill which can be seen after the woods. We headed north leaving the path after passing a small hillock and headed straight for the Maiden Castle, easily spotted thanks to the fantastic ramparts.

Conditions underfoot on the day of this visit were dry but I’d imagine this route would be a bit of a boggy mess after rains/snow.

The rampart is in tremendous condition with clear evidence of stonework beneath the turf. Entrances are easily identified at the east and west ends of the oval fort, with a well preserved causeway at the eastern end. However it remains to seen if this fort was ever completed as the rampart appears to be incomplete at northern and southern ends. Whatever the reason it almost looks as if this was deliberate as the remains are that good. I had a good look round the ramparts twice and from various heights/distances, deciding that whatever its condition it must have been a fort of strategic importance.

From the tops of East and West Lomond the Maiden Castle can be spotted. In my opinion it is a wonderful site and a privilege to have visited it.

Visited 18/10/2015.

The cairn is situated on top of East Lomond in the middle of the fort. Sadly it looks like it will be trampled flat and vanish in time. Still at the moment it survives and is 13 meters wide, 1 meter tall. Cairn material pokes thru but it has been given a good scattering. For good measure the usual trig has been planted on top.

Visited 18/10/2015.

Travelling south from Dundee on the A92 cut back north westish on the A912 Falkland road (also leads straight to Falkland Palace). Take the first minor road heading west, which is indicated East Lomond viewpoint, and go the end of the road where car parks can be found.

The climb up the east side of East Lomond is quite steep but nothing difficult and leads to the first of the defences. There appears to almost a maze of defences around the fort which on the three other sides is very steep. Various hut circles and enclosures have been found between the ramparts/ditches. This fort was built as the hill dominates the whole area which is stunning in beauty. Nearby cup and ring marked rocks have been taken to the Falkland Palace.

In the middle of the fort there is a cairn and to the west more prehistory.

Visited 18/10/2015.

Sadly this cairn is about to vanish going by its present condition. Flattened by forestry and horse walking there is a scatter of stones approximately 8 meters in width. At its best the cairn reaches no more than 0.3 meters in height.

Still on a nice sunny day the Colthill forest (plenty of woodland walks) feels a very old place despite being practically surrounded by Aberdeen and its ever expanding suburbs.

Entering Bieldside from the east take Kirk Brae, the first minor road heading north west. Keep going until the Colthill farm entrance, the cairn is directly opposite.

Visited 1/10/2015.

Once upon a history there were many cairns to be found on the Hill Of Boghead but sadly only one really remains. 3 or 4 others seem to have vanished or have been ploughed up or more likely trashed by the erection of electricity pylons.

Still one wee cairn still survives against the odds beside a massive rock (no name). 4 kerbs remain in place in a cairn which is some 3 meters high and 0.3 meters high. Animal damage has affected the northern side. Still the cairn has nice views of Midmill cairn, Tuach Hill (home to a stone circle) and Bennachie.

I approached from the Cairntradlin side (south) and parked at the Muir Of Kinellar (the people at Concraig being unhelpful) and followed the farm road north west until it becomes a dirt track. From here I headed west and jumped the fence into a small wood near a recently built barn. The cairn is in the west side of the wood near some big boulders.

Visited 24/9/2015.

Forvie is a wondrous place with its beautiful nature reserve, medieval church/village, ever changing sand dunes, the Ythan estuary and prehistory. There are a lot of various cairns and hut circles. Reasons to go this place are endless but an important reason to return, for me, was the constant mention by the folks of Newburgh of the circle under the sea. I teach in the area and learned about most of the local sites purely by listening. (on most occasions the music was good as well!!!) This site will also feature in book I’m writing about the Ythan’s prehistory once I get back to that project. (still going to happen GC and SC the mojo is back)

As for visiting the cairns amongst the dunes park just north of Newburgh and the Waterside (Ythan) Bridge. (narrow entrance to car park!). On my first hike to the circle on the 10/9/2015 I followed the track following the river Ythan towards its meeting with North Sea. However after going thru a section that looks like deep swimming pool the path runs out. Sand dunes are in front so with my best Lawrence Of Arabia impersonation I ploughed on eventually reaching the dunes overlooking the beach/sea. From here I headed south spying a pillbox and a few hundred seals basking in the warm sun. Near the pillbox there was a deep pool with a rock, the recumbent, poking its head above the water. However the tide was coming quickly in so back I headed to the Waterside Bridge complete with my Peter O’Toole impersonations.

Tide times are variable but a good guide so one week later I ventured to the same spot but this time kept to the rivers edge until its entry to the North Sea, Man From Atlantis impersonations on way back!!. Various birds of can be seen waders, gulls, herons, cormorants, plus birds I hadn’t seen and hundreds upon hundreds of very friendly seals.

The site is to the north of the river mouth and this time the pool was empty of water. The circle was revealed, several stones which had once stood had been toppled by the sea or attempts to destroy it. Smaller rocks probably part of some washed about cairn and chokes. The previous week, seals were sitting on top of these and they watched closely as I explored. Flankers are minus their bigger friend and sadly the reason is close by. Further to the north the recumbent had been hauled away and left for some pointless reason. I have reason to back this up as a stone circle, like a few others. There are no rocks anywhere else this side of the Ythan and a collection like this on land would have people gleefully jumping up and down like at Stonehenge. But this is Scotland, the North East we move at our own pace, there is no rush and in Forvie time stands still except for the ever moving dunes.

After soaking the atmosphere both prehistoric and present nature it was time for a wee hunt around the pillbox (note the jaunty angle) and a look for an elusive hut circle. Scarily after this the site had gone, the tide was rushing in. With that it was to retrace my steps back along the Ythan, but they were under water. So hugging the bank I headed back to the path rejoining it as the bridge comes into view far away in the distance.

For nature, both on land and aquatic, the Ythan Estuary is hard to beat. Good footwear needed for this and please take note of the tide times.

Visited 17/9/2015.

This is a difficult cairn to find being situated in the Whiteash Hill Wood (forest would be a more apt title). Heading east from Fochabers on the A98 park opposite the first minor road south, signposted Clochan. This is easily spotted as there is a brightly red coloured wooden house next to the road.

From here walk along the track heading back to Fochabers for approximately 1.5 miles until a fork in the track. The southern track track leads down a small valley, whilst the northern track remains following but on top of the valley. I walked between the two tracks with the cairn finding dog who promptly did his duty and walked straight into the cairn.

The possibly Neolithic cairn, skeletons of a man and child were found along with an urn and charcoal, is over 16 meters wide and 1 meter tall. Traces of sand and the rounded stones mentioned in Canmore are also evident. As is usual the cairn has taken a houking and is covered in trees. However it is a very atmospheric place on a sunny quiet day.

With that it was time to head back sampling in more of the vibe by taking an alternative route back. Emphasis on alternative i.e. lost.

Visited 7/9/2015.

This site is slightly to the south of Rhynie on the east side of A97 (road to Strathdon, Deeside) near the impressive Pictish Craw Stane. It is surrounded by prehistory, 4 forts, 5 circles, 5 cairns, numerous rock art and the henge at Mytice. Tap O Noth, of course, dominates the whole area.

The fort is on an east facing slope with the River Bogie at the bottom of the hill. From the dig an enclosure can be clearly seen along with an entrance. The archaeologists from the dig have promised me a copy of the findings which I will post here in due course.

Lovely site, fantastic area.

Visited 7/9/2015.

This stone has caused chaos as I seem to have chased it all over the place. Even at the end it caused a headache as it had moved from the shed to the garden entrance, being called to the Percylieu Stone with its impressive Pictish markings. Hopefully this is its last move!

Quite a few people to thank for this including the somewhat bemused staff at Leith Hall, Rhynie Man and the Northern Picts. With that it was up to Rhynie via no hospitals.

7/9/2015.

The fact that this cairn still survives is something of a miracle. Its nearby friends another cairn and a stone circle where destroyed many years ago.

What now remains is an impressive turf covered mound some 15 meters wide and 2 meters tall (approx.). What also remains is the wonderful all round views, to the south the magnificent Lomonds, to the north numerous hillforts and cairns.

From Strathmiglo head west on the minor road called Skene Street via a street interestingly called California. After the Corston farm entrance look north and the cairn is some 50 meters from the road.

My eyes kept looking south and towards the October holidays!!

Visited 22/8/2015.

Abernethy is a lovely wee town famous for its Round Tower, Pictish Stone and biscuits. Overlooking the town is the fort at Castle Law.

From Abernethy head west on the A913 and take the first minor heading south. This actually practically heads back east then veers south. A path is signposted to Castle Law so look carefully for it, we parked at the first track, west, near a disused quarry.

Heading back down the road we found the path and headed west. About half way up there is a notice board describing the areas history. This has been a busy area in the past attracting visitors from Italy and Denmark. The fort seems to have survived these less than friendly tourists.

The path, which is in good condition, eventually crosses over the inner wall of the fort. Originally 2 walls surrounded the fort. The inner wall must have been huge and was reckoned to be 3-4 meters in height, with a timber barricade built on top. It was 7 meters in width. The outer wall wasn’t so tall and didn’t have a topping of timber.

Inside the oval fort the well still exists along with the obligatory walkers cairn. After a bit of time soaking in the vibe it was time for us to head back down, this time via a path on the eastern flank. This path is fairly steep as DM proved by overtaking the startled cairn finding dog using age old methods on the soft part of his body. This path led to the disused quarry which in turn led back to the car. Two of us walked whilst one nursed his pride and his backside.

Fantastic site, fantastic views!

Visited 22/8/2015.

After the somewhat depressing scenes at Clatchard Craig we headed further west to the hillfort at Black Cairn. Go through Newburgh on the A913 and take the first minor road south, called Woodriffe Road. Take the first road east (or 2nd), called Banklands and stop at the northern end of the road.

The path starts well, on tar, then thru a field, where we were greeted by Shetland ponies and eventually straight east and uphill. This is very steep in places. Once at the top of this climb go between the two hills, over a gate and then over the fence to the south. The hill in front is the fort and patches of defensive wall can be seen. Sadly most of the defences have gone but at least it hasn’t suffered the fate of its neighbour to the east.

A walkers cairn sits on top of the hill giving superb views. To the north the River Earn can be seen entering the River Tay, to the east Normans/Glenduckie hillforts, the west Castle Law and to the south The Lomonds. A look to the south of the peak will reveal more ruined defences of the singular wall.

After good look round it was back down the hill and onwards to Abernethy.

Visited 22/8/2015.

Stot Hill long cairn is only a few meters away from the more famous Cairn Mude. Much damaged and much battered this cairn will probably vanish due to forestation. It is over 20 meters in length, reaches 1 meter in height and is supposed to 8 meters wide (flattened would be a better word).

Visited 11/8/2015.

The photo is very misleading as basically the whole fort has been blasted away by quarrying. Fortunately various finds were discovered during ‘rescue excavations’ 1954,59 and 60. These can be read about in the link below.

As for the site now all that can be seen is the blasted front of a hill just south of Newburgh. It was quite sad having a look round trying to imagine what once was. Still there are loads of other forts in an area that seems to have gone quarrying daft.

Visited 22/8/2015.

Unlike any of my previous visits it was mercifully dry overhead and the directions are the same as before to get there. We reached the ruins of the Cairn Mude croft and tried to proceed to the top of Stot Hill. Unfortunately the forestry agriculture machinery had been recently turning the track into mud, deep puddles creating flooding everywhere. By the time both drew and dog reached the summit they were covered in mud/stench/trees and in my case soaked from almost falling in.

From the cairn we headed directly north along a better track (I thought this was the previous descent.......wrong!!!) which eventually vanished at a dry stane dyke. We followed the dyke downhill until it ran out becoming an area of bog and high ferns. Actually we had curved round the northern flank of Stot Hill. Tillyching, the hill to the north kept us in the right direction as I was technically lost. However battling on or tripping/falling on we reached the track close to were we had started so no damage done!

Re-visited 11/8/2015.

I don’t know how many times I’ve tried to find this stone but at last it has been found. One of old Fred Cole’s stones it is a superb stone, once part of a circle consisting of 3 stones. Very similar in shape to the nearby Mill of Carden stone. Sadly it met the same fate as it is left at the corner of a field. I think this stone has had a few changes of position but I’m glad it remains in one piece.

Its height is 2.2, breadth 1.4 and width 1.1 coming to a tapered top. Unbelievably, for me, the top of the stone can be seen from the road. Heaven knows how many times I’ve walked past here!!!

Park at the Dunnydeer Hillfort and head west, entering the field after the cottage to the north and follow the wall west. it took a long time to find, hopefully someone might be kind and find the right people to put it back up.

Visited 11/8/2015.

From Lindores head east on the A913 and take the first minor road north conveniently signposted Glenduckie. We parked at the first cottage and proceeded on foot.

Heading north on a track past several buildings we found another track and headed north east by opening a gate. This leads past the large Glenduckie quarry. From here it is a steep walk uphill in a gradual curve, the only difficulty being the squadrons of flies practising their landing techniques. The track eventually stops and leads to path which heads west. Follow this and it leads to the front door of the fort.

A single much damaged rampart surrounds the top of the hill. The entrance on the north east can be clearly seen along with the remains of the defending wall. To the south another gap can be found, maybe an exit/entrance to hut circles on the southern flank.

Once again another superb Fife fort with superb all round views.

Visited 5/7/2015.

Collessie is a small village situated in the north east quadrant of the B937/A91 junction. We parked near the railway bridge and proceeded north thru a farm called The Steadings. After several fences we reached a field with the cairn in view.

On this day the field had young bullocks in it, very friendly I thought, not so friendly ALC and B thought. Still they spoke away to me and casually let the others (fearties) walk towards the gate near the cairn.

That the cairn survives is a miracle (its nearby more famous relative wasn’t so lucky) and its to the farmers credit that it is in pretty good condition.

It is a Wessex Bell cairn, the bottom platform is some 29 meters wide, almost 1.5 meters tall, the inner platform being 16 meters wide, and is also almost 1.5 meters tall. Hints of a ring of kerbs remain. Underneath the gorses signs of how the cairn was built can be seen. Elsewhere some field clearance can be found on the southern edge. Overall a very good and pleasing site.

Once again The Lomonds dominate the view with the conquered Glenduckie to the north. This time the walk back to the car was bullock free.

Visited 5/7/2015.

From Creich Manse keep heading west and pull in about a 1/2 mile west of Pittachope Farm. The walk is signposted so follow the gentle climb until a tee junction of tracks. Take the eastwards track which eventually swings south and leads to the middle of two hills, Black Craig (which looks like it should have a fort) to the east and Norman’s Law (which has a fort) to the west.

We followed a track heading west gradually climbing up the northern flank of Norman’s Law. This path vanishes into nothing and the climb becomes quite steep. Still the aim was to approach from below the trig on the north west and this was achieved. By going this way the forts northern defences can be seen. Basically follow the wall up and trig, hill indicator and climbers cairn come immediately into view.

The view from the top is wonderful, to the east is now part of Drewland, the west has the soon to be conquered Glenduckie and the south has The Lomonds.

Walls on the southern flanks are in good condition as is the front door to the east. The various hut circles have slight remains in the forts interior. Stunning place and obviously a place of importance.

Heading back down we followed the track thru the front door heading east towards Black Craig. Between the hills there is a crossroads, tracks to the two hills, the main track heading south which swings around Black Craig eventually heading back north, or as we (I?) decided the direct steep path heading north. Good fun it was as we stumbled back to the main track and the car.

Great walk, great climb (not to difficult), great place.

Visited 29/6/2015.

Easy to find and a nice tarred road all the way to the top. Last time I was here it was covered in cyclists and spectators for the start of the Tour Of Britain. Today it was much quieter and a nice way to get some fresh air after a hectic day. It is the home to Dundee’s war memorial, various masts and a viewing point.

Not much remains, if anything, of the fort now except the view which is stunning. Fife, soon to be renamed, is to the south, heading west is the Tay valley, north is Angus/Aberdeenshire and to the east is the North Sea. Fantastic place to go hillfort/cairn spotting.

Visited 4/7/2015.

Follow the directions to Creich Manse and keep going until the ruined Creich Church. Opposite can be seen Creich Castle. The fort is at the top of the hill to the north of the church.

We opened the gate just to the west of the church and headed straight up the hill to another gate which leads to a small track leading up the hill. Traces of rampart can be seen but it is very low and hard to detect. Evidence of a couple of hut circles remain but apart from that nothing much remains. What does remain is steep natural defences on the northern side and the beautiful views. Today the Tay was mirror like reflecting both the city and the Sidlaws. Also to be seen to the south and west are many hillforts. Looks like a busy time for two legged and four legged hill climbers.

This isn’t a steep climb but well worth the effort. Careful of the northern defences, there isn’t much room for error after the ruined fence.

Visited 8/6/2015.

The directions are as the other site visits describe. Sadly if there is a minister at Creiche Manse then he or she doesn’t like to look after the place.

We parked at the parking area at the manse and knocked at the door but no reply came. The path to the ring cairn is a shambles, covered in rubbish tip stuff, dogs leftovers etc. In short it is a disgrace.

Even more sadly the site hasn’t been looked after, a certain amount of growth is expected at this time of year but this is beyond a joke, nobody has cared for this place for ages.

On the plus site the actual site is still superb with its double ring, centre stone and slab still in place. If looked after properly this would be a magnificent site but it might vanish under a pile of weeds.

Good people reconstructed and looked after this place, their heads would spin if they seen it now.

Visited 8/6/2015.

Green Hill is the next hill to the west of Coultra Hill and looks like a nice easy stroll up a small hill. We parked Coultra Farm, headed up thru the field and thru the gate to north.

From here the walk took a somewhat difficult turn. We headed back east then swung north looking for inroads to the centre of hill. After much searching we headed west on the north side which didn’t bring any more luck. The gorse got thicker and higher making it impossible to break thru. So we headed back to the trees on the north and this proved equally difficult. Eventually heading south on the west side of Green Hill I had to crawl along on my knees as standing was impossible. I re-emerged as Treebeard’s cousin, covered in twigs, gorse etc ALC faired little better emerging with a nest haircut, only Buster the dog was content and his cairn finding scanner had gone missing.

Still on the southern side a path was found at last. I headed north , the dog south. Heading north led straight to the cairn. This cairn has literally taken a hammering. It has been houked, trenched and quarried. Remarkably kerbs remain in place, on the east side something resembling the remnants of a causeway exist and somehow parts of the turf covered cairn remains at over 1.5 meters high 18 meters wide. Cairn material also pokes it head thru in several areas. This must have been some sight/site originally and despite the battering it still is.

The path Buster had found leads back down to the minor road, always the same as we all know the easy path is found last.

Visited 21/4/2015.

From the centre of Fettercairn near the shop take the B966 south past the impressive looking church. Look for a wee bridge to the north. This bridge, which crosses the Crichie Burn, looked unsteady for the car so I had a pleasant wee stroll along the track.

The track leads to a sports pavilion and cricket pitch, both of which haven’t been used for ages sadly. Walk across the pitch to the clearly visible barrow. Yet another beautiful place with barrow sitting at 22 meters wide/2 meters tall. Quarrying has happened on the southern side. Trees sit on top adding to the atmosphere on a nice Spring day. Also sitting on top of the barrow was a wheelbarrow.

Another affa bonny place.

Visited 15/4/2015.

This is a lovely barrow some 17 meters in diameter and 2 meters high. Situated near the B974, the famous Cairn O Mount road, the barrow is very close to this road. It can be found slightly to the north of Fettercairn (the village) and just to the south of Mains Of Fasque entrance.

Being set in a wood the sense of ancient times is everywhere despite the nearness of the road. Sadly some quarrying has happened on the south east side but most of it remains intact.

A very beautiful place.

Visited 15/4/2015.

Black Laws is a lovely small grass covered cairn standing at almost 9 meters wide, 1 meter tall. It is perched over the minor road heading west from Balmullo. However the road heading past Lucklaw Quarry is a bit of a joke so take care if driving along here. Go thru the very pretty hamlet of Logie and pull in after the first wee hill to the south of the road.

The cairn is situated on top of the wee hill and has good views all round. This time I found the cairn as Buster (training not completed) chased after a pheasant. So after a good look round it was down the hill near the cairn and a gate which led to the road. My assistant leading the wayward Buster back to the car.

Visited 14/4/2015.

From the village of Gauldry head west stopping after the second minor road heading north. I pulled in at a small track used to park agricultural machinery. Luckily, for us, this led to an nice path with access thru the deer fence.

We followed the path back east which swings upwards in a arc style and leads basically straight to the cairn. However credit must go to Buster (being trained to find cairns :-) ) as he scampered onto the cairn. Just as well he did that as the cairn is well hidden amongst fallen trees. What must have been an impressive cairn has been much damaged and now stands at a turf covered 19 meters wide 1 meter tall. Even more impressive must have the capstone which was originally twice its present size (1.8 by 1.3). Sadly it was dynamited and gouged, the chamber on which it sat destroyed.

The paths here are half decent and provided a very nice walk. Thinking the next cairn (Green Hill) would be easy to find we scoured the hill. This is what you get using the wrong map as I thought Green Hill and Coultra Hill where the same thing. It isn’t, it is the next hill west. Slightly red faced we headed back down the hill with Buster and my assistant leading the way. As SC and the Mad Man would point out getting lost is a regular occurrence :-)

Visited 13/5/2015.

From Damil I headed back north on the A980 and then onto the A944 heading west towards Mossat. This used to be a terrible junction but has now been sorted so no more driving difficulties here. I stopped at Littlewood Park as it was a safe bet I could park here. Permission was given so on I went.

Follow the track behind the saw mill/logs to the north west and basically head up the hill which is quite steep in parts. A junction is reached about half way up. Go a short distance west then head uphill following another track. You’ll notice plenty of ‘shooting butts’ on the way up. Once on the top plateau you’ll be in between the trig point and the cairn, which is some 30 meters east of the track. Fantastic views all round, in particular Tap O Noth to the North. Lord Arthur’s Hill is the highest point of the Correen Hills.

The cairn is easily spotted as a ‘wind break’ has been built on top of it. (going back down the hill this would have proved a handy shelter.) Turf/grass covers most of the cairn but several kerbs are in evidence and cairn material pokes it head thru the covering. It sits at almost 9 meters wide and 0.5 meters tall. Whoever this cairn was made for certainly had a beautiful place to rest. A Bronze Age axe was found here in 1863.

After a good and long look round at all the scenery it was time to head back down. Looking south towards Damil did not look promising. Heavy snow was coming from the south and for 20 mins approx. I walked in blizzard type conditions. Good fun!

Visited 11/5/2015.

Damil is still pronounced locally as Danehill from which the hills present name is derived. Ramparts once existed here and several finds from the hill are now in Aberdeen University. Local historians also say that the fort was also used by Italian led visitors. Now the fort is a crop field and a wood of recently planted trees. Stunning views all round including an unusual but wonderful view of Bennachie.

The hill is a short (and not very steep) climb north of the Mains of Asloun farm. Head south on the A980 from Alford taking the third minor road west. The farm is the first minor road north. For those interested in ruined castles Asloun castle is at the end of the minor road. A very beautiful and mysterious place.

Visited 11/5/2015.

From Middle Knox Farm I headed straight north on the farm track leading up and thru Upper Knox. A pleasant day for a walk as on this day the temp was 22. On reaching the minor road head west then take the next minor road north. This leads thru Peattie farm. Keep going north easterly until the track ends. Head down the slopes, wade across the Bervie Water (suitable attire was worn) and the promontory will be in front.

Sadly nothing remains of this fort except indicators of ramparts on cropmarks and aerial photography. However it is an ideal place for this type of fort with the nearby Bervie Water providing fresh water. The steep slopes on 3 sides provide natural protection. Nearby are Millpough (RSC) and Pitcharles (cairn) as well as Allardice Castle.

However by this time the temp had dropped to 8 so it was time to head back to Middle Knox via the Bervie Water. Not quite so relished this time.

Visited 5/4/2015.

Just south of Inverbervie/Gourdon I took the first farm track west and parked at Middle Knox farm. Walk back down the track to the first track heading north east, a former drover’s road. This track also leads to the Gourdon Long Cairn. At the end of the first field follow the fence line south which leads directly to the fort.

The fort is oval in shape and is 79 by 36 meters. To get into the fort properly I threw myself basically through the yellow gorse. In reality I jumped the rampart and landed on my feet. Some of the rampart survives and underneath the gorse building work still remains. Entrance to the fort is on the north west area. A circular depression may mark the site of a hut circle.

Fantastic views south and out to the North Sea are to be head. After a good, sometimes jabby, look round it was cross country to Castle Dykes and more burn jumping.

Visited 5/4/2015.

At Findlayston Farm I was given directions to approach the cairn from the north. On the minor road which connects the B079 and A957 north of Stonehaven stop at the double gateway. I parked just south of the gate. Walk due south for about 1/2 mile and you’ll end up walking straight into the cairn. Underfoot conditions today were good as there had been a dry spell.

The cairn has been badly damaged and has had it’s centre houked. On the east side damage has been caused by heavy duty farm machinery. Still the cairn remains over 20 meters in width and at its highest is over a meter in height. Cairn material lays strewn whilst a couple of kerbs remain in place, several have been toppled. Today Stonehaven looked magnificent in the Spring sun, Raedykes was lit up and the valley up the Slug Road was looking colourful.

Visited 5/4/2015.

Richard Marriott who lives at the North Lodge, Fetteresso has collected thumb, hand scrapers and broken flints. These he found in this garden from 1992-2008, centred around NO 83882 85881.

Taking a keen interest in prehistory I was also told about the urn found near Fetteresso Castle and The Hawk Stone.

Lovely way to end the day.

Visited 5/4/2015.

At the crossroads where the B9119 meets the B993 head south on the B993 taking the first minor road heading west. Take the road to Learney House, the home farm is, sadly, in a severe state of ruin. Still the house seems in fairly good condition and here I was allowed to park. The estate has a new ‘gamie’ or factor who didn’t know the area. He now knows the areas prehistory, nearby are a standing stone and chamber cairn (in the near area are several outstanding RSC’s.) and village pubs.

From the house I headed north east on a track for 1/2 mile, then headed sharp north west climbing steadily until a junction with another track. From here I headed straight west heading uphill. Recent forestry work made underfoot conditions much better.

The remains of the cairn are on top of Learney Hill amongst the trees and a clearing. The almost 10m wide turf covered cairn has a newer cairn built on top. It is almost 1m high.

After having a good look round it was back down the hill and time to find some of the aforementioned refreshment.

Visited 10/3/2015.

From Wormit we headed south on the B946, locally known as Kilmany Road, and took the first minor road heading west. On entering Camp or Links Wood a wall appears on the north side of the road. At the first break on the wall is the southern entrance to St. Fort farm. Surprisingly the large gate is locked with a large padlock. Obviously one of the awkward squad put this on!!! Still a walk back down the road finds several points were the wall can be climbed. (we clambered over near a small quarry)

Some of the Canmore people have visited at bad times of the year but early Spring provided us with near perfect conditions. The fort was built on top of a small hill set at north west to south east. The main entrance is in the east with a smaller entrance to the west, western ramparts are still in excellent condition and the west/east southern arc has two sets of trenches/ramparts both clearly visible. Sadly a small quarry has clipped the southern side of the outer rampart. On the northern side the ramparts run out or were never built because of the steep slopes.

The fort is over 150 meters in length and 60 meters wide. Internally the fort has a couple of circular depressions which might indicate hut circles. Luckily most of the fort is clear of trees. Water for the fort could be found in a small burn to the north. If Esky Loch isn’t man made then obviously water could have come from this as well. As my learned friend pointed out the herb garden would benefit greatly from this.

The name of several streets in Newport and Wormit are named after this fort as well as the nearby farm.

This is a lovely site and it was a great time of year to visit. Just a pity about the locked gate. Even a signpost said the gate was locked!!!

Visited 2/3/2015.

Head west from Strachan on the B976 and take the third minor road heading north. At Nether Tillygarmond I was given permission to park. From this point walk up the hill on the farm track to Upper Tillygarmond. At the crossroads climb the gate into the field and keep heading north until another fence/dry stane dyke. Once over the fence the terrain becomes more rough but nothing to serious. To the east is the cairn but I headed to the top of the hill first.

On top there is a walkers cairn but also lots of rock plates, sadly no rock art was found on this occasion but this place maybe worth another look.

The cairn sadly has been battered by various types of agriculture but somehow still remains. At some stage the cairn had been offered some type of protection as the equally battered fence proved. Still the cairn still remains over 34 meters in length. The north end of the site is around 6 meters in width and around a half meter high, the southern end is well over ten meters wide with it’s height increasing to over 1.5 meters. Cairn material along with, probably, field clearence sit all over the sites surface. Gorse and ferns along with various jabby things also sit on the southern end . On the eastern side hints of a kerb remain. Wonderful views extend to south and east (near neighbours Shampher and Bucharn are still in wonderful condition). Heading west are the 3 standing stones at Finzean and the superb long cairn. There is also a very badly ruined cairn.

Well worth a visit if only for the views alone. Luckily it was a beautiful spring day for this visit.

Visited 26/2/2015.

Heading east from the Gardenstown crossroads on the B9031 take the first minor road south and then take the first farm track east which leads to the aptly named Highfield House. My plan was to get to Tore Lodge and climb up to the fort from the track.

This was going to prove impossible thanks to a sea of mud and a lot of water. There has been a lot of rain combined with melting snow causing these obstructions. The biggest problem is the lack of frost and low temperatures therefore the water just collects in hollows.

However a solution was at hand as the farmer kindly offered to drive me there in his land rover. This proved to an eventful journey thru deep water/mud/slush/ditches going north east until the ground firmed up almost due north of the fort. From here it was south into the forts interior.

On driving down to the fort there seems to be two un-natural mounds going across the full width of the fort. Looking at the aerial pictures it would seem that these are the remnants of ramparts. The ploughed section of the east side gives a give good indicator of were a wooden stockade once stood. Like nearby Strath Howe there are many small valleys so defences to the south, east and west came naturally enough. After a good look around the site, darkness aided by snow had started to fall. With that the atmosphere changed along with the colours of North East coast which indicated that it was time to go.

Yet another site on my doorstep. Yet another one I didn’t know about until recently. Yet another site that needs another visit, preferably on a much warmer and drier day. Thanks to the people at Highfield House for their kindness. Much appreciated.

Visited 2/2/2015.

As part of the preparatory work for the much needed Aberdeen by pass over 600 trenches and excavations were carried out by a team led by my friend Ian Suddaby. One of the excavations was at Goval. This stone has intrigued me for years (as it has Mr Hamilton) but I’ve never stopped before. Quite literally I’ve passed this place thousands of times. However new info made sure I stopped this time.

The stone itself sits in field to the east of the A947 (Turriff road) north of Dyce. I pulled in just slightly to the north at a small layby. Take care on this road as it is very busy and one of the main commuter links to Aberdeen.

It stands at over 2 meters high having a nicely pointed top. Chokes have been found but full details of the excavation will appear here when I get them.

The one thing it does represent, to a lot of people who live north of Aberdeen, is the way home, fresh air and countryside.

Visited 29/1/2015.