drewbhoy

Coming down from the top of Soutra (good karma about this place) I plodded down the hill southwards, jumped the fence and waded to the bottom of the valley. With all the recent bad weather this place is a severe bog but the ‘wets’ kept me dry. It was also snowing quite heavily, fortunately the wind did a great job and blew it up the valley. After crossing the bog, climb up the other side, jump the fence and the impressive standing stone is a short way in front looking east towards Forfar.

Easter Memus stands at almost 2 meters in height. It is dwarfed by the the pylons but on a cold dark day like today it adds to the atmosphere. With that it was back across the bog and a walk to Law of Windsor to reclaim the car.

Visited 12/02/2013.

From the Law of Coull I headed north past Denrachie Farm and took the first track heading west towards Soutra House. I kept going until the track ended and jumped a gate starting to climb north. This is a fairly steep climb but not to long. However it is very exposed, the wind rose and the temperature plummeted. The site faces south near the top of Soutra Hill.

It is at least 20 meters wide, with a least 3 large kerbs still in the place. It looks like a lot of the original cairn has been supplemented by field clearence. But it is impressive and looks straight across the valley to the Memus standing stone.

So some fun and games on the way to a standing stone. By this time the weather was beginning to close in so I increased the speed.

Visited 12/02/2013.

After leaving Noranside Standing Stone I knew I would be ‘underwhelmed’ by the Law of Coull. The once proud and very large large cairn has been left as manicured grass mound. Probably this site will be completely ploughed out very soon.

Still a faint reminder can be be seen with the now well rounded cairn still stretching close to 30 meters, but it has lost it’s height, as well as most of stones and stands at about 1 meter tall. Unbelievably some cairn material can still be seen but it will soon be cleaned up.

Pity as the cairn has a fantastic location, looking north it was beginning to snow, look even more closely and you might even see Ogil Cairn. On a good day you might even see a loon fae Turra.

Visited 12/02/2013.

From Vayne I went back to the minor and walked further west through the village of Noranside stopping at the bungalows at Courtford Bridge, this is a beautiful walk of about 2 miles thru non strenous countryside.

A jump over a gate and the strikingly shaped stone can be seen on top of the small hill south of Courtford. It stands at 1.85 meters tall looking down on to the Noran Water.

Visited 12/02/2013.

From the wonderful cairn at the Law Of Windsor I headed back to the minor road and continued west for a further half mile. Stopping at the next minor road I turned south, jumped the gate into a boggy field. The Vayne Stone looks down into the A90 valley, look east the cairn at Windsor dominates the scenery. Today’s forecast was supposed to be mild, and I wasn’t surprised that it was wrong. It was hovering just below zero and threatening to snow.

Rumoured to be once part of a stone circle the Vayne Standing Stone stands at just below 1 meter in height. For those who like ruined castles the remnants of Vayne Castle are well and truly ruined.

Visited 12/02/2013.

This is a magnificent cairn with magnificent all round views. It is over 20 meters wide and a fantastic and inspiring 5 meters in height. This is quite simply one of the best cairns I’ve visited as it had an atmosphere all of it’s own. Maybe it was the wonderful trees, snow in the air, the greyish sky or hints of spring with snowdrops. I don’t know I simply just loved this place the moment I saw it. Therefore a good place to leave the car to start the long walk and adventure properly.

From the Haer Cairn I headed back towards Brechin on the A90 taking the first minor road north to Careston. At Careston, a small hamlet, keep going until a mile after Hillhead of Careston farm, the cairn is a superbly situated site just to the south of the road.

Visited 12/02/2013.

Heading south from Brechin on the A90 turn north at the Easter Marcus Cottages, near the Deils How’s and stop at the track’s end near a old fashioned warehouse.

The cairn is a short walk east thru, today at any rate, a bog. Fortunately the site is set on slightly higher and drier land. This cairn must have been huge at some point as Canmore says it was 40 meters wide at some point. It still has stones here and there and possibly a kerb or 2 still in place. Time hasn’t been kind as the cairn has been quarried, mutilated and severely battered. Still it stands in parts over 1 meter in height, grass covered, but I fear for it’s safety.

It’s a tragedy considering the scenery that surrounds this place, and even tho it’s close I didn’t hear much of the traffic on the nearby busy A90.

Visited 12/02/2013.