drewbhoy

Les and I were astonished to find that the cup and ring marked stone had been getting some harsh treatment. Before it had been easy to find, on our visit we had to remove rotting branches of trees and trunks dropped on top or near to the stone. Large logs had also appeared nearby. Sad really, as the stone during my previous visit had obviously been well looked after.

Very sad this, as a person drove up and I explained that we’d looked at the stone. She obviously knew what I was going on about and even more sadly didn’t seem to care.

Revisited 24/10/2012.

Heading east on the B992 at the Insch junction, I took the second farm track south and parked at Newton House Home Farm. Keep heading south until you come to the fields, to the west there is a gate, walk 50 or so meters then look north.

These two fantastic stones aren’t in their original positions, and one of them The Newton Stone, recognisable with Ogham markings, is supposedly prehistoric. Still they are impressive and would have made wonderful flankers for a RSC.

Visited 28/9/2012.

It would be safe to say that something remains here but what it is is a bit of a mystery. Fallen stones suggest a circle in the Shethin/Glassel/Drachlaw style, there are the remains of what looks like a kerb, the grass covered mound suggests cairn and the scattering of stones seems to suggest the same idea, this reminds me of Brandsbutt as well, but there is no clear idea to what was here except that something was here and it is in an extremely shambolic state.

Still on seeing this site, the search for known stone circles in Aberdeenshire is over as that is the lot. Time to the find the unknown sites!

Take Kirk Brae north in Cults from the A93 and head east once Friarsfield Road is reached. The site is slightly to the south just after Bramble House.

Visited 16/10/2012

Les and I pulled in at the junction opposite the Aboyne Gliding Club on the A93 waiting for the rain to come to reasonable monsoon levels, this after being told by a man in a strange hat that the rain wouldn’t stop for a long time. Strange but true!

Walk a wee bit back towards Aboyne and jump the first gate to the north. The grass covered cairn can’t really be seen from the south but from the east the 20 meter wide and 1.5 meters high cairn can be spotted. This cairn looks like it hasn’t been disturbed and a winter time visit is on the cards. Still several kerbs remain on the western flank.

After a good look round it was back to the car, the longer walk on the A93 proving not to be a good idea as several puddles were gleefully splashed up by onrushing cars. Still a good walk at the Blue Cairn and the sun coming out, it arrived late, soon lifted spirits.

Visited 16/10/2012.