thelonious

04/09/2021 – As usual we were so early for the ferry it was still nearly yesterday. With hours to kill we decided to have a walk past the lovely Stevenson’s lighthouse and along a signposted path to Holburn Head. The promontory fort has a good sized wall cutting the headland off. Not much else. The views are very good, across to Orkney, Dunnet Head and back to Thurso. We were going to sit here for a while but it was sheep poo city. Careful treading was very much needed. Instead we headed back to Scrabster and the Peerie Cafe for a bacon butty. Not a bad way to wait for a ferry.

22/08/2021 – A Sunday stroll in Glenlivet. There’s a lovely little hill here called The Bochel. About 200m gain and the views are really nice. A good place to sit with a brew and sandwich.

It has been 13 years since our last visit to this top. On the way down, the track passes over Drum Moan, it’s a nothing bit of ground. There’s an info post there now, saying that you are walking through a bit of hidden history. 10 hut circles had been found here. I know, ‘just’ hut circles but I was so taken with the post I thought I’d put it on TMA. Just great to see things like this, reminding folk history is everywhere and sometimes in the middle of nowhere too. Lovely.

We started from Tombae car park today. There’s a waymarked circular walk round The Bochel. Well worth doing if you are in the area. Nice and peaceful.

glenlivetestate.co.uk/outdoor-activities/walking/bochel-circuit-walk-10

01/08/2021 – It’s a bob up and down from the road for this one really but we were making a day of it though so approached from the west. Starting from Glacks of Balloch, we headed up and round Garbet Hill to Craig Watch and then east through the trees to Craig Dorney. We were here to walk a few tops and not for the hillfort. Just a nice bonus. Bits of ditch visible here and there. Fence on top was a little tricky. Of more interest is the craggy lump the hillfort sits on. Its prominent position gives it a fine view up and down the River Deveron. I was very taken with it. To the SW are the rocks of the Craig Luie and looking NE, the wonderful lumps and bumps of Craigs of Succoth. They are nice visible sections of the Succoth-brown Hill Intrusion, bedrock formed approximately 444 to 485 million years ago. This intrusion is believed to extend to a depth of 2.5 km.

Nice website for the rocks under our feet. The 3D is fun and also good for grid references and spot heights. mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain3d/

17/07/2021 – Just walking to nowhere and back again. Saw this cairn on the map so had a little look on the way. Easy access and parking from Kirkton of Glenisla, up the Cateran Trail. Cows, sheep and horses in the field but no problems today. Maybe not the most exciting cairn but the bit of kerb is nice. Fine location overlooking the glen. Worth a trip to the area as it’s a lovely quiet place for a walk.

16/07/2021 – Walking a few tops east of Spittal of Glenshee. A visit to a fine four poster in sunshine was a nice way to finish the day.

05/09/2020 – As we were visiting Benbhraggie Wood Chambered Cairn nearby, I had a look on Canmore to see if there was anything close. This ‘souterrain’ was listed near the top of the hill so we thought we’d have a look.

Canmore just has a pretty vague 6 digit ref so we used their photos as a guide. After a good search in the sunshine and rain we found the place. Canmore’s description from 1911 sounds quite exciting – a souterrain, 40ft in length.

The hole we found matches their photo but is it a souterrain? Odd place to have one so high on a hill.

It’s pretty much hidden in amongst the heather. Entrance is OK but gets small pretty quick. I didn’t do much more than stick my head in. Love to know if it really went back 40ft and opened up to 5ft in height. Maybe one for TMAers with expendable small children to send down!

Walk up the hill is nice and the search was fun.

05/09/20 – Had to get away. Just to feel a bit normal again (well at least normal for me). It’s been a long time without searching for the old stones. Too long. We took the early train up from Aberdeen (pretty much no one on it) to Golspie for the weekend. Got there round midday, dumped our stuff in the B&B and headed off for an explore.

I’d seen this cairn on the OS 1:25000 before lockdown and had been wanting to visit as I like it round here. Easy access, there is good parking if you come by car just before Rhives Farm. Sign posted trails for walking and bikes. Short walk from here to the chambered cairn. Just follow the track up the hill and right. The cairn is in a field so could have cows, none today.

On a rise, the stones of the chamber and entrance are still standing. There is a fantastic huge lime tree growing right in the middle of the chamber. It’s brilliant. Quality location with great views past the trees to the coast and sea beyond.

This Orkney-Cromarty type chambered cairn is really worth visiting if you are passing by. The walk up the hill to the statue is good as well. Top views from the top.

Good to be visiting the stones again.

21/03/2020 – Should have been in Dublin this weekend but that’s on hold until later in the year (fingers crossed). Just needed a bit of height this morning so off to Pressendye we went. Decided to start on the east side. Track just north of Holmhead. It’s probably one of the shorter ways to the top. Maybe 2-2.5 hours round time. It’s a nice walk and very quiet. Bit cold this morning and with a chilly breeze. The cairn is pretty trashed but it’s still worth a look and the view is very good. Good place to spend a few hours away from it all.

16/03/2020 – It had been a really good day out so far. The walk over from Rhossili is nice and soon it was time to catch the bus back at Penmaen. Just Cefn Bryn to go. Reaching Reynoldston trigpoint I was tired. We were in two minds as to whether to bother with Arthur’s Stone, it’s a little way off. I could see the cairn in the distance though. After a stop at the trig we decided to make one last detour and head for the stones. I didn’t know much about them so wasn’t expecting much. First Cefn Bryn Great Cairn which is lovely with a fine placement and very good vantage point. Next we walked over to Maen Ceti. Wow with a cherry on top, to think I nearly passed this one by! It’s just fantastic. The big stone is a bit of a monster, great space underneath. The cairn looked lower than the surrounding ground. Wonder if they dug down to get under the big stone instead of trying to lift it up? This site is really a must visit, guessing the area gets pretty busy in the summer months with a car park nearby. The site turned out to be the last of our trip south. On the bus back we heard that it was time for non-essential travel to stop. Time to cut short our trip and the next day we headed back home to Aberdeenshire. Long way to come for a couple of days but this big stone made up for it – top site.

16/03/2020 – It’s a fine walk over Llanmadoc Hill from Llangennith to Llanmadoc. Not a big hill but you really feel away from it all. Lots of cairns on this one. Cairn XII just before you get to the Bulwark is very good. I was really taken with it and a great place to sit and admire the scenery. Worth mentioning the lovely Llanmadoc community shop at the foot of the hill as well. Good place for a coffee and slice of cake.

16/03/2020 – A day of blue skies, big stones and good walking in a fine landscape. I’ve always wanted to visit the Gower. Bus from Swansea to Rhossili in the morning for a walk over 3 hills, Rhossili Down, Llanmadoc Hill and finally Cefn Bryn to drop down to catch the bus back from Penmaen. I knew the area was full of old stones but with a longish walk ahead we decided to not deviate from our route too much to look at stuff. Just go with the flow and if we happen to come across things great, if not there was always next time. The walk and views were more than enough.

Heading up to the Beacon with its wonderful views, we carried on along Rhossili Down. My decision to not leave the track went straight out the window as soon as I saw Sweyne Howes down below. They looked too good to pass by so off we went. First Sweyen Howes south then on to the north one. Both in the very good category, North is probably more a wow than a very good.

Wished we had more time here, Rhossili Down is not a hill to be rushed. Always hard when you live a long way away and you only have a day at a place. Tricky to try and not do too much. If you haven’t been here (I see plenty of TMAers have) please go, pick a sunny day, the area has a bit of everything.

15/03/2020 – Wet morning walk up Mynydd Dinas from Port Talbot train station. Good access up the Wales Coast path. We did get a little lost finding the best route under the motorway near the start though. It’s a shortish walk up, a little steep in places. The cairn is a little off the path, there’s a faint track there. It’s not too tricky to find. Cairn is grassed over with a trig on top. Nice to see a few daffodils out already. Location is good with decent views all round. Might be a bit overgrown in the summer months. A fine way to spend a couple of hours.