“Heddon Hill (literally “the high hill”) has terraces running all around it. The hill also has a different pattern of rig and furrow, like combed ridges...”
From Stan Beckensall’s book Prehistoric Northumberland
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pebblesfromheaven
Taken from a printed handout at Lundin Ladies Golf Club:
Approximately 700 metres west of the Clubhouse, the stones stand in an area rich in archaeological remains. Early 18th century reports note the discoveries of several possible cist burials. Finds include a jet button.
The three irregularly shaped pillars of red sandstone form the most impressive group of standing stones in Fife.
They may have been part of a circle, if so it would have been 16 metres in diameter. In the late 18th century the base of a fourth stone was present, with its broken upper part nearby. Unfortunately the position of this fourth stone has been lost. Small cairns surround the base of the stones.
Summary of information contained in a leaflet available at the hotel, “The history of Raven Hall”
Raven Hall was built in around 1763, when the remains of a Roman fort were found on the site. It was built by the owner of the local Alum Works for his family holiday home. It remained in the family after his death in 1829, when it became a retreat for George III and “various other loopy royals”. The original owner’s grandson, an eccentric Vicar, created the incredible hanging terraced gardens and battlements by literally blowing them out of the cliff face! Included in this project was a small but useful cave…
Needless to say, in 1845 this owner became financially unstable, and the ownership passed to the bank owner, who took on the role of local benefactor and landlord.
From National Park leaflet:
“Legends and nameless shadows hover around Simonside as surely as the mists that cling to its heather-clad summit. If Simonside ‘has its hat on’ most people in Rothbury expect rain. A few also half-believe stories of dwarfs and will-o’-the-wisps, and are reluctant to set foot on the hill whatever the weather.
Recent archeological research suggess that there has always been something special about Simonside. Prehistoric flint arrowheads, bronze swords and axeheads, pottery and ornaments have all been found here. In the bronze age the lower slopes were farmed but Simonside itself was not; instead it was a place for cairns and barrows, for spirits and remembrance.”
“Hidden in the forest there are burial cairns and cists, carved stones and ancient pathways. There are also dozens of rock outcrops with caves and overhangs...”