Category: Excursion
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Aberlour
It was a bright sunny day and forgetting the state of my ankle I thought I’d climb Ben Rinnes for the first time, via the easy route. It was a beautiful drive on new routes but then I got lost and ended up getting lunch in Aberlour. I realised walking by the Spey was a…
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A trip to Elgin
There was another planned power cut so I asked John if he wanted to go to Elgin to the visit the local studies section in the library aaaaand of course this turned into an epic trip along the lesser known routes. And it was all the better for it! So it took us 3.5 hours…
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Raich stone circle
As I wrote over at Frendraught recumbent stone circle, which I visited earlier the same day, I parked in Forgue in the empty car park of the Scott Hall. I was still happy to be in the wood but after visiting the mess of Frendraught, I was hoping Raich would be in a better state.…
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Frendraught recumbent stone circle
I went to Forgue and parked at the Walter Scott hall (in use but closed when I was there). I walked up past the school and into the woods. On reflection, it seems a strange place to put a school – right up a hill on the edge of a village – but I suppose…
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A ritual centre in Moray?
This field between Bleachfield cottage and Leitchestown farm in Deskford, Moray, is most famous for the discovery of the Deskford carnyx (an Iron age war trumpet) around 1816. A labourer (great great grandfather of a man who lived in the cottage where I write this text) was digging for peat and came across fragments of the carnyx…
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Durn Hill
This was a lovely solstice walk up durn hill for the first time, if a touch on the windy side. Getting there meant a drive via the carnyx find site and past Gaulcross. I parked at the quarry which is disused but it looks like Aberdeenshire council sometimes uses the site for storage, so don’t…
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Rhynie and more
My heritage society comrade had doublebooked himself and hence could not join the excursion so we resecheduled and I went to visit the Pictish power centre of Rhynie instead. It did not disappoint! Before moving up here, I didn’t know much beyond the blue-painted dreadlocked warrior stereotype of the Picts. Unsurprisingly, things turn out to…
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Gamrie excursion
This excursion was great fun and the august representatives of the heritage group were blessed with fine weather as we travelled about the countryside merrily in a convoy of three cars.
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Thorax stone circle
On my way home from Battle hill I was in a good mood so I thought I’d check Thorax stone circle out. Taking the turn-off from the B9023, I followed a track which it dawned on me was simply leading to Thorax Farm; having read online that the owners were friendly to stonehunters, I decided…
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Ha’ Hillock
I’ve been meaning to check out this mound a while and today was the day. After long deliberations, I decided that the layby just by the bridge down from Nether Blairock farmhouse was ok to park in since it’s not a passing place. I def think about these things too much, but on the flipside…